My Impression of Advertising in Berlin

My first impression of advertising in Berlin was different than I had expected it to be. I have always heard that Europeans are much more open about the subject of nudity and that it is frequently displayed in advertising in comparison to the United States. However, thus far I have not seen a single advertisement: billboard or poster showing nudity, I think that perhaps scandalous advertising is not shown in Germany, but in other European countries such as Paris and Italy.

Europe is also the home to many high-end fashion brands. However, within the city of Berlin specifically where the busy subway and rail stations are located—Potsdamer Platz and Alexander Platz I expected to see billboards from brands like Gucci, Versace, and Dolce and Gabbana. However, I am seeing advertisements from more affordable brands such as H&M and Espirit on display. It seems as though the higher end brands are not investing too much of their resources to advertise in Berlin.

Although, I cannot read German the advertisements seem to be pretty direct. I have not seen images of taboo such as the condom advertisements that you see within the United States. So far I have not seen any advertisements relating to the topic of sex. So my impression is that anything related to sex such as the condom industry does not make large investments for mass advertising in Berlin. The only advertisement I have seen thus far displaying at type of sexuality is presented by Vita Cola, as you can see from the picture above.The campaign is depicting a man who obviously is a consumer of the drink and he has two young females holding on to both his arms and there are lipstick stains on his cheek. Thus, inferring that drinking this cola makes you more attractive. However, this advertisement certainly would not be considered riské

I have noticed that on the subways many people still purchase and read newspapers, this includes both young and older people. It seems like other than newspapers advertising in Berlin is presented in less traditional mediums. I have not had the chance to watch too much television since I have been here. However, students at the IMK Institute have told us that most people who have immigrated to Berlin from other countries like Turkey subscribe to satellite television. Even, when you walk into the small shops or Turkish restaurants here they always have a television playing in the background with channels speaking in their native tongue.

Therefore, my impression is that the majority of these people who are subscribing to satellite television are influenced by advertisements from their native countries. The following picture was taken at a local Arab Restaurant that is located on the same street that I am living currently living on. Although it may not be completely clear from the picture, the people who work and own the store are watching an Arab station. This brings me to the conclusion that both television and print, specifically newspapers are an effective way to reach the German population here in Berlin.