please empty your brain below

Yes, embarrassing/disgraceful, isn't it.

Marginally less naff than the year (1999? 2000?) that (a particularly unexciting set of lights) were sponsored as blatantly by Birds Eye, though - I had thought that had created such an uproar that such blatant advertising had been halted. But evidently only for a few years.
Marmite in the Turkey gravy! or hot Marmite as a drink could keep Santa warm on his travels.
I remember the big illuminated Bovril advertising sign which was in Piccadilly Circus many years ago, so nothing new.
Although I guess glowing Marmite jars hanging across a Sreet does not really signify "Christmas". Still it is some extra lighting during the dark weeks of the year which helps to ward of the winter SAD effect, and as I always ignore Christmas anyway I am not really bothered as to what they are as long as they light up nice and bright.
Since LED's have come along a lot of "Christmas" outdoor lighting has been dimmer than in the incandescent lamp days. Hopefully with the newer brighter LED's now available this will change.
As for Marmite love it or hate it
I love it.
I'm quite ambivalent towards Marmite, to be honest. And while I was initially dismayed by the Marmite Christmas lights, at least it's something different from the presents and umbrellas we've had for the last few years on the trot.
Anyone remember the first Oxford Street Christmas lasers, which late in the day weren't permitted to move for fear of radiating innocent passers-by? This year's array is appalling, and shows the poor understanding big business has of what kind of seasonal environment will encourage people to come and shop.
Could be worse DG.
Imagine what it would look like if Wonga got in on the act.
Yes, Waterhouse, I remember the Oxford Street Laser, mainly green ones shining across the Street and back via mirrors.
You really need some fog or smoke haze to see the Laser beam and so in Oxford Sreet it was not too effective. I think it must have been around the time of the Laser show at the Royal Academy so Lasers were the "in" thing.
The Empire Cinema in Leicester Square also used to run a quite spectacular Laser show before the films many years ago.
I quite like the ones in South Molton Street, which seem to have been the same for the last couple of years. Dunno if they have returned this year.

http://flic.kr/p/aMp8ZF
Waterhouse and John, I was telling my kids about those lasers last night. Underwhelming though they were, they obviously stuck in my mind!
Regardless of it's supposedly festive message, how on earth is Santa with a sickly green face and an elf vomiting into his hat considered a good marketing ploy?
Considering the rest of this years events they've missed a real trick here, to recreate some of the national high.
I feel sick myself now. The lights used to be a Christmas highlight for me too but now.... Ugh!
Yeast extract influenced seasonal celebrations - now that just leaves a bad taste in the mouth...

Yeast extract flavoured ricecakes however, which I have just discovered, yum...
Cornish Cockney, you can see the Laser Shows that the Empire Cinema used to run on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQivA1_ajrg

I agree with you that the Oxford Street lights are no longer a highlight any more-for me, but maybe for children it is still wonderful. I find things seem smaller and less exiting as you get older. Regent Street often has a nicer display.
I used to go to the Blackpool lights every year but now I do not bother. Nor do I make a special journey to see the Christmas lights in London's West End I see them if I happen to be passing that way, and even then I may not notice them.
The title of today's post ought to have been "Hate It".
DG: Thanks for your Santa vomiting comment. My keyboard is now covered in crumbs from the sandwich I spluttered out when I laughed so much!
I like marmite, but it is possibly the least Christmassy consumer product I can think of.
But then again, Oxford Street is horrible anyway - whenever I end up there I remember why I hate it so much - the shops are no different to any other high street in London, and the crowds are horrendous!

And the pictures on the Evening Standard website that DG links to - what's up with the slideshow? Surely the point of a slideshow is to change the image without refreshing the whole page - rubbish web design!
I must say that I do get a perverse pleasure out of the lights being so obviously sponsored by a product that foreign visitors will never have heard of and almost certainly dislike. That is Britishness to a tee, and so much better than the 'pretend' Britishness of M&M World.

Besides when you've seen Blackpool Illuminations, all christmas lights are relatively unexciting.
The corporate intrusion into every area of life started many years ago when people fell for the scam of buying T-shirts etc with branding on them, thus turning themselves into walking billboards. They should have been charging for the space. I wonder what a chest is worth.
Marmite isn't Christmassy? I'm not sure about that; the coating on Twiglets is basically Marmite, and to me they are a distinctly Christmas-only snack.
If it's true that all publicity is good publicity then Joanne the PR lady will be happy as DG has given her product lots of exposure, even if it's all negative.

I'm also with John that as a child my memory was that the Regent Street lights were more impressive.
Used to buy Marmite then got fed up with all their overpriced 'special edition' sh1t and now buy Sainsbury's (lower salt) own brand version, which tastes fine.

Up theirs!
I like how she mentions "sporting acheivements". It was the other lot that got to sponsor the big East London international supporting event which I guess is still protected by law! Still I cannot see what Marmite has got to do with either the jubilee or sport.
London Transport ran an open-top "7L" sightseeing route along Oxford Street during the period of laser Christmas lights.










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