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Eurostar takes the pee out of us
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard16.11.07
Eurostar has launched a provocative advertising campaign to lure Belgians to London.
The posters poke fun at the English way of life, featuring former prime ministers, football hooligans and the fondness for tea drunk from china mugs.
One of the adverts shows a half-naked skinhead with the England flag painted on his back and urinating into a china tea cup.
Another uses look-alikes of Tony Blair, John Major and Margaret Thatcher clutching Union flag balloons and holding knitting needles. The slogan reads: "Attention! London is around the corner."
A Eurostar spokeswoman said the adverts were intended to poke gentle fun at the English, advertising them as a nation with a sense of humour.
She said: "The Belgians very much look to the British and identify with them. They like the royalty and the pomp, but at the same time they love the street life and the edginess about London.
"We're combining the two and advertising that now London really is just around the corner.
"It's a celebration of all things British. One of the adverts has Blair, John Major and Margaret Thatcher bursting Union flag emblazoned balloons. In most incidents it would be impossible to be able to use three political figures from one country and have them recognised in another.
"We have had one complaint from a lady today but we don't see the adverts as offensive. We market on a country by country basis. These aren't adverts that we would use in France."
The campaign coincides with the new highspeed Eurostar service which was launched on Wednesday, travelling from St Pancras to Brussels in one hour 51 minutes.
The adverts met a mixed reaction from train passengers in Brussels and London. Gawain Towler, 40, a British civil servant based in Brussels, found them amusing rather than offensive.
"The campaigns that Eurostar run are always amazing and always ribbing the English," he said. "It's just the Brussels laughing at quite how surreal the English are sometimes, both in their traditions and modern life."
Others were not so keen. Patrick Tyson-Cain, 61, a freelance interpreter from Bath, said: "I don't think this daft promotion will get people over here. I didn't realise it was for Eurostar - I thought it might be a beer or a diuretic."
Reader views (16)
So what. The UK has been taking the mick out of the French all the time arriving in Waterloo (Water toilet).
- Db, London
Appalling! All part of the clever-clever advertising trade's 'anything to get attention' tactics.
On a level with the deliberate cult of the ugly and stupid which suffuses the so-called 'creative' circles at present.
- Louis Billerey, London UK
They are quite amusing but can you imagine the uproar if there were ads in England poking fun at Belgium !
- D., London UK
Its hilarious and oh so true sadly of Britain today...
- Ruby, France
How vulgar! That, I'm afraid, is the end of the plan to visit Paris via Eurostar.
- Jim, Menton, France
You know when you have arrived in the UK by the fragrance of pee in our stations, phone booths and with mugging victims lying in ancient alley ways behind pictureseque pubs. All in all for once truth in advertising.
- Jon, London
Don't underestimate the Belgian sense of humour. They'll love it! I do!
- Scott, London
Ruddy good show!
- John (British Expat), Phoenix USA
I hardly think the Belgians are in a position to make fun of the Brits. There is more culture in a natural yoghurt than there is in a Belgian.
- Peter Harmon, London
Well the PR Agency behind this has done its job alright!
I find the current posted comments from Helen and Margaret quite amusing...what's there to be offended about? Surely they're just taking the proverbial p... and it's all just a lil' storm in a teacup heh! heh!
...and yes I am English!
- Tal, London, UK
It's an absolute disgrace. Shows what happens when you have people like David Blunkett running the country.
- Dave, Wookey Hole, Somerset
In Brussels station they had cut outs. So you could place your head in the whole. One of the best PR campaigns I have seen. There were choirs, bands also involved, everyone enjoyed the adverts.
- Nicholas Newman, UK
Utterly brilliant. Us Brits love a laugh.
- Paul, Bromley
Helen....''Imagine if it had been other way round''
You mean you've never seen a UK comic taking le pee out of the French? Or heaven forbid it the Germans...
I imagine you're up in arms every time someone mentions 'Frogs' or the 'Boring Belgians'
Hypocrite. It's a joke, if we as Brits can't take one, then what hope is there?
- Alex Wotton, Surrey
I know that we have a quirky sense of humour and I am one of the first to have a laugh at ourselves and our Englishness of which I am very very proud to be, but this isn't funny. It's insulting as it sarcastic and I don't find it amusing. Try putting the shoe on the other foot and then see who laughs, they need new PR staff that can poke fun without being offensive,thanks...
- Margaret, London, England
I think it is disgusting. Imagine if it had been the other way around...
Shame on Eurostar and their live for today opportunist advertising agents.
- Helen, Norwich
