Be Berlin?: The "Poor But Sexy" City Starts Re-Branding
Photo: "sei stadt, sei wandel, sei Berlin" "be city, be change, be Berlin"....
Does Berlin's new tagline symbolize the end of an era, the death of Europe's beloved urban, semi-socialist bohemia. Street art was once the most outward symbol of Berlin's organic and independent cultural scene. Now the urban phenomenon is being used as the new advertising medium for multinational corporations. And as part of the city's ad campaign, the faces of individual Berliners are being commodified. The German capital is getting rid of the the spontaneous "Poor but Sexy" tagline, used by the mayor in an interview, for a more formal, planned approach to selling itself.
Of course, the campaign has a a mission statement of sorts -- it includes several options for what Berlin is: inimitable, tolerant, cosmopolitan, etc. It's all so multifaceted and dynamic! But in naming all these adjectives that are so predictable and appealing to investors (let's face it, they didn't sink advertising cash in the campaign for our benefit), the committee missed some major characteristics of the city. Characteristics that are more typically and uniquely Berlin than classic mantras like "we're tolerant" and "we're cosmopolitan."
"Be Berlin"="Be Adrift": Berlin as the graveyard of ambition. Recently, we saw ample proof that a lot of Berliners have a bit too much time on their hands. The Sturm Crew Berlin organized a 1,500-stong mob of saturated-fat consumers to descend on the Ostbahnhof McDonald's, ordering up a total of 10,354 sandwiches in a mere six hours. Without the customary socio-political goals of most flash mobs, the Berlin McDonald's "actions" are pulled off for "bloss spass" (just fun). They're pretty much a slap in the face of the usual Berliner anti-authoritarianism and opposition to capitalism (think Kreuzberg's fury over the opening of the neighborhood's first McDonald's last year) and American imperialism. This is the kind of activity that can only be mustered up in a place like Berlin, where there is a good size population of people with decent communication technology, a touch of nihilistic existentialism, and nothing to do.
"Be Berlin"="Be Defiant": Speaking of our dear rebellious Berliners, "Be Berlin" could also refer to any of the varied antics of politically and socially motivated protests, such as Chaos Computer Club's recent prank: In protest against the use of biometric data in the "fight against terrorism," the CCC swiped Secretary of the Interior Wolfgang Schäuble's fingerprint during an event at a Berlin university and published it in the March 2008 issue of Die Datenschleuder. The magazine includes a "version" of the print on a filmy plastic that could purportedly be put over one's own finger and then used to transfer the minister's print instead of one's own. Presumably, the politician's fingerprints can now be found in any number of bawdy, disreputable locations throughout the city.
"Be Berlin"="Be Kinky": With its collection of erotic trade shows, latex conferences, fetish film festivals, etc., I think it's fair to say that Berlin is anything but prudish. There seem to be events going on at all times of the year for those keen on various forms of exhibitionism (or sex with complete strangers). Next up in May, the German Fetish Ball and Fetish Guerilla Revolution. See what I mean?
OK, in truth, the campaign's testimonials aim to ensure that nobody gets left out. Berlin can be any and all things, including my suggestions here. So perhaps "Be Berlin" is the perfect ambiguous tagline. And it'll work well on all sorts of Berlin-branded paraphernalia, including T-shirts, key chains, and, since this is the 21st century, even a goofy ring tone.
