October. A mammoth month for news.

Within a few short weeks:

• Local lockdowns were enforced and a national lockdown announced as the death toll continued to rise.
• Water was discovered on the moon.
• Trump got Covid-19, recovered and went bonkers about it on the White House lawn.
• MPs (abhorrently) rejected free school meals for children in the holidays.
• The Pope (beautifully) backed same-sex civil unions.

It was also the month that PROs sold in jewellery made from a deceased person’s teeth and the fact that calling your partner “mum” or “dad” in bed is a big turn off.

Here’s October’s toughest sell-ins:

1.  Jewellery made from the deceased's teeth!
A jewellery company have come up with an, erm, innovative way to remember someone who has passed. Should you be willing to prize a tooth from the mouth of a lost loved one, this company will transform it into a ring for you. Delightful to imagine sporting on your hand and even more delightful to imagine pitching to media.

2. Our biggest bedroom turn offs
I’m not sure a study was required to determine the following, but in the second spot this week it’s a story about the biggest bedroom turn offs. 

Completing the top three are: calling your partner by your ex’s name, asking “are you done yet?” and suggesting they remind you of your mum/dad (if you’ve ever done the latter can you kindly drop me a line, I’d love to ask you a few questions). 

Thankfully, the team selling in had a final parting nugget to land – “the best thing to hear in bed is a pleasure moan”.

3. Brits spend a whopping 42 minutes per week talking about the weather
We all know how much Brits love talking about the weather, but it was deemed in the public interest to delve a little deeper into exactly how much time we spend doing so. In fairness, the data here really stacked up… because it was a study of 6,500 people!

Those partial to a survey story on behalf of clients will tell you that’s a LOT of people, especially when you can get a red top to cover a story with a meagre 500 respondents (if you bury the source in the notes to eds and send a case of beer). The “study” identified that we we spend a whopping 42 minutes per week carping on about the climate!

4. We're all bored of working from home and miss our mates!
Are you working from home right now? And do you miss working in the office? Yes? Great. The fourth spot goes to the PROs who had to sell in that exact story. 

5. Men with deep voices are more likely to cheat on their partners
“Boom town rats” (epic headline) takes fifth place this month – apparently men with deep voices are more likely to cheat on their partners. You can imagine sweating whilst lifting the phone to pitch this story, silently praying that if a man answers he’s softly spoken.

Written by Sophie Raine, managing director, consumer brands at PR firm Ketchum London