Throughout history, many Mediterranean countries have gained a reputation for unnecessary and convoluted bureaucracy – much to the chagrin of the naive and vulnerable foreigner.
However, if you thought that all the ‘locals’ are happy and willing to participate in the form filling, jobs-for-the-indolent game you would be wrong.

Countries like Russia and China are renowned for their volumes of paperwork and the requirement for the ‘chop mark’ or rubberstamp on every second page. The Spanish phrase “mañana” has also become synonymous with the ‘why do today what you can put off until tomorrow‘ approach. Like all good stereotypes (if stereotypes can be good), these contain a hint of reality.

Not that I am suggesting that any marketing and advertising strategy is ever based on stereotypes – that is always an easy but dangerous road to go down. But this clip, which I have entitled “The revenge of the Spanish punter“, neatly acknowledges and parodies the stereotype simultaneously. And yes, it was produced in Spain as part of the Jameson Short Film Festival.

Certainly in the UK we regularly bleat about Public Sector and “Jobsworth”-type bureaucracy, which appears mainly to aid task avoidance on behalf of the official or company representative involved rather than serving any real purpose.

Trust me, based on my experiences of living in Russia and Spain, British bureaucracy is not even in the top 10. Although the UK Borders Agency is doing its best to catch up.

As ever, the comments are often as entertaining as the video. Paste this one into Google Translate:

“El poder de la burocracia en manos de los funcionarios, no jode todos los días. Si bien esto fue filmado en España, en cualquier país sudamericano esto se sufre !!!!”

Of course, you will get a literal translation but I’m sure you will also get the drift.

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NOTE: Always get your advertising and sub-titling localized by a company that understands cultural nuance and has the skill to produce the media involved.