ITALY: Luggage Roulette

Have you ever wondered who owns the first bags that appear on the luggage carousel at the airport? Because, quite frankly, they always seem to go around and around and around ... with no one ever claiming those lonely, stray suitcases. As those one or two pieces of luggage pass you too many times to count, you continue to stare at the carousel, thinking that your luggage will suddenly appear, as if by magic.

Well, that happened to me today at the Venice airport in Italy. As I continued to peruse the pieces of luggage circling the carousel, it began to dawn on me that I was staring at a life size roulette wheel ... that happened to be advertising Casino Di Venezia. I must have read the name of the casino at least 12 or 15 times before my giant-sized green bag finally made its way to my side.

I love nontraditional advertising. It's ads like this that kind of sneak up on you, grab your attention, and then go on their merry way, leaving you informed - and possibly persuaded - in the process.

Molto intelligente.