TWTW: #95
The Year That Was

Kicking things off is high street giant Poundland, which landed itself in a spot of hot water back in January with its unique Valentine’s Day product – a literal ‘Gift of Nothing,’ remember?

The heart-shaped plastic packaging, priced at £1 (of course), was absolutely rinsed by charities and environmental activists alike for its wasteful use of plastic.

Despite the embarrassment, Poundland didn’t quite seem to learn it’s lesson – later launching a Harry Potter-style ‘invisible cloak’ costume for Halloween. Yep, you guessed it, another mass production of plastic hangers, all in the name of PR. 

Better luck next year, eh, Poundland?

February saw the release of a brand new dating app. For cows. To make a mooooove on their perfect bull. No, this isn’t a joke.

Tudder, a Tinder style app that no one asked for, was designed to assist farmers in finding cattle for breeding purposes.

According to The Guardian, the mastermind behind the app is Hectare Agritech, which claimed that a third of UK farmers already use the platform to market animals. Cows can be found on Tudder from over 42,000 farms across the UK.

Even cattle need a little help from Moo-pid every now and again. 

All puns intended.

We’re throwing it allll the way back to March now with KFC’s kick-ass campaign, Chicken Town.

Notorious for being a little bit cheeky, KFC released a video that calls out the endless number of UK chicken shops that shamelessly imitate the leading fast-food chain. From the AFCs to the ZFCs, the resemblance is uncanny.. 

The video, shot in a Godfather-esque fashion, makes the point that although KFC are  flattered by their imitators, there’s simply no competition when it comes to their ‘original recipe’.

As the ad says: “There’s only one Colonel in Chicken Town.”

Ahh, the sights of spring. Daffodils, baby lambs and giant inflatable tits on building tops. 

Wait, what?

Well, if you were in London on the 1st April this year, you may have seen just that. 

But this wasn’t a rogue April Fools prank. This was the masterful campaign launched by Elvie and Mother Agency, aiming to serve more than just a few giggles. 

The five breasts that appeared across the city, each different in size and colour, represented a diverse range of women, aiming to empower females and fight the stigma against breastfeeding.

Bra-vo indeed. 

Back in May, a brutal Tinder (not to be confused with Tudder) exchange was exposed on Twitter and the internet exploded.  

A user shared an insult she received about her ASOS dress from a not-so-suitable-suitor. The tweet quickly went viral, with an influx of praise and support for both the girl and said ASOS dress. 

But drama reached new heights when ASOS got involved, officially changing the model picture on their site to the girl’s Tinder picture, and shitting all over the outfit-shamer, who we will call George. (Because his name was George). 

We wonder how George’s love life has been going since then…

Now, it’s common knowledge that we’re a fan of the more unusual stories, here at ilk. And when those unusual stories involve dogs, we’re pretty much sold straight away. 

Coming in at number six is a story that was unearthed back in June, where an actual dog became the actual mayor of a quaint little town in California. 

Mayor Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller II, or Mayor Max for short, is a golden retriever on a mission.

And what a good boy he is.

Paddy Power made news in July by launching a fake kit for Southend United, which featured an embarrassingly huge sponsorship sash across the shirt.

The hoax caused an uproar amongst fans, but were later praised for their real sponsorship of the kit – which featured absolutely no sponsorship at all. 

The ‘Save Our Shirt’ campaign, which has now been rolled out across Southend, Huddersfield, Motherwell and Newport County, aims to act as a protest against modern football’s increased commercialisation. And it works.

August saw the much-anticipated return of Peaky Blinders for a fifth season of anarchy and corruption. 

To mark the occasion, the BBC called on amateur artists from across the UK to submit artwork inspired by the show’s most loved characters. 

Despite the absence of a red right hand, 16 worthy winners were picked from more than a thousand entrants, and the winning masterpieces were used in promo for the show. We think the winning artworks encompass the grit, determination and power of Peaky Blinders perfectly.

And, debatable accents aside, it’s been pretty grand to have Tommy and the gang back on our screens.

Autumn saw the biggest and most talked-about scandal since Taylor Swift and Kanye West.

The drama kicked off with Coleen Rooney publishing a rather lengthy instagram post accusing a fellow celebrity of leaking stories about her to The Sun. 

How did she come to her crafty conclusion? The super-sleuth planted fake Instagram Stories on her private account, then hid them from every single follower except one.

And that one? 

In Coleen’s now iconic words: “It’s………..Rebekah Vardy’s account.”

The internet (and our office) went wild for the Rooney-Vardy drama, with an explosion of memes, and the hashtag #WAGathaChristie trending on Twitter for a solid two days. 

Rebekah put up a feisty counter-argument, but that didn’t stop the trolling – even Netflix joined in with the banter. 

Better than the Max Branning-Stacey Slater Eastenders Christmas Special. Almost.

October saw the nation’s sweetheart, David Attenborough, once again grace our screens with his latest documentary ‘Seven Worlds, One Planet.’ 

And in a nod to the legendary wildlife lover’s continued efforts to conserve the natural world, Blue Peter awarded him with a one-of-a-kind Green Blue Peter badge – made from recycled plastic yoghurt pots, of course.

Another doggo highlight coming in at number eleven. And no, we’re not sorry about it. 

Good boy Max, a black labrador from Florida, made headlines for “accidentally” putting a car into reverse and consequently doing doughnuts in a quiet cul-de-sac. 

Max’s owner had briefly stepped out of the car, after making a wrong turn, when he knocked the vehicle into reverse and started going round in circles. For over an hour. 

Police eventually managed to open the passenger door and, aside from a few flattened dustbins and knocked over letterboxes, no one was harmed. 

Wonder if he’s mastered parallel barking, yet?

Last but certainly not least, an office festive favourite. 

Visit Jersey has been busy setting an AW19 fashion graze… (These puns write themselves)

It’s cows. In Christmas jumpers.

Or festive Jerseys, if you will. (We’re not done yet)

Created to spread some festive cheer and bring some more visitors to Jersey this Christmas, as well as promoting the area’s most prized-produce, Jersey milk, a campaign featuring cattle in knitwear was naturally the answer. 

If you ask us, it’s a brave moooooove. (Last one, we promise)