Du bist Deutschland

You are Germany was a controversial on positive thinking and a new German national feeling targeting social marketing campaign. It was established under the initiative of Partners for Innovation 25 media companies launched and coordinated by Bertelsmann.

General data

Initiator of the campaign was Gunter Thielen, former CEO of Bertelsmann AG. The first part of the campaign ran from 26 September 2005 to 31 January 2006. Located in the center of the campaign was a two -minute TV ad, which aired almost simultaneously to the campaign kick-off on almost all major television channels. In addition, large-format print advertisements, flyers, Plakatierungen and up to two minute TV and cinema commercials were used. According to press brochure it was " the largest social marketing campaign in the media history of the Federal Republic of Germany ". The level of advertising volume is officially estimated at 30 million euros. However, since all parties and actors waived their fees, this amount has not been issued, but is only an addition of the costs of a campaign of such scope.

The soundtrack for the campaign comes from the American film composer Alan Silvestri and is originally the title theme of the soundtrack to Forrest Gump, which in 1994 was nominated for an Oscar.

The icon created for the campaign consists of three areas whose color scheme contains the German national colors. It is a stylistic resemblance to the logo of the Olympic Games in Barcelona (1992 ) found that, as the campaign logo should be a progressive person.

Content

Was to be declared goal of the campaign, " sparked a movement for more confidence and initiative in Germany " and " more self-confidence and motivation" to initiate the Germans.

At the core of the campaign was a so-called manifesto, which was also at the center of the commercials at the same time. The up to two minutes long spots were mostly prominent people in historic, scenic and urban locales. This carried the slogan of the campaign you're Germany in different variations before: " You are the miracle of Germany ", " You are the tree," as well as sayings and metaphors or comparisons such as "Your will is like a fire under " the trigger positive emotions and to inspire and engage the emotions spontaneously.

Excerpts from the manifesto:

" A butterfly can cause a typhoon. The gust of wind that is displaced by its flapping wings, perhaps uprooted a few kilometers further trees. Just as developing a breath of air into a storm, your deed can work. [ ... ] Your will is like a fire under. [ ... ] But once we've torn down a wall. Germany has enough hands to be rich and tackle each other. We are 82 million. Let's get our hands dirty. You're the hand. You are 82 million. Treat your country but simply as a good friend. Bitches is not about him [ ... ] You are Germany. "

Resonance

One of the initiators at the Society for Consumer Research ( GfK) commissioned representative survey revealed that two weeks after the start of the campaign, 35% of respondents, the campaign had previously consciously perceived. Of these, 54 % considered as "positive addressed " to. 23% of respondents did not like the campaign.

Furthermore, the organizers said, " some 400 companies, associations [n ] and organizations " who wanted to participate in the action; the numerous support of various media companies ( see list below ) by providing free advertising space and also free of charge participation Celebrity also showed the support of the Campaign for companies and celebrities.

On the homepage of the campaign was the possibility a photo of themselves, connected with his name and with its own little message, upload to a gallery of supporters. Several thousand people took advantage of this hands-on offer.

In the newspaper Die Welt of the campaign, great importance was attributed as " setting the tone ".

Media presence

According to an estimate in advance of the campaign 1.6 billion media contacts with citizens should be achieved. This corresponds to a theoretical range of 98 percent. Every German should be achieved on average 16 times. The media volume (as of September 23, 2005 ) was composed of:

Support the campaign

The campaign strategy is the advertising agency kempertrautmann and for the creative conceptualization, the advertising agency Jung von Matt is responsible. The " campaign office " manages the Agency fischerAppelt in Hamburg.

Prominent supporters of the campaign

(Selection): Gerald Asamoah • Reinhold Beckmann • Bobby Brederlow • Yvonne Catterfeld • Sarah Connor • Wojtek Czyz • Justus Frantz and Orchestra • Maria Furtwängler • Martin Hyun • Günther Jauch • Oliver Kahn • Walter Kempowski • Johannes B. Kerner • Oliver • Korittke Walter Lange • Florian Langenscheidt • Patrick Lindner • Sandra Maischberger • Xavier Naidoo • Minh - Khai Phan - Thi • Oliver Pocher • Dominic Raacke • Marcel Reich -Ranicki • Hans Martin Ruter • Kool Savas • Achim gyro • Harald Schmidt • Gabriele Strehle • Gerd Strehle • Ulrich Wickert • • Anne Will Martin Winterkorn • Katarina Witt

Criticism

Among other things, there were complaints of parts of the population that the campaign of the confidential "You " served for their slogans, which felt the critics as inappropriate. Various newspapers columnists criticized also the slogan " You are Germany " lacked strictly as a " feel-good " campaign of the content. The taz has said that by means of a " neoliberal piñata " the " shaken by depression and anxiety about the future Germans are trimmed back to a good mood " would, while the responsibility of state and economy for the "fate of the country" would thereby be deported to the individual.

Some writers saw in the campaign parallels the ideology of the national community. Thus, for example, talked Harald Jähner in the Berliner Zeitung of a " body politic rhetoric ," the customs of the campaign. A further critique concerned the part of the campaign exposed as a model Ferdinand Porsche, who was one of those industrialists who camp inmates had exploited as forced laborers. If it turns saw some of these critics, as it has been found that the National Socialists - used slogan " Because You are Germany " during a rally 1935 on the Place Louis in Ludwigshafen - but coined on Adolf Hitler. The historian Hans Mommsen and Hans -Ulrich Wehler did not see the campaign because of this " random match " ( Mommsen ) but as charged.

The Web Video You are a terrorist in 2009, which deals with laws on internal security, referred to the campaign, which led to disputes between the Agency and the video artist.

A continuation of the campaign with the focus on a " child-friendly Germany " was decided in July 2007.