Advertising creates dizziness

Advertising is just a scam anyway, many people think. Big money is made with half-truths and false promises. That's not true across the board. In 1999, the Bavarians advertised with the slogan "We can do anything. Except High German. And the fact that Bavarians can't speak High German has been empirically confirmed. Nor can any serious objections be raised against Volkswagen's "Das Auto": Chassis, tires, turn signals, windshield wipers: indeed, that is a car. The Migros slogan from 2004, "So or so," is more debatable. But at least this sentence doesn't raise anything. Nor does it raise false hopes. One M better" is more captious. Because have you ever thought about what the M could mean? But let's not get too hung up on this creative gimmickry. After all, the awarding of the golden cream puff has shown that advertising can be even more perfidious in not quite telling the truth. Underpinned by scientific pseudo-results, presented by gentlemen in lab coats, super-successful singles or bio-mothers with model masses and conspicuously happy children. What do you think, for example, of "Danone Activia. Naturally effective. Naturally packaged."? Activia, that's this yogurt that "has been proven to reduce a bloated belly." Because it's so natural. Just like its plastic packaging. Hello, wake up!

Or "Nimm2. Vitamins and snacking". Do you take two, because the vitamins are in one candy and the sugar in the other? Or the milk slice. Of course, my grandmother also believed that this slice was healthy. "Milk" always sounds good. Plus: "Tastes light. Doesn't weigh you down. Ideal for in-between meals." Those are good arguments. But have you ever noticed that a normal child never likes to eat anything healthy? So shouldn't awake consumers themselves get the idea that the "light snack" is worse than a slice of cream pie? You might as well eat chips because potatoes are so healthy. Still, I'm glad my grandma believed Ferrero's advertising lie. We had milk slices in great quantities. And I loved them!

All this cheating is not so tragic after all. After all, advertising has never wanted to sell the truth, but a good feeling. Anyone who actually believes that all this is true deserves a little punishment. Besides, we don't die from a little too much salt, a little too much sugar or a little too little effect. Nevertheless, Ronald McDonald is now going down the tubes. Not because someone has finally noticed that the 47-year-old puppet is annoying, but because, according to "Corporate Accountability International ", he seduces children into eating unhealthy food. The bad guy! That's what he does! I always suspected that Ronald was the best buddy of Pennywise, the "It" clown.

The bottom of the barrel, however, is the papal - no, not bull - glasses. At the beginning of May, the Munich optician Suchy took out a full-page ad in the Süddeutsche Zeitung to promote his custom-made, non-plus-ultra popular glasses. He had made the masterpiece especially for the Pope and would present it to him during his visit to Germany in September. The eager optician invokes the support of the German Bishops' Conference and the Archbishop's Ordinariate in Munich and even hopes for the Holy Father's blessing for the double pince-nez. The Archbishop's Office is incensed: the bishops have no contact with "the person". By which they do not mean the Pope, but Mr. Suchy. A pity, actually. After all, who could tell the owner of the opticsParadise (sic!) be seriously angry? After all, he is not the only one who wishes the Holy Father a little more perspective. And a "people's glasses" gives hope.