*Heidi Klum*Douglas (Cosmetic Retail Chain)
Germany’s own, Heidi Klum, becomes the latest celebrity endorsement model for Douglas Cosmetic Store. Both Heidi Klum and Douglas were a part of a campaign that was done in conjunction with DKMS LIFE to support women with cancer by organizing cosmetic workshops. With them, she has appeared in many TV commercials and print ads.
Observing Cultural Differences
There is a bit of an obvious difference in the methods of advertising between America and various European countries. Taking Germany into consideration when analyzing this concept, it seems as though images of Sex & Beauty vary depending on the market it is advertised in. The advertisements using beauty and women to promote a product do not seem as obvious to spot as the ones in America. American ads are much more revealing, with goals of selling the woman and her assets to seek a later result of creating interest in the product.
They often feel the need to photograph women with exceptionally fit bodies, exposing as much as possible or displaying these same women with massive sex appeal, no matter what the product is. On the contrary, I have noticed that perhaps advertisers using women in their ads in the city are attempting to be successful in selling the product. Yes, beauty and image is still a strategy in their many methods of product persuasion, but it is not the primary focus. The many ads displayed throughout the city are somewhat similar. In many ways, the women are not too revealing, they are not positioned erotically or in overexaggerated sexual poses. Together, they display the true flowing beauty of the woman, leaving a bit more focus on what is ultimately important; the product. 
When considering the overall ethical value and that same value as it differs culturally, it is just another example of the idea that different beliefs apply and are accepted in different locations. According to the observations that I have gathered, it is safe to say that the ethical values in the two countries are viewed quite differently.
Does this implied theory still sell/benefit?
In America, we are taught, through visible results and years of success, that “Sex Sells.” It is a common theory that is widely used throughout the Integrated Communications World. In looking at this theory, it is questionable whether or not the German advertising approach would be well accepted in America. Not to say that the advertising would be frowned upon, instead, that the advertisements may not be perceived by consumers as quickly as sexually-based advertisements would. However, this method seems to be extremely successful in Germany, without depending on stepping out of their boundaries and following suit.
Highlights
- There is an obvious cultural difference in advertising methods between Germany and America
- This helps to prove that different things are culturally accepted differently in different locations
- German advertisement methods are well-executed and still successful
P.S. A little something Extra…
While on my journey throughout Europe, I have come to notice that advertising and marketing campaigns widely vary in content depending on location and specific whereabouts, as well as the particular society that occupies that city and their customs and beliefs.
On my short visit to Prague, I immediately took notice to the fact that their advertisements containing images and messages of sex and beauty where far different than what I had been seeing in Berlin and the rest of Germany. They seem much more acceptable to revealed women and direct messages to sex and other relating topics. Here are some examples of advertisements in Prague:
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