“You Are Germany” Campaign Hopes to Cheer up Deutschland

Dealing in national stereotypes is dangerous, as it is just a mere breath away from outright racism. However, there is something to it. As the story goes, in heaven, the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and it's all organized by the Swiss. Hell is where the chefs are British, the mechanics French, the lovers Swiss, the police German and its all organized by the Italians. The whole idea of a new $35 million ad campaign “You are Germany” is to make the Germans cheer up -- a most unGerman idea. Frankly, it’s not enough money.

Oliver Voss, an advertising executive working on the campaign, said “Germans, in general [see, national stereotypes], are heavy thinkers and not so relaxed about their lives and the future and all that stuff. But these are hard economic times and we're still suffering from the cost of reunification. All this leads to mental depression. What we're trying to do is reinforce confidence that Germans themselves can change things.”

And so, there are ads running until January trying to boost German self-confidence, using Max Schmeling (who lost to Joe Louis), race car driver Michael Schumacher, Olympic figure skater Katarina Witt and others. “Achieve what you are capable of achieving,” says conductor Justus Frantz.

Of course, there are always a few good apples in a barrel of rotten ones. Harald Jaehner, an editor at Berliner Zeitung, has his head on straight. “It's awful the way Germans wrestle with themselves. Worse still when they suddenly stop. Anyone who has unwittingly fallen prey to the new campaign Du bist Deutschland will have been reminded of this bit of folk wisdom. There you are sleepily sprawled in front of the telly, all ready to hit the hay and then it comes: ‘You are the miracle of Germany,’ the screen blares and yes it does mean you and me…. I, Germany, will not be duped by such tricks.”

Naturally, the internet satires are growing faster than German self-esteem, or American for that matter. One says, “You are what you eat. Do you think after all those decades people of other nations would not identify you according to what you eat? Forget it. You are a Kraut. You are a potato. You are Germany.” Another depicts fascist architecture and the bad old regime. “You are Germania. Do you have dreams? Do you have aims? Do you have energy? Then do not give up. Believe in yourself. Triumph of the Will. You are Germans.” Skepticism often invites cynicism.

As a public service, therefore, the Kensington Review offers a few reasons for its German readers to cheer up: Germany makes better beer than most countries. Germans have come to grips with their history better than anyone else in the last 60 years. The phones in Germany work. Germany’s neighbors are a pretty good bunch. Germany will win the World Cup next year – or give it a pretty good try. The government has been paralyzed by the latest election results for weeks, yet no one has been killed. Ludwig von Beethoven, Franz Beckenbauer, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Nina Hagen were or are all Germans. Adolf Hitler was not.


© Copyright 2005 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.
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