PROJECT GERMANY

TitlePROJECT GERMANY
BrandHORNBACH
Product/ServiceDIY HOME IMPROVEMENTS SUPERSTORES
Category A10. Live Brand Experience
Entrant HEIMAT Berlin, GERMANY
Idea Creation HEIMAT Berlin, GERMANY
PR BUREAU N Berlin, GERMANY
Production PARTIZAN Berlin, GERMANY
Additional Company SOMETHING FANTASTIC Berlin, GERMANY
Credits
Name Company Position
Thomas Schnaitmann Hornbach Client Marketing Director
Julia Ziegelmann Hornbach Client Marketing Director
Guido Heffels HEIMAT Berlin Chief Creative Officer
Guido Heffels HEIMAT Berlin Creative Director
Teresa Jung HEIMAT Berlin Creative Director
Felix Pfannmüller HEIMAT Berlin Art Director
Marlon Fischer HEIMAT Berlin Copywriter
Tim Holtkötter HEIMAT Berlin Agency Account Supervisor
Franziska Lequen HEIMAT Berlin Agency Account Manager
Elena Schütz Something Fantastic Designer (Pavilion)
Julian Schubert Something Fantastic Designer (Pavilion)
Leonard Streich Something Fantastic Designer (Pavilion)
Marius Helten Something Fantastic Designer (Pavilion)
Ruben Bernegger Something Fantastic Designer (Pavilion)
Charlotte Schönberger Something Fantastic Designer (Pavilion)
Peter Cachola Schmal Deutsches Architekturmuseum Coordination
Oliver Elser Deutsches Architekturmuseum Curator
Kerstin Heffels HEIMAT Berlin Agency Producer
Jan Hendrik Becker - Director
Steffen Hammerich - Director of Photography
Jonas Schubert HEIMAT Berlin Additional Camera
Enno Heffels HEIMAT Berlin Additional Camera
Moritz Merkel Partizan Executive Producer
Swenja Babucke Partizan Producer
Martin Woost - Sound Design
Geza Pieruschka - Post Production
Mathias Geck - Telecine
Thomas Berlin - Music
Rüdiger Nehmzow - Photographer

The Campaign

In collaboration with Germany’s Foreign Office, HORNBACH transformed the listed building into an iconic and thought provoking signal. Even where advertising was forbidden. With the project itself. Project Germany: A construction site, made to unite. Where craftsmen from every nation started their collaborative work. And created four additional entrances from all sides which invited everyone into the highly discussed and controversial building. Showing the new state of mind of an entire nation. And giving an entire country a brand new image.

Creative Execution

The first images of the project appeared in online media. Over a two-week period, HORNBACH shot exclusive footage of the construction progress on the cloaked Pavilion, sharing it with the world little by little – for example, the supervisor’s reaction on catching her first glimpse of the radical reconstruction. As TV stations thankfully embraced the exclusive material, the story spread far and wide. The tension mounted. Finally, an ad announced the eagerly awaited date. May the 27th: the day of revelation. The world gathered at the impressive and outstanding event. The controversial single-entrance Pavilion had been transformed into a cosmopolitan building readily accessible from all sides. No doors. An invitation for everyone. Showing the new state of mind of an entire nation. For the first time in history, the world of art and politics collaborated hand in hand with a DIY retailer giving an entire nation a brand new image.

The #HORNBACHBiennale is not only the first time a DIY retailer collaborated with the German Federal Republic, but also the first time a brand collaborated with the Biennale in Venice. A project that is completely different from anything a DIY retailer has done before. From the very beginning mass media such as Stern Magazine investigated about what was happening. Not only DIY-fans were impressed and highly interested but the architecture and art scene began to speculate as well. In total the project had a reach of 6.9 million. The Biennale film was watched 688.503 times, which is 485% above the planned target of 142.000 views. One of the main targets was to improve HONRBACH’s brand awareness while also engaging with new target groups, which grew by 12,7% during the campaign period. All in all, #HORNBACHBiennale generated 2,3 million impressions.

In collaboration with Germany’s Foreign Office, Hornbach transformed a former Nazi building into an iconic signal of openness. Giving an entire nation a brand new image.

Germany is in the midst of the refugee crisis and HONRBACH hit the nail on the head with its campaigns “#globalflagproject” and “There is always a job to be done” (both with strong solidarity messages). The Federal Republic of Germany asks HORNBACH to partner for the Biennale in Venice, that Germany is planning under the motto “Germany arrival country”. A once-in-a-life-time opportunity that was carefully orchestrated in order to build up momentum. During the four weeks prior opening, a series of behind-the curtain videos, interviews, print ads and social media posts were released. All attention was gathered on tumblr under the #HORNBACHBiennale. On the opening day, HORNBACH streamed the event live on Periscope giving the community the opportunity to be the first to see how the German Pavillon had been transformed into a though-provoking and iconic place with tore down walls that symbolized Germany’s historic welcoming power.