Monday, August 3, 2009

Not a Martian

Piaggio Ape advertising a mason-plumber, LivornoMy friend Stefano first saw this vehicle, and we have tried to catch it for a long time. So when another friend, Paolo, called me on Saturday to tell me that it was parked in “Via Grande”, I rushed out with my faithful camera.Piaggio Ape advertising a mason-plumber, LivornoThis is how a mason-plumber advertises his work, literally putting it on display on his tiled and plastered “Ape” with a chimney. He has gone a long way to personalize his vehicle, but his rear view mirror keeps reminding me of something in my shower.Piaggio Ape advertising a mason-plumber, LivornoYou can see a complete kitchen sink on the right side of the “Ape”. A wall of pictures representing works done by its owner graces the other side of the vehicle and its back.Piaggio Ape advertising a mason-plumber, LivornoStill on the back you have a complete wood oven, hence the chimney, with some spare logs neatly stored and a couple of drawers. The large and verbose sign says: I am not a martian but a normal mason who loves his work and much enjoys it. I like rustic but can do anything...

26 comments:

Hilda said...

I've never seen anything like it! Amazing!

Thanks for rushing out to capture it for us. Thanks to your friends too for being on the lookout for it!

Tash said...

Very innovative advertisement and useful vehicle in one. Nothing better than a person who takes pride in his work. Glad you caught up with him.
Also fun to see the people on the streets of Livorno.

Fio said...

Ma che idea! Proprio la settimana passata mi hanno rinnovato il bagno. Peccato che non lo sapevo prima ;-))

Nori Katayama said...

Raise my can of beer to the vehicle!

Gunn said...

I love this little cute car! ;-)
My favourite car is this "new" BAMBINO FIAT 500 !!
So fare I only have a small toy model, but I seriously think that is a car with personality and style. I have been a passenger, but not tested it yet.......
Anyway, thanks for sharing "streetlife" ......
Have a nice day!

Petrus said...

A great advert !!

brattcat said...

Clever, clever mason. He carries with him everything AND the kitchen sink. Thank you for introducing this one of a kind vehicle to us. I particularly love the stucco and tile work.

Stefan Jansson said...

That is one unique vehicle that's for sure. It's great that you have a bunch of people calling you when a photo opportunity arrives!

Lowell said...

That is soooo funny! I couldn't figure it out at first, but embiggened the photos! Great shots of a truly unique vehicle. I've seen some strange things, but this takes the cake!

I wouldn't have noticed the rear view mirror if you hadn't pointed it out.

I wonder if this really brings him business or if people think he's some kind of nutcase?

Great post, VP!

Anonymous said...

How creative of him to advertise his work in this way! Cracks me up that y'all were keeping an eye out for him and someone tipped you off about his location. That is great photo journalism!

Unknown said...

Glad you rushed to take this shots! This is incredible, I've never seen anything of the kind! So funny too! :-)

B SQUARED said...

Must be an interesting fellow. What a neat way to advertise.

Saretta said...

Saves money on advertising this way!

Julie ScottsdaleDailyPhoto.com said...

this is a great capture. How clever and unique. Good for you for getting out there and tracking it and photographing it. Thanks for all of your comments on my site while we were away on the solar eclipse tour. We appreciate your words. I am enjoying catching up on everyone's photos. I love your photos of architecture and history, and your ship photo is funny also. Ships are new advertising canvases I see. We also finally got our travel website officially launched so it is now open at www.vivalavoyage.com or it can be accessed through the link on my website. I hope things are well. Enjoy!

Halcyon said...

Funny! I wonder if his advertising brings in more business.

Tinsie said...

Now that's what I call advertising :-)

Rob Siemann said...

Fantastico! Che immaginazione incredibile! Bravo!

James said...

Wow, Now I want one of those. lol.
That really is very interesting.
I'm glad you got the call.

cieldequimper said...

He deserves customers! That is so original!

Ming the Merciless said...

Wow, you are a dedicated photographer. :-)

It is definitely an eye catching vehicle. I bet people all notice the advertisement on it.

lemon said...

We can see that he enjoys his work!!

crocrodyl said...

Wow! So original advertisement! I like it! Thanks for these photos!

stromsjo said...

And there you have it. A good intelligence network sets of the alarm when something happens, then just bring Old Faithful to the scene! Well done.

Pretty effective marketing obviously, by now this vehicle has gone global.

tapirgal said...

I'm glad he told us he's not a Martian! This is so unusual. I wonder if it would be legal on the streets here? Anyway, it's a very amusing subject. I'm glad you got photos!

Daily Chicago Photo said...

This is very interesting - never saw something like this before! So clever and a different way to advertise. I really like that your friend called you and you went dashing over to get the picture - what a great story to accompany the pictures!

Ellie said...

Thank you! Can't stop laughing! Great job! If I ever need a plumber in Italy - will call these guys - they are very serious about their business - world class plumber!