THE EVENTS of past two weeks have drawn out anti-government sentiments on many subjects, but few might have expected a CTO advertisement in a Glaswegian urinal to become a target.
The ad in question ‘Love Cyprus’, conspicuously placed directly over the urinals in the Gents of a Glasgow football stadium, was spotted by one Cypriot and his son during a visit to the city. “It was not until the recent tragic events, and what with the government’s incompetence in handling the crisis, and the economic crisis, reminded me of the picture we took.” said then irate reader who took the photo.
“….I find this sort of advertising to be wasteful and pointless, not to mention degrading. This is not the right medium to advertise tourism to our country. Advertisements in toilets are mainly for condoms, toiletries etc”
He added: “Even if the adverts were free, there is still a cost regarding printing costs, distribution, placement etc. This money could be spent on more socially acceptable areas, such as adverts in club programmes, advertising around the ground.”
As it happens adverts were placed elsewhere around the grounds of several stadia from October to December 2010, but the CTO was not aware that they would be placed in toilets.
Senior tourism officer Avgi Papageorgiou said yesterday: “(The ad) was part of a campaign organised through an agency. It was displayed free of charge in public areas in a round 45 to 50 stadiums of Premier league and first division clubs.”
The package, which also included television advertisements, concluded around six months ago, in which time the urinal ads were displayed for around two months. “It was a good package” Papageorgiou added.
Despite being offered as a freebie, one CTO employee welcomed the urinal advert, suggesting that the “captive audience” might have worked in Cyprus’ favour.
Others, however, disagree. “I have received many emails in response and they all are in disbelief that we, as a country, are advertising in toilets. Do we advertise in theatre toilets, museum toilets, and cinema toilets? They have a captive audience too,” said the reader.
