Phat Phuc, (yes, that sounds like FAT F*CK!) was a poster promotion used by a Vietnamese restaurant in Glasgow. Here’s the back story…
The restaurant in question is called The Hanoi Bike Shop. When the poster was first put up by the restaurant, two people complained to the UK Advertising Standards Authority that the poster was “offensive” and “inappropriate”.
The Hanoi Bike Shop responded to the complaint by saying that in Vietnamese the phrase “Phat Phuc” translates as “Happy Buddha” and is pronounced “Fet Fook”.
The ASA sided with the restaurant and dismissed the complaints!
Twitter followers also sided with the restaurant with comments such as:
“Phuc’in delicious food”
“People should get a phuc’in sense of humour”
“phuc’d after an amazing dinner”
“Lovely meal with the pha… wife”
Any others come to mind?
Needless to say, the PR was great with the Hanoi Bike Shop even appearing on the BBC Scotland website.
