As a former copywriter, I will always enjoy a good tagline. Milwaukee has a bunch of smart and creative agencies, but in my opinion, Steve Johnson -- owner of a Riverwest watering hole called Uptowner -- writes some of the best ad copy around.

Uptowner's tagline -- "Home of the beautiful people" -- is fabulously tongue-and-cheek, and so is the neon sign that hangs in the corner tap's window reading "Charm School."

Sometimes Johnson's messages are misunderstood. A few years ago, when Uptowner's exterior got a fresh coat of white paint, Johnson ran ads saying "The White Bar." This, of course, was a joke because although many find Milwaukee to be a segregated city, Uptowner is quite possibly THE poster pub for diversity. Not everyone found it funny, though.

His latest ad will again raise eyebrows and evoke dark chortles. The ad reads "Uptowner: Where art meets crime," and, like so many things, it's funny because it's true. Johnson collects art and displays a plethora of portraits by Mike Frederickson on the walls of the bar. As for the crime part, well, Center Street is Center Street. Enough said.