It pays to advertise

Typical shop-fronts in Uganda

Wherever went in East Africa I made an effort to learn something of the local langauge. In Kenya the greeting was always 'Jambo!' and in Uganda the equivalent was 'Agandi!' But it was always interesting to see that English was still a dominant language in these former British colonies. Signs and directions were always written in my native tongue.

What delighted me most were the signs on shops and advertising slogans.

Every town we passed through had brightly painted shop fronts that were themselves adverts for a product. For example, mobile phone shops would be painted in the corporate colours of Orange and to a set design that never varied.

It wasn't just the bright colours but the language used that fascinated me. There was always a fantastic simplicity about it and a sense that it was not quite correct.

In England hairdressers seem to compete to find the most original and witty title for their business. Here's a few plucked from the local Yellow Pages: Cut Above; His 'n' Hairs; Intrim; and The Head Gardener.

In Africa it is far simpler and yet more romantic. In Kenya there was a hairdressers called 'The Beautiful Ladies Hair Salon'. Brilliant! It has the simplistic yet descriptive ring of 'The Number One Ladies Detective Agency' about it. It does what it says on the sign.

Here are a few other adverts and shop signs that I noted down:

Sandolin: Colour your world fashionably silky (Sandolin shops were in every town. Always brightly painted. Good use of the colon).

Blessed - shoe shiner and repair

Uganda Telecom - it's all about you (unlike British Telecom - It's never about you, so sod off)

Obama Restaurant and Cleaning Services (it pays to diversify, even when you're the president of the USA)

Blessed Man Garment Centre (a tailor's shop)

OMO - dirt is good

When you have a choice
SLEEPING BABY
Is the right choice

(the picture that accompanied this slogan was of a young girl with her thumb up. I still have no idea what it was advertising - drugging your kids so you can go out on the town perhaps?)

I choose Manwango Tea
I take things personally

(are those statements connected?)

And finally my favourite - a solicitor's office in Kampala:

Davis & Shirtlift

Live long and prosper.