At First Glance

In addition to the different approach to advertisement in Berlin, I have also noticed subtle cultural differences between Germany and my own (various) cultures. For one thing, men don't "hound" you at the clubs compared to Miami. They seem to be a bit for restrained. In terms of music, it's safe to say they listen to the same music we do (although they may call certain genres by different names, such as hip-hop and rap being classified as “black” music.) I recognized all but one or two songs being played at the E4 club. The music combination may not be something played in a typical club in Miami, but I definitely recognized all the songs. It's safe to say that we both listen to similar kinds of pop music and artists (Latin music is a whole other animal.) I know from previous experience, that although regeatton may not be popular in Germany, they DO listen to it.

In terms of character, it was interesting that Americans are described as being overwhelmingly friendly. During one of our lectures a German girl had pointed out that Americans are perceived as being too open and friendly. I never thought of looking at our friendliness in that light. So while I looked at the Germans as being stereotypically unfriendly, they were probably looking at me and thinking I was way too bubbly and in-their-face! I thought that was pretty ironic. The greatest irony though, is the fact that the Germans were one of the friendliest people I have ever met. They were pretty quick to open up their circle and invite us to hang-out with them. This may also be because although we live on two different continents, we are all young people in our early twenties living in a Western society, with higher education. We do have a shared culture which brings us together.

Naturally, there are differences from one country to another but with globalization we can share common ground in music, movies and TV and we can talk about events relevant to each culture which we have seen or heard of via media. I don't think there are as many pronounced differences as I would have once expected. I believe our approach towards advertising and culture are different but not so different that we cannot understand, relate to or enjoy. For example, the “Rubber Ducky” song from the children's show, Sesame Street, was also aired in German. Movies featured at the cinema were Hollywood movies in German. In fact, Sex and the City aired in Germany and some of the girls from our programme went to go watch it! Go figure, you travel to a different continent and you're favorite movie is also being played. In essence, media has really brought the world a little bit closer together, at least those Western societies whose values mirror those features in this kind of global media.

also had a mix of people. The neighborhood we were living in for example, was full of Muslims and Turkish residents. The IMK, had students from Afghanistan and Turkey and different cities in Germany. So even though Germany may not be as mixed as the United States or Miami, it still has it's share of cultural mixes which I thought was pretty neat.

As one can probably figure, food is also different. Pork and potatoes dominate the food scene (although Doner dominates our quaint little neighborHOOD of Wedding.) There are different food varieties and spices. I bet I won't find "Cumin" at the Lidl or "Platanos" at the Penny Mart or a bottle of "Mojo" at the Aldi. However I won't find such a grand variety of mustard in Miami. The french fries or (pommes) even have a different taste (maybe because they're actually made out of potatoes.) Even the vending machines have different brands and foods. But of course, I can always spot a Subway, Starbucks or McDonalds that have seeped into Berlin. So despite the differences these companies form a kind of "food bridge" for me and the Germans. They are foods we both find familiar. Media and food are two very important aspects of one's individual culture and they are ones that I feel we share with people our age in Berlin. I feel that because of this, our cultures aren't as different as the cultural differences that our great-grand-parents and their generation had with each other.


It's just another point of view, a different way of doing the things humans do.

A Different Point of View

It's been nearly a week since I boarded the plane to Berlin. So far it's been quite the ride, specifically when comparing and contrasting myself, my culture and my city to that of Berlin. Advertising in Berlin is not simply restricted to traditional print in the form of posters and flyers and subway ads. The first day I arrived, we took the S-bahn to Alexander Platz where a huge building facade and "billboard" left me in awe. I had never seen an real advertisement on a fake billboard on a fake building -- it was absolutely fascinating. Based on my observations, advertising in the Berlin is fun and imaginative. They have managed to balance creativity and fun while still being traditional enough to get the message across and generate sales. As you exit the the Alexander Platz underground station, for example, the steps form an ad for Oakly's sunglasses. Like many big cities, ads in Berlin are massive. They are huge, in-your-face billboards spread across the city (as the aforementioned fake billboard ad in Alexander Platz) and a huge beer ad draped across the side of a skyscraper when exiting the Alexander Platz station. I also noticed many ads simply painted on the side of old buildings so you can see them when you pass them on the metro. The size of the ads are similar to those found in New York, with the exception of the bright neon and blinding lights. Advertisement in Berlin is also not limited to print. Friedriech Strasse station, for example, features a large TV-like screen with advertising and information such as weather and news.

Aside from advertising in New York, I can't think of such massive billboards in Miami. It seems to me, that advertising in Berlin does a great job in capturing one's attention which is the first and vital step in getting a message across to an audience. On the other side, advertising in Berlin such as the ad in the image above, is quite invasive. It's not the kind of ad that one could chose not to look at or ignore. It dominates the landscape before you so you really don't have the option to look away from it. Of course, as in any advertisement, you have the choice to digest the information and take an action to purchase the item.

As for the content of advertising, I feel the style is quite the same – short, simple and straight to the point. At least that's what the layout of the ads imply. Regarding nudity, I was told advertising in Europe was more provocative, but I haven't seen anything of that nature just yet. I have been in Europe before, and the only city I saw a great deal of provocative advertising in was in Paris. Berlin hasn't shocked me just yet.

I did notice, however, that there are virtually no ads inside of public transportation vehicles. For example, in New York and Miami there are ads across the roof or upper sides of the bus and Metro Rail. I wonder why they don't include ads INSIDE these transportation vehicles? People on the bus or train have plenty of time to read ads and digest information. I really wonder why there aren't any ads inside. Are there laws prohibiting it? Maybe the city doesn't want people to feel overwhelmed with advertising? That would be an interesting point to investigate.
As for the companies responsible or the massive billboards, they are pretty much the same as those dominating the ad scene in Miami. Those companies would be beer companies, well-known car manufacturers, electronics companies (such as Apple,) and clothing stores. Because I don't understand German, I can't really think of a massive billboard having a very local audience. I didn't see a brand I didn't recognize. Perhaps I only recall what I am familiar with and disregarded all those messages that I felt didn't relate to me. That's also a dynamic that we find in people. When a message or brand does not share the same values or the person does not identify with the individual, they completely ignore it. That might also explain why I took a picture of the large Volkswagen billboard as opposed to another one – is it because I actually own a Volkswagen?

Essentially, my greatest impression of advertisement in Berlin is it's location and size. I bet if I understood what the ads actually said I would be able to make additional comments.