There's no such thing bad publicity, goes the old cliché. And if that's true then the marketing department at Magnum ice creams will be patting themselves on the back after a huge new billboard in Piccadilly Gardens was widely mocked for its hilariously bad attempt at showing off a bit of local knowledge.
Alongside a photo of a chocolate Magnum the advert boasts: "The only thing that can make lying on Piccadilly Gardenseven better ." But as every regular, or even occasional, visitor to the city centre knows Piccadilly Gardens - notorious for drug use, crime and anti-social behaviour - is not exactly sunbathing central.
And at the minute the gardens are still recovering from the Christmas markets and a miserable winter which has left the area with barely any grass. Read more: "You couldn't help but love him": Former footballer, 37, dies after battle with Motor Neurone Disease So obviously Mancs were quick to mercilessly ridicule the advert.
Amy Jones tweeted a picture of the billboard alongside the message: "Good way for Magnum’s marketing department to reveal they’ve never been to or indeed, spoken to anyone from Manchester." Alex replied: "Enjoying a Magnum in Piccadilly Gardens, or as you might call it, a spice cream." Drawing Thyme tweeted: "Tell us you’ve never been to Manchester without telling us you haven’t been." Sam Whyte tweeted: "If you lie down in Piccadilly Gardens a copper comes and throws your belongings in a skip." And Ben 81 IMS posted: "That area of Manchester could not be saved by Jesus himself." But several others speculated the ad might have been a deliberate mistake to get everyone talking - and, if so, then it's obviously worked.
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