In my last post I talked about the popular appeal of ‘Boris’, the single word subject to a swear box fine in government circles.Over the last few days worrying press reports for his supporters suggest Boris,  the splendidly surprising and irreverant, is  behaving like a dull and safe Mr Johnson.

The reason for this is, apparently, the advice he is getting from one Lynton Crosby an expert from Australia, a place not normally associated with subtlety of expression. Here it would seem he is intent on stifling Boris to make sure there are no mistakes, errors or gaffs.  No wonder he is struggling and, worse, in danger of losing the core of his appeal, his unique personal approach.

Anyone experienced in pitching knows that one of the golden rules is to play to your strengths.If Boris listens too closely to Crosby and plays down the ‘Boris’ persona we might start remembering his lack of track record and experience.

As the headline of AA Gill’s perceptive article in the Sunday Times said “Be yourself ,Boris,or you’re bound to lose”.

In my local M&S in Hammersmith there is a separate display featuring 16 glossy weekly and monthly magazines,all selling well or they would not have been selected. Clearly and equally visible were the 16 front covers pitching for the impulse buyer.

Editors know their stuff and each cover would have been created with expertise designed to both brand the title and arouse our interest.Carrying learnings from sales response from one issue to the next is their bread and butter. For me this made the celebrity sameness all the more depressing.

Only three stood out as different, Men’s Health with it’s familiar black and white ‘six-pack’, Vanity Fair with a classic Annie Liebowitz composition and GQ which featured a man, Colin Farrell. All the rest gave us female head-shots, cropped in much the same way, of a celebrity…..

…in no paticular order Kate Hudson, Kate Holmes, Alesha Dixon, Ashley Jenson, Amy Winehouse, Lilly Allen, Keira Knightly(twice),Mylene Klass, Suzanne Shaw, Anna Friel (twice) and the ubiquitous Kate Moss.( Posh where were you?)

Yes, celebrity sells ,and if it ain’t broke why fix it , but a touch more originality would be refreshing?

On Wednesday, in Paris ,an indifferent English team was beaten in an indifferent match by France ,1-0

David Beckham , on his 100th appearance ,performed adequately during the game but performed so much better afterwards pitching brand Beckham in interviews. Modest, charming, articulate with the rehearsed pride in ‘my’ country.

However he was outshone in London by the sensational new French pitch team of President Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

No doubt important things were said and the phrase ‘ entente amicale’ resonates. However their success and the impact they made was our response to what we saw (sensed). His infectious energy and lively body language and her seemingly effortless sense of style capitivated us.