Spiked: Branding - even terrible

Even if Ms. Rickli won't like it: Today we are taking a look beyond our own backyard and borders. Let's rummage through the linguistic horror cabinet of one of our northernmost neighboring countries, the North Sea island of Föhr. "Föhrien at last!", proclaim the islanders at the approaching vacation season, and I still think it's clever - the first time I read the island's catalog, slightly sipped on fine wine, in a good mood and in the mood for a vacation. But the second time I leaf through the advertising material, the claim really gets on my nerves. My eye, trimmed for clear words and correct phrasing, twitches as soon as it touches the exclamation, signaling a painful malfunction in my brain.

Wit knows no pardon

Before I can catch my breath, the Föhringers strike the next blow: "Föhr Kids", I read, and I feel as if I have fish poisoning. It's remarkable that you can not only find suggestions for a vacation with a dog, but also for a vacation with a child. But does it really have to be under this word boil? Contrary to all hope, it's still not over. Some of the islanders, who are otherwise rather reserved with words and jokes, have taken their marketing into their own hands. They dutifully continue to penetrate the snappy word juggling of their tourism association in (and for) the private chamber: they offer their "Föhrienwohnung" for sale. Oh dear! That hurts to the bone. On the other hand, this linguistic spasm makes it easier for us to choose our accommodation. Because we are definitely not renting a "Föhrienwohnung". Fortunately, no one has come up with the idea of putting together a "Föhr event calendar", urging us to "cycle" or trying to ferry us to the island on the "Föhre". Otherwise I would think again about whether we really want to spend our vacation in the Frisian Caribbean. After all, our son is currently in the hottest phase of language acquisition. Watt? On the other hand, Hans Christian Andersen's stay with the island monkeys didn't do him any harm either. You'd probably notice if the poet wasn't quite linguistically fluent.

Swimming or bathing

Incidentally, the slogan of the Grandcasino Baden has been getting on my nerves in the same way for some time now (which brings us back to this side of the border, thank goodness, Ms. Rickli): "Baden im Glück." Of course, a copywriter once had a clever idea and turned it into a light-hearted play on words. But is it really so great that you have to advertise with it for six years? Or was the little idea so expensive? Even Anouk Manser can't hide the fact that the happiness claim is long dead. So how about a new slogan so that the Grandcasino doesn't go under soon in terms of advertising? For example, suitable for the bathing season: "Bathing is wonderful." This slogan could also be exploited in a sexist way. Manser in a bikini is certainly not unappetizing either. But then, of course, someone has to pay the price again ...