Last but not least: a shepherd dog becomes clear

And that brings us back to our favorite question, which has been raised almost daily lately: How far can advertising go? After the uproar over the bulimia posters in Italy, this time it is a campaign designed for the lifestyle magazine Deutsch by the agency Jung von Matt/Neckar that is causing the advertising associations hot heads and making the papers roar. An elementary component of the ads, which have now been inundated with accusations of bestiality, is the German Shepherd, which according to the agency embodies "the most German Germany". The bow-wow with the long snout symbolizes potency. Sometimes as a snarling super biter with gemstone teeth à la hip-hop superstar, sometimes as a slobbering bed plaything, or - probably most disreputable of all - as a sniffing detective under the skimpy skirt of an enraptured blonde. No need to jump to conclusions and "the association lies solely in the eye of the beholder", says the managing director of the Stuttgart-based advertising agency. The Central Association of the German Advertising Industry (ZAW), on the other hand, takes a very critical view of the work. "I have my doubts as to whether such motifs are compatible with our rules of conduct," spokesman Volker Nickel told Horizont.net. It is quite possible that this statement also reflects fear of advertising regulations from Brussels. It is interesting to note that the advertisement comes from the agency of ZAW Vice President and General Communications Association President Holger Jung. Mr. Jung's campaign has now received the desired attention.