German newspaper billboard gives readers the finger
Scott Stoddard of the San Antonio Express News writes today:
I was recently in Munich and ran across this billboard for Die Zeit. The big type translates roughly to “What now, dear parents?”
I don’t speak much German but I believe the story was about problem children. Certainly stops you in your tracks.
Ha! Boy, does it ever!
As far as I can tell — with the help of Google Translate — the billboard plugs a free special section that inserted in the Feb. 25 edition of Die Zeit. The section aimed to answer 55 questions parents might have.
Sure enough, it’s a very clever way of getting our attention. But can you imagine the howls of protest of an American newspaper used art like this — in the paper or on a billboard?
Looks to me like she’s ready for driver’s ed…
March 15th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
OK, aside from the question of would a U.S. paper ever publish a marketing piece with an image like this (absolutely not), a better question is: who in the States is producing special supplements like this, AND promoting them with something as substantial/costly as a billboard, AND presumably selling sufficient advertising in advance to warrant the whole effort?