German TV Ads Promote Children "as a Cherished Matter of Course"

By Hilary White

Excerpt:
By way of the ads, the sponsors of the campaign intended to generate a lively public debate on the country's disastrously low birth rate, "with the ultimate objective of restoring the idea of having children as a cherished matter of course." The creators of the campaign said they were responding to the problem of a growing anti-child sentiment Germany. "People's desire to have children is lower in Germany than in any other EU member state," they wrote on the campaign's website.

One print ad features a photo of a child with Down syndrome and the text, "You are completely ruining our lives. Ever since you appeared on the scene it's been like Piccadilly Circus around here. You teach us something new every day: how to get your little sister to laugh in no time. How to beat Daddy hands down in the 100 metres freestyle. Or how to counter people's disapproving looks with a simple smile. We're slowly starting to see the world with your eyes. And suddenly it all makes sense."

The ads were the biggest social marketing campaign in Germany's recent history and were seen by an estimated 42 million people. The print ads appeared in 46 magazines and 21 daily newspapers. The video and audio spots appeared on twelve television channels, 148 radio stations and in 766 cinemas in just under 200 towns. the rest