by | November 17th, 2007
Above is one of the new advertisements for the Eurostar which have gone up in Belgium promoting their services to London with the slogan ‘London’s just around the corner’ and a picture of a bare chested skinhead with a cross of St George on his back, pissing into a tea cup.
Its a character from Britain that continental Europe is probably familiar with but Eurostar have had complaints from British people complaining about the stereotype. There are plenty of other stereotypes Eurostar could have used but which are too un-pc. I think a train going into the Channel Tunnel with a carriage full of smiling and waving asylum seekers would be a more up to date image of modern Britain.
{ 1 comment }
I’m not so sure about the ‘British-ness’ of the stereotype . . . just last week I was in California, on a train from San Francisco to Palo Alto. As we passed through the suburb of Burlingame, I saw an ad virtually identical to the one you show here. I don’t know what they were advertising, as the train passed through so quickly; but Burlingame is a sedate, quiet suburb — but with a dose of California liberality thrown in.
So. Is it a British thing? Or perhaps just a playful defiance that works as an advertising device, no matter what continent you’re on.
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