flavour of the week

updated every monday

Politically incorrect humour

Monday, 7 May 2012

White cutomer T shirtThis man is a waiter at Superette, a trendy restaurant in Cape Town. He deals with many customers every day. Not just locals, but people from all over the world. And he certainly does have a politically incorrect sense of humor. He is a black man living in the new South Africa and his tongue-in-cheek T-shirt slogan says it all. Instead of ‘the customer is always right’ his T-shirt says ‘the customer is always white.’ Back in the old days, this would have gone down like a lead Titanic, but these days, it is hilarious. Well done South Africa, it is so great to be able to laugh at yourself…

What a bookshop!

Monday, 30 April 2012

Free retail spaceIf retail is all about maximizing what you have at your disposal, then this peddler is in fact a great retailer. He has accumulated some scruffy old books and a bunch of other worthless stuff and is flogging his wares on the side of the road. The books are weighed down by stones and the street poles are his garment rails. Which just shows you, when an entrepreneur is down and out,  they never give up hope. They just put to great use whatever they have…

These toilets are for woman only

Monday, 23 April 2012

Toilet icon graffittiThis just shows you how nothing is really sacred to vandalism. Here, some clever clogs has defaced a public service icon in such a way, that the man’s icon has become a woman’s icon. The actual sign is made of blue self-adhesive vinyl stuck onto a white background. All the vandal did, was to remove some of the dark blue vinyl between the man’s legs. And voila, we create a woman in a long dress. So, if you are a woman in a long dress, use the bathroom on the left. And if you are a woman in a short dress, use the bathroom on the right. And if you are a man, sorry mate….

Never mind 24/7 – we’re open even longer

Monday, 16 April 2012

Plumbers 25 hour slogan24/7 says a lot when it comes to providing good all round service in business. It is an internationally recognized phrase. It means “we are always open”.  We don’t take holidays. We work on Sundays. Call us at night. As a consumer, it makes you feel that you are in good hands. But here a plumber in Cape Town takes it one step further and makes even a bigger promise. We are open 25/7. What are they saying with this brand marketing strategy? That they go the extra mile. That they deliver even more. That they are better. What a great claim that is. And all for a leaking toilet…

Another unsubstantiated claim

Monday, 9 April 2012

Poster advertising Breakfast SpecialWhat a claim to make. We were the first. So we are the best. Do you see the logic in that? It is amazing what bull people will put onto their marketing material. And they must truly believe that the public will just suck it in. I suppose most of the time, the public is so bombarded with information, that they do just suck it in, no questions asked. Anyway, nothing like the best bacon and egg breakfast, especially if you are a vegan….

As colloquial as it gets

Monday, 2 April 2012

Closed for BaboonApparently the baboons at the Hangklip Hotel in South Africa come into the front door and help themselves to just about anything, without leaving so much as a tip. This sign board is positioned at the door as a last attempt to stop these non-paying customers. Luckily baboons can read. When a word or phrase is limited to a certain geographical area, it is considered to be colloquial. This sign would not really mean much if it was to be found at a pub in England. But it certainly communicates to the local customers at this hotel – including the baboons of course.

Breaking from the herd

Monday, 26 March 2012

A ZZ2 boxZZ2 is a world leader in tomato production. So how on earth did they get the name ZZ2? It sounds more like a nuclear submarine than a tomato. Believe it or not, ZZ2 started off simply as a number for branding cattle. It was then registered as a company in 1903. And wow, what a brand name. So simple. Also, the name is so inappropriate to farming, that it stands out like a red flag. And in the world of branding, if your name stands out, you’re doing a fantastic job. So well done ZZ2, we we love you 2…

Generic petrol – no nonsense

Monday, 19 March 2012

Generic petrol signImagine not being subjected to all the nonsense advertising that is synonymous with the petroleum industry. This petrol cleans your engine. This petrol makes you go further. This petrol makes you super fast. Not here in Botriver, South Africa. Here they sell generic petrol. They don’t care whether you prefer Shell, BP or Engin – it’s generic petrol that you are getting here. And if you don’t buy this petrol, you ain’t gonna make it to the next town. Phew, fill her up please….

Civicism – loving your city

Monday, 12 March 2012

Cape Town – Africa's greatest cityPatriotism applies to countries, while ‘civicism’ applies to cities. And remember, more than half the world’s population lives in cities. The world is urbanizing and cities are competing more and more for the affection of their residents as well as tourists. Cape Town itself is currently reveling in success. Recently voted as the World Design Capital for 2014, ranked the world’s number one travel destination by Tripadvisor, hosts of the largest timed bicycle race in the world, and the list goes on. In this picture a local Cape Town newspaper advert shows us just another example of civicism. Besides all that, we just love love love Cape Town!

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