It's started...

The good weather in Germany has taken everyone back to the glorious Sommermärchen of the 2006 World Cup. Now, I know it won't be of much interest to my chums in the UK, but the football is nearly upon us again. In fact, I heard a rather annoying radio ad for radio advertising (if you get my drift) today: "for my English friends, what do Malta, Aserbajan and Kazakstan have in common with England? Their football teams will be watching the championship on their TVs too." Ha, ha. We always said you Germans weren't very good at humour!

Anyway, the silly season has started here. The car flags have been dusted down and shops are stocking up with face-painting sets, triangle bikinis in red, gold and black (a somewhat frightening thought when worn by Gundula, the president of the local Landfrauen ) and those Hawaian garlands to drape over and obsure your rear-view mirror.

I do remember writing a piece about World Cup marketing gone crazy which is over on my Secret Agency site, which included such wonders of the World Cup as sushi footballs and tomatoes in black/brown, red and gold.

I am convinced that it will get even more ingenious this year and I will now officially start a challenge for the tackiest/weirdest/most inappropriate Euro 2008 item from any category you like. All entrants in the comments below, please...