Press
A promotional campaign is currently causing a lot of excitement in the city of Reutlingen. Behind it lies a sophisticated tactic to attract more attention.
Reutlingen – Anyone who has walked through the city of Reutlingen, which has a population of around 117,000, in recent days may have been surprised by some of the posters hanging there. Phrases such as “Life where nobody goes on holiday” or “Nothing is as boring as an exciting day in Reutlingen” were written on pillars and walls. Below, in smaller letters, was the phrase “You can’t like Reutlingen”. The provocative advertising campaign caused discontent among the citizens.
Secret revealed: City of Reutlingen responsible for advertising campaign
The person behind the controversial slogans is none other than Reutlingen itself. The city administration and city marketing announced this on Monday (June 17). They were also the ones who added the words “just love” to the empty space on the black posters with a large yellow inscription. In addition, passers-by can use the newly added QR code to access love stories that the citizens of Reutlingen tell about their city.
From stories told by residents, it became clear that Reutlingen is often a case of love at second sight, which hides behind prejudices and sometimes even a love-hate relationship with one’s own city, explained city marketing manager Anna Bierig. “This is precisely why we decided on this provocative start.” The advertising campaign is said to have cost around 25,000 euros. Until it was called off, residents were not very enthusiastic about the campaign.
Passers-by at Munich Central Station were just as unenthusiastic. There they saw an advertising poster for the controversial Berlin district of Neukölln, which featured the owner of a Michelin-star restaurant, Sarah Hellmann.
Reutlingen more famous than ever: City hits a nerve with controversial advertising campaign
A city spokeswoman admitted at the start of the campaign that it had struck a nerve. “We can see this in the diverse reactions that the people of Reutlingen, but also people from other cities, have left on social media.” Boris Palmer, mayor of the neighboring city of Tübingen, also posted a photo of one of the posters and added: “Now that’s what I call marketing. It will be interesting to see how it turns out.”
This tactic is called a teaser campaign, says Jörg Tropp, marketing professor at Pforzheim University. “Teaser campaigns are often used to generate attention and then, in a second step, to reveal what is actually behind them.” After initial hesitation, Reutlingen’s mayor Thomas Keck is now convinced. He said it was the right decision. “The attention is brutal, even abroad.”
However, campaigns are not always well received, even if they are well-intentioned. penny 2023, an unusual experiment and demanded from customers “the true prices” – that is, the amount that should actually be charged if all environmental and health damage caused by production is taken into account. The discounter received praise, but also a lot of criticismStatements such as “Penny wants to teach us” could be read. (dpa)
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