Not-at-all-pedophiliac Coppertone Girl sign gets new home tonight

Miami's historic Coppertone Girl sign-- a 50's-era landmark that depicts the company's logo of a terrier of some sort pulling down the bathing suit of a little girl, which somehow has something to do with sunblock, is being resurrected tonight. The sign was first planted on a building at NW...

By Gus Garcia-Roberts

December 2, 2008

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Miami's historic Coppertone Girl sign-- a 50's-era landmark that depicts the company's logo of a terrier of some sort pulling down the bathing suit of a little girl, which somehow has something to do with sunblock, is being resurrected tonight.

The sign was first planted on a building at NW 54th in 1958, a simpler time when bare toddler buttocks did not instantly make people think of civil suits against the Vatican. It's bounced around since 1991, when its original home was demolished to make room for a Miami-Dade Community College extension. It languished in a warehouse for a few years, was donated to MiMo, and in October, was designated a historical landmark.

And at 5:30 tonight, it will be unveiled, completely restored, on the side of 7300 Biscayne. The son of its sign-maker will be there, as will Coppertone executives, reveling in the sweet, rare glory that is free advertising.

-Gus Garcia-Roberts

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