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Die Irrfahrt der SBB | Tagesanzeiger | 28.5
The SBB have used a "simplified" map of Europe in their advertising

which eliminates many countries, including Hungary, Poland, and Switzerland itself. But it's the Poles, of course, who were particularly offended, and their embassy in Berne complained:
Die Sache war der Botschaft ernst genug, um bei den SBB direkt zu intervenieren - um nicht zu sagen zu protestieren. «Wir haben der polnischen Botschaft vor einigen Wochen mit einem Brief geantwortet», sagt SBB-Sprecher Roland Binz. Das abgebildete Sujet bezeichnet er als «Wasserball in abstraktem Weltkugel-Design». «Abstrakt» kann man dies gewiss nennen - wenn selbst grosse Länder wie Polen in der Versenkung verschwinden.

«Die Produktverantwortlichen haben bei der Sujetauswahl bedauerlicherweise die historischen Hintergründe nicht beachtet», ergänzt SBB-Sprecher Binz: «So war ihnen leider nicht bewusst, dass dieser abstrakte Wasserball die Gefühle polnischer Staatsangehöriger oder solcher anderer Länder verletzten könnte. Das war nie unsere Absicht. Es tut uns sehr leid, wenn dem so war.»

The advertising slogan was, appropriately, "Entdecken Sie die Schweiz", or discover (find?) Switzerland.
by gk (g k quattro due due sette "at" gmail.com) on Fri Jun 12th, 2009 at 03:51:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]
At least they are on the right side of the new dividing line!

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Fri Jun 12th, 2009 at 04:04:49 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Unlike the Baltic states...

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Fri Jun 12th, 2009 at 05:31:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Whoever commissioned, put together, ands approved that poster is an utter idiot. What the hell is this picture supposed to mean? That SPD flies planes on Transatlantic routes in an alternative history word, in which the Warshaw Pact was dissolved and Central and Southeastern Europe joined the EU, but the Soviet Union continued to exist and won in Afghanistan, then took over the Middle East?...

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Fri Jun 12th, 2009 at 05:35:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The CFF/SBB/FSS is very good at offending people with their posters. Some people of Valais got very angry over this one:

And there was that other time when they had an ad for TGV to Paris saying: "At these prises one almost want to see the Parisians more often". Some Parisians where upset about that. etc. I think they do it on purpose...
by someone (s0me1smail(a)gmail(d)com) on Fri Jun 12th, 2009 at 05:50:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Maybe they should do the PR for Eurovision.
by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Fri Jun 12th, 2009 at 07:37:51 AM EST
[ Parent ]
An old joke: SBB-CFF stands for

S'est Bas Bossiple, Ca Fa Fite!

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Fri Jun 12th, 2009 at 09:06:04 AM EST
[ Parent ]
That SPD flies planes

SBB. (Now THAT's a funny slip...)

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.

by DoDo on Fri Jun 12th, 2009 at 05:53:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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