Britain pins their tourism hopes on a urinating, angry, English rugby fan

Copy translation: "Attention! London is around the corner."

For some time now - we've been of the opinion that marketing a country's tourism offering with the traditional and predictable sweeping shots of breeze touched grasslands and impossibly calm lake vistas, is no way to really grab a would-be traveler's attention and travel budget.

South Africa has unique urban and social conditions that could easily be packaged as the ultimate extreme sports destination for those wanting to walk the streets of Hillbrow on New Year's eve. Yeah we got animals and mountains and stuff, but so does New Zealand.

However - the UK have taken the small, unexploited, shockvertising gap and are presently promoting their tourism offering, in Belgium, through the use of this peeing rugby / football hooligan.

Mmmmmm- he's cool hey?

One of a series of eye-catching poster ads, it features a football hooligan, topless, head shaved, with the St George's Cross painted across his back. He is a man of unexpected talent, for our friend is shown urinating from an inordinate distance, into a china teacup. London is "just around the corner", the slogan says.  

The ads are placed on street corners and designed so that passers by see the urinating yobbo first. As they progress around the corner, they see his chosen receptacle. London is so close - especially by Eurostar - is the rationale, and yet so full of surprises.

Man - we got all sorts of characters that could represent a memorable stay here.
The mountain mugger, the car hijacker, the cash-in-transit heist expert, the deputy president - what a rainbow of promotional opportunity.

BTW - jokes aside, considering the famous statue that millions flock to Belgium to go see - this campaign is actually a damn fine one.

More: You taking the piss - Guardian
And: Eurostar ad campaign using football hooligan and Thatcher to lure Belgians to Britain - DailyMail
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