Hug your Éric Bompard "irresistable cashmere"

Ah commercials.

They've very much been part of our lives for decades now, haven't they.

Some people love 'em; so much so that they insist on arriving early at the cinema to enjoy sitting through them before the real reason for being there - er, the film - begins.

And when it comes to TV, well don't make too much noise during the break otherwise you might just incur their wrath as they gaze in open-mouthed wonderment at the small screen.

All right so the bottom line is surely that commercials are made to sell a service or a product you might not necessarily want or need.

On principal maybe you reject the very nature of what they represent.

But - and there's no getting away from it, even for the most cynical - some of them are ruddy clever.

Such is the case surely of "The hug", the latest offering from Éric Bompard.

"The hug" (screenshot from Èric Bompard commercial)

The company, founded in 1986, specialises in ready-to-wear cashmere clothing and accessories for men, women and children: pricey perhaps, but you get what you pay for.

It's one of those luxury goods lines, if you will, at which the French seem to excel.

If you need proof then just pick up the latest copy of the weekly magazine, Elle, in which the country's former first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy gives an exclusive interview for the first time since she and her husband, Nicolas Sarkozy (just in case you needed reminding) left the Elysée palace.

As well as talking about the unlikelihood of husband making another bid for office, giving advice to the current first lady, girlfriend or whatever you want to call her, Valérie Trierweiler, to tie the knot with François Hollande and enthusing about her upcoming fourth album, Bruni-Sarkozy is also pictured alongside the interview and on the front cover, looking seductively radiant - or should that be radiantly seductive - wearing an Èric Bompard...Pull V oversize ultrafin.

Très glamour.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (Elle magazine cover)

So that's the seal of approval from a former top model handily following the recent launch of "The hug".

It's part of the company's "L'étreinte" or "embrace" campaign and quite frankly, it's a delightful spot whose timing couldn't be better.

There has been a sudden and dramatic drop in temperatures over the past couple of days in France and, as we're likely to be reminded ad nauseam over the next upcoming weeks, Christmas isn't that far away.

To top off the whole warm, fuzzy feeling, there's that music to accompany, the aria "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot".

It couldn't get much better.

Enjoy.