After three long weeks of Olympic action, we’ve finally come back down to earth. With the Paris Games finishing up on the weekend and our Australian team outperforming all expectations, the Man of Many office has been abuzz with sports-fuelled enthusiasm. What’s more, we’re about to go again for round two. In a little under two weeks, the Paralympics officially kick off, thrusting our athletes back into the sporting arena and sending the rest of us straight back to the couch. It will be a proverbial buffet of feel-good sporting entertainment, but in the meantime, we’ve got your positive vibes sorted. Here’s Feel-Good Friday for this week.
Babybel Launches Inaugural Wax Challenge
Everyone’s favourite cheesy, wax-covered snack, Babybel, has launched a nationwide search to find Australia’s top amateur creatives as part of its inaugural Wax Challenge. The brand is inviting cheese lovers to use the famous red wax covering to craft miniature sculptures, with the best entrants going in the running to score one of several cash prizes. Better yet, one lucky winner will have their creation showcased for a week at Westfield’s flagship Bondi Junction shopping centre in Sydney later in the year.
“We want to feed people’s creativity and invite them to remodel the wax covers into something fun,” said a Babybel spokesperson. “We are prioritising participation over perfection and want to open this up to people of all ages, irrespective of their creative skills. The competition is more about inspiring people to have fun and to come up with something quirky and unusual rather than craft something that is perfect and extremely curated.”
To enter, you need to share your wax creations to Babybel’s Instagram or TikTok. The competition closes on 31 August, at which point a judging panel will assess all entries and announce the winners by 7 September. The top winner will receive $1,500 in Westfield vouchers and have their work turned into a giant sculpture, which will be displayed at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney from 30 September to 6 October. Two runners-up will also receive $1000 and $500 in Westfield vouchers, respectively.
Johnnie Walker’s ‘Ruby Dreams’ Artist Residency
Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker has teamed up with Newtown cocktail bar and live music haunt Pleasure Club for a week-long artist residency that features some of Australia’s biggest names. The event, entitled ‘Ruby Dreams’, is headlined by singer Vera Blue, model-turned-musician Sarah Ellen, and dancer Porcelain Alice, alongside award-winning bartender Jake Down.
The new event marks the Australian arrival of Johnnie Walker Black Ruby, the latest permanent addition to the brand’s portfolio of iconic Scotch. Crafted by Johnnie Walker Master Blender Dr. Emma Walker, Black Ruby is a contemporary expression amplifying the fruitiest notes of Johnnie Walker Black Label: a celebration of honeyed richness, magnetic allure, and indulgent sweet, smooth notes.
From Thursday, 15 August, to Saturday, 17 August, award-winning singer-songwriter Vera Blue will hit Pleasure Club to deliver a never-before-seen Sensorial performance format that will début as part of the Ruby Dreams artist residency. Additionally, Sarah Ellen will share the first-ever public performance of new band ‘Pamela’, Porcelain Alice will debut her boldest show yet, and Jake Down will curate exquisite cocktails by Johnnie Walker Black Ruby.
“Fans are in for a surprise, this residency is truly like nothing else I’ve performed before,” Vera Blue said. “My band and I have created a unique show featuring electric instrumental arrangements with dark electronic tones, and can’t wait to take the audience on a multi-sensory experience. I’m so excited to be a part of the Ruby Dreams artist residency with Johnnie Walker and Pleasure Club.”
The new Johnnie Walker Black Ruby and Pleasure Club artist residency will run from 9pm, Wednesday 14th August and from 4pm onwards Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 August at Pleasure Club in Newtown.
Campari Cinema Lounge Opens
To celebrate this year’s Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), long-standing partner Campari has opened the doors to its Campari Cinema Lounge. Until Sunday 25 August, Campari’s stunning Euro-film-glamour-themed Cinema Lounge will offer movie buffs the perfect setting to unwind for a pre- and post-screening tipple. Best of all, the new space is open till late, meaning you can sip on Campari cocktails, enjoy canapés by contemporary Asian diner Miss Pearl, and enjoy the stellar line-up of upcoming and established local DJs until late in the evening. The Campari Cinema Lounge is free to enter and is located in ACMI Federation Square on Flinders Street.
