Monday, July 21, 2008

Have a coke and a smile

Flying back to India (yes, I'm still just catching up) I went through Belgium. For those who have no exposure to the Waloon or the Flemish, in Brussels there is an old fountain which has become a symbol of the city and of the country. It's a statue of a little boy peeing.
It makes for a very interesting marketing campaign on the coke machines in the airport.
Or it's a political statement on the imperialistic global corporations and at least one of their products. I'm uncertain which.
Feel free to discuss.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Yes, he's called "Mannekin Pis," or "Little Man Piss," and to the Belgians, (who are gracious enough to have "pissoirs" or places to relieve oneself) on the street, there is nothing offensive about the little guy. In fact, he's a major tourist attraction just outside the Grand' Place, one of the most perfectly preserved medieval squares, from an architectural standpoint. I'm not sure of his significance on the coke machine, or why he seems to be urinating directly on the bottle, but hey, it's probably just Belgian humor.