Berlin 2010

This is a summary of experiences had while studying in Berlin, Germany. The footage is blurry do to the format. A clearer copy is available upon request :) Enjoy!

Social Campaign in Germany

I was in the train station when I saw the Social Campaign billboard shown above. The campaign is titled “Alkohol? Kenn dein Limit” (translation: Alcohol? Know your Limit). Knowing your alcohol limit can be directed to the entire German population though this campaigns target market is Germans between 18 and 24. It appeals more to this audience because the models in the ads seem to belong to the age group as well.

On their website the main question or call to action is recognizing your limit. “Do you know your limit”? appears several times on the website. The website also paints several different scenarios a person could be in where they need to recognize their limit before ordering, with peers, and features a forum on drinking and football season. Under the before ordering tabs the audience member is introduced to ways to control their alcohol consumption. A unit converter is explained, there are cautions about mixed drinks, and also information on how to calculate how much you can drink according to your body. Under the peers tab it explains the different scenarios friends can be in where being under the influence is detrimental and the best ways to stay in the limit. The forum has posts from people expressing their feelings about the usage of alcohol during the World Cup.

I did not have access to a television so I am nut sure if this social campaign had any spots through the bigger mediums. I did wonder why I only saw these billboards at train stations. Then I learned that they took an “outdoor” approach to reach people on their way to public viewings. I think this is a good strategy. Public viewings in Germany are very popular, especially this season. I think with the country performing so well in the World Cup this campaign will reach more members in its target audience.

The colors on the website also matched the colors on the billboard which is great so not to distract or confuse any of the target market who actually visited the site. What they might improve is the color scheme. The background is black with yellow and white lettering this does not exactly pop out on a billboard. They may also want to consider the wordiness on the billboard. As you can see each model as words over their head, and the right side also has words. When in a rush, as audience members might be in a train station, this may be too much to take in at once. The idea should be to call to action the first time the campaign is seen. In this aspect they may also want to consider changing the appeal from logical to emotional and maybe scare people into action. An effective way to do this may be to show the scene of a horrible automobiles accident and simply put “Alkohol? Kenn dein Limit” along with the website.

With more work this could be a more effective social campaign. The campaign is still running, however there have only been seven posts to the forum which is a sign that the target market has not been reached. This is not to say that they have not seen the campaign but that the call to action is not strong.