“In an absolutely stunning campaign for the German Foundation for Monument Protection, Ogilvy Frankfurt placed life-size replicas of medieval statues around the city, right where you'd usually expect to find a homeless guy. Except instead of little signs saying, ‘Need money for food,’ the gnarled looking statues have signs propped in front of them that say, ‘My cathedral needs help’” (Skenazy, 2008). The images below are photographs of the installation.
One of the reasons that this particular campaign is so effective is that it makes logical connections for the viewer and finds a way to ever-so-quietly find its way through the clutter of advertising that exists in most western countries. Most of the major cities in Europe are filled with buildings that are centuries old and many of them have been repurposed for modern uses. While these feats of architecture are considered as pieces of art to be marveled at by Americans and tourists from other countries, residents fall into the habit of allowing these pieces of history to fade into the background because of their lack of novelty after repeat viewings. (It happens in lots of places--is there a monument or landmark in your hometown/city that's cool for everyone who visits but is boring to you because you've seen it a hundred times? The same can be said for these artistic structures) This campaign to raise funds for the German Foundation for Monument Protection uses reproductions of art to catch a passerby’s eye and force them to take a second look at the scenery and realize that these buildings need to be cared for in order to survive. Also, the campaign takes these sculptures out onto the streets with the printed plea and helps to expose the German public to replicas of artworks that they might not otherwise be exposed to.
Skenazy, Lenore. (2008 November 10). You call it nontraditional advertising, but I call it art. AdAge. http://adage.com/columns/article?article_id=132308
