| Title | HAPPY MARX DAY |
| Brand | CWE - CHEMNITZER WIRTSCHAFTSFÖRDERUNGS- UND ENTWICKLUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH |
| Product/Service | CITY MARKETING FOR THE CITY OF CHEMNITZ |
| Category |
A03. Video / Moving Image |
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Entrant
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ZEBRA | GROUP Chemnitz, GERMANY
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Idea Creation
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ZEBRA | GROUP Chemnitz, GERMANY
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PR
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TEXT-IN-FORM Chemnitz, GERMANY
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Production
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CREATIV CLICKS Chemnitz, GERMANY
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Production 2
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EOR MEDIASTUDIO Chemnitz, GERMANY
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Additional Company
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KREATIVDOKTOR Ramsdorf, GERMANY
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Additional Company 2
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C-EVENTS Chemnitz, GERMANY
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Credits
| Ralf Sippel |
zebra | group GmbH |
Managing Director Strategy |
| Joerg G. Fieback |
zebra | group GmbH |
Managing Director Creation |
| Axel Neumann |
zebra | group GmbH |
Creative Director |
| Ralf Wolfermann |
zebra | group GmbH |
Creative Director |
| Christian Köhler |
zebra | group GmbH |
Creative Director |
| Katina Scholz |
zebra | group GmbH |
Text and Conception |
| Kristin Dörner |
zebra | group GmbH |
Text and Conception |
| Ulrich Müller |
Kreativdoktor |
Text and Conception |
| Arndt Hecker |
Text-in-Form |
Text and Conception |
| Dirk Hanus |
zebra | group GmbH |
Photographer and Videographer |
Describe the creative idea
On 5 May, 2018, famous philosopher and erstwhile namesake of the city of Chemnitz, Karl Marx, would have turned 200 years old. Where better than the Karl Marx monument in Chemnitz – the second-largest bust in the world – to hold a birthday event with all citizens invited?
And so, given voice by projected sound-and-light animation, the 7-metre-high bronze head revealed how his keen intellect has kept up with the times. As he ruminated on the course of the world in full public view, VIPs from around the world paid him a call.
Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping, Angela Merkel or Heidi Klum were among those who called to congratulate him on his 200th birthday. Between calls, Marx delivered a series of monologues on the city and its society, and tribute was thus paid to the legacy of the great philosopher.
Describe the execution
The creators of the projection sought out an image of the Karl Marx Monument from the right perspective, as head-on as possible and from some distance away. They edited the image, modifying the mouth, since Marx’s beard and the drooping corners of his mouth are hardly ideal for speaking and laughing. Then came the eyes and teeth, and a soft black masking layer to ensure none of the projection accidentally missed the monument. And special software was used to scan the image and position the eyes, mouth, lips, etc.
The scripted parts were recorded by various speakers, and the voice-over files were then scanned in the software to create an animation in which the mouth moved in sync with the sound. It was important for the dimensions of the video to match the face on the monument as closely as possible.
At the site, the animation was projected onto the seven-metre-high statue using powerful laser projectors, bright enough to stand out against the dark background. And thus Karl Marx was made to talk. The 20-minute video footage of the talking “Nischel” played before thousands of people, either live or on Facebook. The show ran for two hours in a continuous loop so that every guest had the chance to see the whole thing, even if they came in at the middle.
The surprisingly creative idea helped garner positive media attention for the city from around the world. The light-hearted treatment of Marx’s birthday and the humorous portrayal of famous personalities in light of current world events was both entertaining and original.
That’s how creative city marketing on limited public funds works.