OFF THE VINE: In that other dimension, de Lame sees all

<p>Now, here's cheery news for all you moaners and whingers out there </p><p>- you know who you are - who are convinced that there is a conspiracy, </p><p>that they are out to get you, that some of your rivals do have an </p><p>unnatural and unfair advantage over you. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>You're right. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Absolutely. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>And here's proof: the photo on the right, of Chupa Chups global director </p><p>of communications Xavier de Lame. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The more observant among you might notice something slightly unusual </p><p>about young Xavier ... and no, it's not just the transcendental beams of </p><p>light emanating from the back of his head, nor the other-worldly glow </p><p>that he is basking in. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>No, Xavier has the all-seeing "Cyclops" thing happening. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Fans of Lobsang Rampa's work will be familiar with the concept of the </p><p>"third eye". </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Clearly, Xavier is more familiar with the concept than most. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Chupa Chups has recently embarked on a campaign to broaden its consumer </p><p>base to include older kids and young adults, not just the under 12s. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The lollypop giant has employed fast-paced, Japanese-style 3D animation </p><p>in its TVCs to appeal to this new target market. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Now, not that Vine likes to give anything away for free, but in the </p><p>spirit of Chinese New Year etcetera, we'd like to suggest to Chupa Chups </p><p>that it produces a sugar-free version of its candies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>That way, diet-conscious teens and tooth-conscious mothers would swoop </p><p>into the fold and make you millions. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Don't say we never do anything nice for anyone. We fully expect to get </p><p>into heaven for this latest magnanimous gesture. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>