George Clooney has a catchphrase! What else?
Golden Globe and SAG nominee George Clooney has a new European Nespresso TV commercial with the same catchphrase -- "What else?" -- as his wildly popular first coffee ad.
In the new two-minute version, George goes into a trendy, upscale Nespresso coffee shop and is ignored by every beautiful woman he passes, including one who thinks he's the valet and hands him her keys. Finally, it looks like one PYT (Camilla Belle in a cameo) might ask for his autograph. Nope, she just wants some espresso. Awkward.
But the overall consensus I'm hearing is that his new commercial isn't as cute as the first one. Personally, I think it's still pretty funny. But CLICK HERE and judge for yourself.
"This new commercial is bit too contrived and he suddenly looks older," noted one French female fan. "The whole campaign is too much, and this time George is downgrading his image."
But that's not stopping Nespresso, which has slapped George's handsome mug on billboards all over major European cities such as Paris and London. The only writing on the ad: "Nespresso. What else?"
"This catchphrase seems to be working in Europe, where most second-language English speakers probably never learned to say 'what else,' or can't pronounce it, so they think it's cute," explains Paris-based journalist Carolyn Pfaff.
"What else" has become such a part of the modern European vernacular and social consciousness that it's even been featured as a question on European quiz shows: "Which brand has the slogan 'What else?' "
Next time you see George Clooney, ask him, "What else?" I bet he's getting pretty sick of hearing it in Europe!
Photo credit: George, with his pal-publicist Stan Rosenfield and girlfriend, Sarah Larson, didn't need to ask "What else?" at the eighth annual Summit of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome this month. At least there's someplace the Golden Globe- and SAG-nominated actor gets recognized!
I thought it was cute....any commercial with George Clooney is cute.
I can assure you that the new commercial has received some very good reviews in France (and in many other european countries). It is as good ad the first one. the only problem is that George Clooney was way too thin when he filmed this one.
And actually the commercial is almost never shown in that version but in a smaller one, with only the part where George Clooney believed that Camilla Belle wanted an autorgraph, when she wanted a coffee.
He gots the AIDS.
Why do women find this guy so charming? He's almost 50 and he's never had an actual relationship with a woman.
It always seems contrived to me when celebrities do these "cutesy" commercials, trading off of their image. I like it better when they just lend their voice or likeness without mentioning who they are, or "playing" themselves.
Language skills
What a foolish remark by the French journalist.
Even though most French people never displayed impressive English skills, it does not make it so for the rest of Western Europe. Surely most Europeans below the age of 60 knows the phase "What else" and how to pronounce it. Except perhaps for the French.
Any campaign featuring Clooney will play well in Europe. His versatility and habit of voicing personal political opinion is probably even more appreciated in Europe than in the U.S.
"George is downgrading his image"
Wow, I absolutely can't agree with that. It's called poking fun at your own image and not taking oneself too seriously.
"Europe, where most second-language English speakers probably never learned to say 'what else,' or can't pronounce it,"
MIght be true for the French (because most show no interest in learning anything other language than French) but it's pretty safe to say that those that learned English in schools in Germany know how to pronounce "what else".
"Jake" FYI, George was married for four years to Talia Balsam, a woman, and has had several long term relationships, also with women. Come up from the basement much?
It's a commercial, not some deep philosophical staement. Analyze something of worth. Please.
the joke is spread a little thin over 2 minutes
his acting isn't as bad as it used to be but then again shooting ration was probably 1000 / 1 or something