±±¾©Èü³µpk10

COBRA

Trying to bring the humour of the offline ads to the web, the site uses Cobra beer's frontman 'Curryholic Dave', who bears an uncanny resemblance to the chap in the Boxman ads, only funnier.

The site enables the user to explore Dave's 'naansion', where every room has a different theme and the library has links to publications such as Tandoori magazine.

There's plenty of content focused on curry and beer laddism, but none of it is as amusing as some of the stuff found on the Boddington's site.

Apart from the magazine links, there was very little to make me come back.

Web: www.cobrabeer.com

Client: Cobra Beer

Developer: In-house

HEAL'S

If a firm has built its reputation over almost 200 years on being at the forefront of modern, stylish design, you would expect its principles to be carried over on to its new e-commerce site.

Thankfully, in the case of Heal's web site, the bosses have done exactly that.

Having once been to the Tottenham Court Road store after being presented with a wedding-gift list by a couple who, stupidly, didn't realise I could not afford anything from the shop bar a napkin ring, I know what it's like inside.

The web site represents this perfectly. It's uncluttered, letting the stuff for sale do the talking instead of relying on the way it is presented.

It's light on text, which is good, and the photography is excellent.

While not offering the full Heal's range, the site has plenty to chose from in kitchen items, home accessories, gifts, home storage, lighting, cushions and throws. There are also plans to develop the range.

There is a pounds 3.50 postage and packing charge for each order, which seems to be quite good value.

But one disappointment is that there is not, as yet, a facility to fulfil back orders when an ordered item is found to be out of stock.

Web: www.heals.co.uk

Client: Heal's

Developer: Blueberry.Net

SOCIETY GUARDIAN

SocietyGuardian.co.uk offers jobs, news, analysis and comment to the public and voluntary sectors and is built on the back of the weekly Society Guardian publication. The site follows the same recipe that has served the other sites in the Guardian Unlimited stable so well.

It is easy to use and full of quality content - there were 29 pieces of news, analysis and comment accessible from the home page alone.

The layout is straightforward, with dedicated areas for the target groups of social care, health, voluntary sector and charities, local government, regeneration and housing.

Web: www.societyguardian.co.uk

Client: Guardian Unlimited

Developer: In-house

POT NOODLE

Few brands have managed to retain a cult status in the way Pot Noodle has.

As the self-proclaimed king of cheap, cheerful snackfood, its status has been threatened only once - by SuperNoodles, a couple of years back.

This new web site creates a virtual shrine to the brand, enabling fans to pay homage to the snack and upload images and dedications to it.

Unlike the TV offering, the agency seems to have left Big Dave with the fat bloater's wife and opted to try and make the already cult product into a cult, which I don't believe works.

I can't see what would make a Pot Noodle fan endure the endless pop-up disclaimer windows, the babyish design or the incompatibility between lower-scale computers and the site's software.

If only we could blame Big Dave for this one.

Web: www.potnoodle.com

Client: Best Foods

Developer: Tribal DDB and Kerb

LONDONTRIBE

TimeOut can pack up and emigrate. Londontribe.com has arrived.

The much-awaited eighth launch of Tribe Online, it joins online guides to Sydney, Los Angeles, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide and Melbourne. The design of the London guide is similar to the other city guides and looks neither childish nor simplistic, but is exactly what the branding should be to attract a young and sophisticated audience.

City guides such as this are going to become more and more popular as marketers learn what information people want while they're on the move and what they could happily do without.

Londontribe has a huge mix of things to do and doesn't discriminate between lovers of gigs and more sophisticated party animals.

At times, though, it seems crowded, and as there's so much crammed into the site, it can be difficult at first glance to find what you want.

Web: www.londontribe.com

Client: Tribe Online

Developer: In-house

This week's reviews by Mairi Clark, Richard Jolley, Mark Sweeney, Dan