Photo: Twitter / BVG Kampagne
As any daily commuter knows, if you use public transport for your commute during the summer, you’re in for the unpleasant surprise of body odor. Other people’s, not (just) yours.
Body odor may be all sorts of unpleasant, but it can also be a weapon for change for the better. At least, that’s the assumption Berlin transport operator BVG is working on, when advising commuters to forgo deodorant before heading out.
It may seem like a strange idea, but it might just work. Germany, like most European countries (or around the world) is struggling to contain the infection rate and decrease the impact of the health crisis. Public transport packs a considerable number of people in a small space, virtually doing away with the possibility of social distancing. Air conditioning and lack of the possibility of airing these spaces naturally add to the increased risk of exposure.
Add to this mix the fact that not many people are wearing their masks right, and you get a disaster waiting to happen. Since many commuters choose to wear their masks only over their mouths, thus leaving the nose exposed, BVG believes an offending smell like body odor could get them to reconsider.
That is to say, if the health crisis isn’t enough to scare you into wearing a mask and to wear it properly, smelling someone else’s unwashed, perspiring pits might.
“Given that so many people think they can wear their masks under their noses, we're getting tough,” the company says in a new ad posted to Twitter. “So, now do you still want to have your nose out?”
This isn’t the first time that BVG goes down a more unorthodox path to advertise its services. Last year, it filed an application with UNESCO asking it be recognized on the World Heritage List. In the past, it also asked Donald Trump to apply for a driver position with the company, since it would allow him to issue orders and no one would mind the fact that he was overweight and had small hands.
It may seem like a strange idea, but it might just work. Germany, like most European countries (or around the world) is struggling to contain the infection rate and decrease the impact of the health crisis. Public transport packs a considerable number of people in a small space, virtually doing away with the possibility of social distancing. Air conditioning and lack of the possibility of airing these spaces naturally add to the increased risk of exposure.
Add to this mix the fact that not many people are wearing their masks right, and you get a disaster waiting to happen. Since many commuters choose to wear their masks only over their mouths, thus leaving the nose exposed, BVG believes an offending smell like body odor could get them to reconsider.
That is to say, if the health crisis isn’t enough to scare you into wearing a mask and to wear it properly, smelling someone else’s unwashed, perspiring pits might.
“Given that so many people think they can wear their masks under their noses, we're getting tough,” the company says in a new ad posted to Twitter. “So, now do you still want to have your nose out?”
This isn’t the first time that BVG goes down a more unorthodox path to advertise its services. Last year, it filed an application with UNESCO asking it be recognized on the World Heritage List. In the past, it also asked Donald Trump to apply for a driver position with the company, since it would allow him to issue orders and no one would mind the fact that he was overweight and had small hands.
Ihr lasst uns keine andere Wahl. pic.twitter.com/mf8YcCnwc8
— Weil wir dich lieben (@BVG_Kampagne) July 1, 2020
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