Marvellous! Fantastic!

John Cleese's face is all over the place here at the moment. He's fronting an advertising campaign for the electrical retailer Elkjøp. This is pronounced Hell Shop if you've ever had the pleasure getting lost in the Sandvika Storsenter outlet. Believe me it's not a place you go if you're in a hurry.

I can imagine John Cleese's agent saying:

John my old man, you're a respected and popular comic. A legend in your own lifetime. But you need some dosh after that nasty divorce settlement. I've got you a gig in Norway! All you have to do is let a massive electrical retailer plaster your mug over its advertising (distributed to every household in the country) and draw a balloon from your mouth in which they'll print the word 'MARVELLOUS' and 'FANTASTIC!'. Then you just have to do a few television commercials, complain about your divorce and say the phrase 'Thank God for Elkjøp'. They'll print this on their advertising too in massive letters, under which they'll encourage all of Norway to "do as John Cleese, buy everything you need in Elkjøp". Not only will they pay you handsomely for appearing as a bitter and not very funny old man but they'll also push DVD sales of 'Fawlty Towers'. John, my man, it's a no-brainer. Who goes to Norway for goodness sake. No one! Well no one of any consequence will see you besmirch your enviable reputation as a king of comedy.

John took his agent's advice and Elkjøp's money, and here follows one of the two awful commercials for your perusal.