The Hoddle of Coffee: Tottenham Hotspur News and Links for Wednesday, September 29

Hi, everyone!

A pretty great goal, courtesy of Sheriff’s Sébastien Thill.

Ramble of the Day

To celebrate National Coffee Day, I will share a simple thought: Folgers Coffee has a very strange aesthetic when it comes to advertising, and I really hope it has impacted their coffee sales.

I’ve never actually been a Folgers customer, and despite loving coffee, pay little attention to most marketing efforts by coffee brands. I generally pay very little attention to Folgers, too, but the brand really forces me to pay attention. It’s not my fault I can name three disturbing ads off the top of my head — one centered on a man who isn’t wearing pants for a Zoom meeting but also failed to angle his camera appropriately, another about a woman who accidentally saw her father-in-law in the shower (below), and the infamous incest commercial. (For what it’s worth, GQ published a great oral history of the incest ad in 2019.)

One horribly offensive trait about every Folgers ad ever is the song that gets worse and worse each time you hear it. I had to play other music to get the tune out of my head so I could write this Hoddle with a little less anger in my heart. Still, I wouldn’t usually hope a company’s sales go down because of a horrible jingle. It really is the reference to horrible, if small, life events. The incest ad, by all accounts, was an accident, but it seems like recent Folgers has made quick, but mortifying moments their brand. I do not find these commercials remotely funny. I am mortified by these situations; I hope no one experiences these things, and I really don’t need casual mentions while watching television.

It begs the questions: Is Folgers coffee so bad that you need something simple to go horribly wrong to enjoy it? Is Folgers coffee only “the best part of waking up” if you woke up in a nightmare? I don’t think I’ve ever had Folgers, so I can’t answer the question myself. I know, though, that these ads have turned me off Folgers completely. I’d argue every other somewhat successful company company, if not a world’s worth of somewhat successful companies, proved you don’t need to disturb your audience into buying your product. I’m sure Folgers has its base that won’t be bothered by the ads, and I have no problem with this (unless I find out Folgers coffee sucks). I just have a simple request from any company ever: don’t make me experience secondhand shame.

(By the way, if you genuinely want to celebrate national coffee day in the US, USA Today has a list of places you can get free coffee.)

tl;dr: I despise Folgers advertising, and I think using mortifying situations is a horrible way to sell coffee. (Also, there’s a link to where you can get free coffee in the US today.)

Stay informed, read this: Canada’s Stephanie Labbé on her mental health struggles at the Tokyo Olympics in an essay for FIFPRO’s website

Links of the Day

England World Cup winner Roger Hunt died aged 83.
Supplemental reading: The Guardian’s obituary of Hunt

Chelsea’s N’Golo Kanté and Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson tested positive for COVID-19.

Ex-Washington Spirit coach Richie Burke will not be allowed to hold another job in the NWSL following a league investigation into allegations that Burke bullied players.

UEFA requested the recusal of a Spanish judge who ruled that the confederation could not punish Barcelona, Juventus, and Real Madrid for continuing with the Super League.

The Australian Professional Leagues rebranded in an effort to promote gender equality, with the top divisions now named A-League Men and A-League Women.

A longer read: Suzanne Wrack interviews Lewes head of performance Kelly Lindsey on playing in the WUSA, coaching in Afghanistan and Morocco, and Lewes’ high aspirations for the Guardian