The European Speciality

The Client Services Director in charge of the account that I've been working on this last week wanted to thank my team for all of their efforts. He brought us TWO boxes of Ferrero Rocher chocolates as a token of his appreciation. Really kind of him, and I was thoroughly impressed, as most of our CSD's haven't so much as remembered to verbalise the words "thank you" in the 2.5 years I've been here, let alone given us presents. (There are one or two exceptions, but you get the idea.)

Ferrero Rocher ads were always a joke back home...posh European people acting impressed by their high-brow host serving these gold-wrappered chocolate hazelnut morsels...very tongue in cheek, pretending to create an aspirational brand out of what is basically a high-end Whitman's Sampler. And though I've always thought these chocolates were fine (they are chocolate, after all, and they are certainly tasty,) I've never considered them all that special. They're just another candy, if you ask me.

But it seems I don't know posh. No one actually needs two boxes of these, so I thought I'd take them on a walk around the department and offer them to my colleagues. You should have SEEN the eyes light up. "Oh MY! Ferrero Rocher!" Everyone had one, many asked if they could have two, and even the ones who won't eat fruit for fear it would make them fat were willing to have a sinful little treat. They were FERRERO ROCHER, after all. The buzz preceded me, and by the time I got to the far end of the office everyone had stopped working in anticipation of their chocolates. There was no sense of irony in the room. I was beside myself with laughter.

Who knew it wasn't a joke?