Reuters.com
Tue Apr 11, 2006.. GENEVA (Reuters) - For women bored at the thought of this summer's World Cup soccer finals in Germany, neighbor Switzerland is offering an alternative packed with beefcake.
A cow-milking 'Mr. Switzerland' and other handsome men are featured in a new advertising campaign seeking to entice soccer widows to leave their sports-obsessed men behind.
"Dear girls," starts the television spot, to run in France, Germany and Switzerland beginning in May.
"Why not escape this summer's World Cup to a country where men spend less time on football, and more time on you?," the advertisement, says over images of a strapping farmhand, a sexy train conductor, a fit mountain climber, a dapper ferryman and a brawny lumberjack.
It ends with Renzo Blumenthal, Mr. Switzerland 2005, milking and then leaning up against a cow.
The clip -- also on www.myswitzerland.com -- is meant to lure women to Switzerland during the tournament that starts on June 9, Swiss Tourism spokeswoman Veronique Kanel said.
"It was kind of a funny way to attract people, and of course mostly women, who are not interested in football to come to Switzerland while the men are watching the World Cup on television," she said in a telephone interview.
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