It’s the perfect Italian souven-air.
Discerning breathers everywhere can now inhale some of the most luxe air on the planet, purportedly captured straight from the source among the rolling hillsides and lush landscapes of Lake Como, Italy.
The “luxurious souvenir” is the brainchild of Italian communications firm ItalyComunica, which bills the gimmicky keepsake as “perfect for those who wish to rediscover the peace and elegance of this heavenly corner, sealed in a tin.”
For $11 per can, purchasers can obtain 13.5 ounces (400ml) of “pure air from the most beautiful lake in the world,” which pledges on the packaging to be “100% authentic.”
The label on each pull-top can shows an overhead view of an illustrated motorboat kicking up wake as it traverses deep blue water, meant to evoke the posh vacation destination around 50 miles north of Milan, which is the sometimes-home of George and Amal Clooney.
The venture got mixed reviews on social media, with one X user dismissing it as “packaging for the sake of it.”
Others pointed out that it wasn’t the first time “canned air” from tourist destinations was packaged and sold, pointing out that Italian businessman Gennaro Ciaravolo repurposed empty World War II food containers to create “Aria di Napoli” — air of Naples.
A film buff X user said the item brought to mind a famous scene from the 1987 Mel Brooks film “Spaceballs” in which the dimwitted President Skroob liberally popped open and breathed cans of “Perri-air” — packaged to resemble Perrier water.
Hawking canned air didn’t start with Lake Como Air.
Other entrepreneurs over the years have purported to offer cans of air from locals including Paris, Rome, Berlin, Tokyo, Israel and more.
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