Du bist Deutschland – You are Germany

For our international visitors a small introduction to the entire situation about the media campaign „Du bist Deutschland“ (You are Germany):

A few months ago, the germanspeaking blogosphere heard about a new bolster-up campaign entitled „Du bist Deutschland„. The situation of Germany’s economy and the entire social life suffered from a certain desperation of the population, and therefore certain large media publishing houses combined their efforts to create a massive advertisement campaign in both television, radio broadcast and of course print.

However, the idea misled certain people to the idea of considering the campaign as a negative issue. In fact, most blog authors felt being suggested as an incapable part of the nation – as if they never have done anything or as if they should live up to traditional „group-merging“ ideals of Germany. As simple result, the campaign was criticized by bloggers and the traditional media – as if they’d speak one voice: We do not identify with the message and the entire campaign. We are not Germany. We are not like you want us to be.

Over the past weeks, the criticism rose to the moment in which Jean-Remy von Matt, co-founder of the media company Jung von Matt, wrote a newsletter that attacked the journalists, blog authors, and other media companies that criticized the campaign. The people believed that the budget of 35 Million Euros was way too much for a campaign without identification. Therefore, Jean-Remy entitled the weblog authors as „Klowände des Internets“ (english translation) – as the toilet walls of the internet.

The result for now is devastating. Technorati made „Du bist Deutschland“ to be the top search of the hour, the media is endlessly reporting and the toilet walls of the internet are writing their hands of. Congratulations, Jean-Remy von Matt! You’ve made the day!

My own related articles to the entire issue are found in this link-list:

• Ihr seid Deutschland!: You are Germany. The first buzz and first thoughts.
• Hurra! Du bist Deutschland…: The campaign became reality and the german blogosphere introduced their own graphical campaign ads.
• Du bist Deutschland – eine Klowand von Matt!: Jean-Remy von Matt, the co-founder of the media marketing company „Jung von Matt“ wrote a newsletter in which he compared weblogs as being the toilet wall of the internet.
• Unsere Klowand: Our wall in the bathroom as symbol for the menace of dictating the issues of free speech.
• How-To make Klowand-Content: A graphical illustration of a typical german Klowand (the wall behind the toilet)

More can be found on the internet at Jens Scholz, newsrack… or the flickr photo pool more following!