Re-Positioning Hadrian's Wall
A few posts back I alluded to something called 'the Hadrian's Wall Gay Shopping Experience', lamenting that it was unavailable online. Since then we've been inundated with requests regarding this strange marketing initiative. So I'm pleased to announce that with the help of the Renaissance Man's scanner, we can bring you evidence of the latest from the
Heaven knows what brief they gave their creatives, but in past years Hadrian's Wall has tended to be aimed at bearded middle-aged men in sandals and Goretex. Now all this has changed. Someone's told the marketeers that most family holiday-destinations are decided on by women - and that what women want is an aspirational shopping experience & a strapping young hunk. How else to explain this:
I'm not entirely sure why our happy shopper is bidding such a fond farewell to the man from the chemist's shop. The whole thing is as camp as a line of military fortifications. Clearly someone at the creative agency is having a laugh. Equally clearly no-one at the Tourism Partnership has got the joke.
posted by Nick at 5:48 pm
9 Comments:
Having read the news that it is no longer allowed to feature handsome men on drinks adverts. It occurs to me that such a line of advertising could falsely encourage women to take their holidays on the wall with the false belief that in doing so they will meet up with dashing young men as shown. Clearly this matter should be referred to the ASA.
Dashing young men? I believe there are one or two in Cumbria . . . (shurely 'middle-aged men with beards' - Ed)
What what what?! I don't remember seeing anyone who looked even remotely like this guy when we walked the Wall, Nick. Granted you and Franklin were there, but hey, even you two will have to admit your skirt-wearing days are in the past. I'll bet he was in that chemist's shop getting a blister repair kit -- those sandals look killer.
How did you know about Franklin & me wearing skirts? He told you, didn't he . . .
It's the crack; it makes people gabby...
This is just the sort of image those sneaky Romans would like us to believe. However, in The Times today (09-Feb-2006) there is an article about Roman soldiers....
"He was probably not an 'Italian' Roman, but a native of Gaul, the Belgae or even a Briton. The Romans recruited Northerners for service on their 'wild west frontier'of Britannia Inferior. From the writing tablets discovered at Vindolanda, we can read of the daily life of a garrison soldier, such as Luke. He was concerned with food and the climate. Socks and the Birrus Britannicus, were essential (unRoman) kit."
So there we have it: not so much an Imperial Soldier; more a hoodie-wearing local chav called "Luke". Perhaps there's still a Roman garrison in Maryport.
My scribe omitted to record that the Birrus Bitannicus was a "hoodie overcoat". He has been disciplined.
Bizarrely, the photocopier repair man for Whitehaven Record Office used to use this image http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/Officious-Bisms as his test sheet. Lots of colour. So he said.
Sarah, I'm grateful for the pic, which seems to come from the same original source. I rather get the impression that the Whitehaven Records Office was clearly in need of regular maintenance & testing, in spite of the repairman's heroically assiduous attention to the quality of image it produced . .
BTW, do you blog regularly or is it just a seasonal thing? Would like to link to you in 'Cumbrian Blogs' but would hate to have to wait till next February for more . .
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