In a further attempt to bridge the gap between U.S. and U.K. cultures and their respective citizenry, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced the "Have a Bloke and a Smile" campaign. President Barack Obama has also picked a director of goodwill campaign operations back in the U.S.
While the first part of the cultural exchange program will be based in the U.K. and offers discounted airfare and lodging for American males who visit for more than a week, a women's program is also planned with the working title; "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pumps".
"It makes sense really", says U.K. campaign director Wyatt B. Hoovszha, "We're neighbors only separated by a smidgeon of water and we're not really that far apart on most international issues. That and my wife liked the shoe reference in the women's program name".
Hoovszha's American counterpart, Hugh Japples, thought the women's program slogan would translate well between countries, but that the men's advertising campaign in the States would need tweaking. "We don't want to flood London's streets with our gay community who might be under the wrong impression about the spirit of this brotherhood campaign. It's the word HAVE could be misleading".
Japples' team was busy planning travel discount programs and destination options around the U.S., but struggled to come up a catchy slogan themselves. Following several heated verbal exchanges between two members of the team, one from New Jersey and the other from Louisiana, the slogan was reportedly born from the ashes. Japples elaborated. "Once you consider that our country hosts at least seven distinctly different accents and associated slang, from Michigan Yooper, to Bayou Cajun, Boston Coastal to Texas Drawl, the slogan became easy".
"Learn to Speak Your Native Language. Buy A Brit a Beer."
Both Hoovszha and Japples expect the initial contact between citizens to be tentative, but then with a touch of fermented grain added to the conversation, any obstacle can be overcome. "The discounted travel program is open to all citizens of both countries, except Manchester United hooligans, and all Oakland Raider fans. We figure, why start world war three?" says Japples.
