Five European cities –Antwerp, Amsterdam, Zurich, Vienna, and Valencia– banded together for tourism promotion. They label themselves the cool capitals and have an informative web presence. I like the tone: these places aren’t London, Paris, or Rome; but they are capitals (of a sort), and they are cool.

What really delighted me was a fake advertisement that the collective has put out. A cross between a BBC report and a gossip show, the report showcases Francine Fleiss, who has accumulated five husbands –one in each of the five cool capitals– and is now enmeshed in scandal.

Each of the five husbands seems to have been styled on his city of origin, playing on stereotypes: the Austrian husband is into art and strudel; and the Spanish husband is a rotund, excitable fellow pictured on the beach. Characters from cities whose charms may not be evident seem to have been made more colorful: the husband from Antwerp is into fashion; and the husband from staid Zurich sits next to a bearskin rug, waxing poetic on an “exploratory” relationship.

The report is styled as having been created by the supporters of Francine, and features a “Go Francine!” logo. It’s also attributed to Pals of Polygamy LLC. It’s all good fun, and –more than just using the “cool capitals” label– really does put these five cities on your mental map.