Sex sells many things, but using it to sell language courses is surely a first; a language school in Valencia went this route, and if nothing else, made Valencians tweet like crazy…
Advertising stunts are well-known marketing tools that can either outrage or amuse people. We recently wrote about two of them: an Alboraya company suing Facebook for damages after its profile was closed, and a confectionery manufacturer called La Polleria that sells penis-shaped sweets in Calle Caballeros. They are now joined by a language academy that is attempting to gain attention through an unconventional advertising campaign.
The Yuhu Learns language school is located on a busy corner on Avenida Blasco Ibañez and offers English, Chinese, and Russian language courses. It is a place where you can learn new languages such as English, Chinese, and Russian in a dynamic, creative, and fun environment, says its website.
It also invites prospective students to join and learn more about their innovative and unique learning model. While we’re not sure about their learning model, their advertising model is definitely one-of-a-kind.
The language centre chose to advertise itself with a double-meaning pun and a heavy dose of sexuality. The school has installed large LED panels in their windows, on which four advertisements rotate every few seconds: ¨Cum inside. Come inside. Learn the difference¨, says one of them in English. ¨Penis black. Pen is black. Punctuation and adjective order are important¨, says the other.
Because the signs are so large, they can be seen from a long distance and are well exposed to oncoming traffic on Avenida Blasco Ibañez. However, the message’s intended recipient remains a mystery. Only people that know English really well should be able to understand this joke – and they don’t usually need to learn English. Although the pun appears to be intended to explain the importance of learning English properly to Spanish-speaking audiences, the true purpose was to raise awareness of the school, particularly on social media. This happened simply – a couple of tweets depicting the school window went viral, with one of them receiving 75.000 likes and 11.000 retweets so far. It got so viral that The Valencian decided to send out a reporter.
The image has become so popular that the academy itself clarified in their Instagram stories that it was not a montage and that this is their school: “This is how we do it,” they assured the public.
While we can debate whether or not this campaign is moral or tasteful, we cannot deny its originality. After all, these are difficult times, and attracting attention is hard. With so many English schools in Valencia, staying in business requires a new way of promoting your particular one…
© Mind Your Language In Valencia: Cum Inside To Learn Some English – TheValencian
Get some more Valencia News
