Nazi Slogan Revived in German Government Ad Campaign

A German government funded ad campaign meant to boost public confidence in the face of many economic problems has hit a snag when it was discovered that the slogan "Du Bist Deutchland" (You Are Germany) was used by Nazis supporting Hitler in 1930s rallies:

UK Telegraph

A multi-million pound campaign to boost Germans' low self-confidence has backfired after it emerged that its slogan was first coined by the Nazis.

The £20 million Du Bist Deutschland - You Are Germany - campaign was devised to inspire Germans to stop moaning and do something good for their country.

Beethoven, Einstein and the sports stars Franz Beckenbauer and Michael Schumacher have been cited in advertisements encouraging Germans to take more pride in their homeland.

But a historian from Ludwigshafen has provoked an uproar with his discovery that the same Du Bist Deutschland cry was used at Nazi rallies in the 1930s.
...
Indeed, one of its aims is to release today's Germans from the collective guilt and depression they still feel about the Nazi era, they said.

The project's image has now been battered by that same legacy.
...
Studies show that Germans are among the world's most pessimistic and unhappy nations. The gloom stems mainly from economic woes and chronically high unemployment.

This was a huge and costly faux-pas! Looks like Germans will be depressed for a while longer while the government tries to come up with a new ad strategy (or, alternatively, actually do something real to help the economy ).

[edit on 11/29/2005 by djohnsto77]

It's really a shame when good slogans are used by bad governments. Hitler had one heck of a PR team working for him.
I think it's also a shame that a simple phrase like "You are Germany" now has a negative connection. (sigh)

Originally posted by Busymind
It's really a shame when good slogans are used by bad governments. Hitler had one heck of a PR team working for him.
I think it's also a shame that a simple phrase like "You are Germany" now has a negative connection. (sigh)

I agree.

but to be fair, most people i've spoken to (it's been running for 6 or so weeks now, i think) absolutely detested the campaign.

Its a suprise to see any kind of pride-inspiring movement in Germany, and a damn shame it gets shot down. The german people have been living under the ghost of Hitler for quite long enough I think, but unfortunately the world likes to keep reminding them which has lead them to the polar opposite of nationalism and hasnt done the country a lick of good at all.

am I the only one who finds comedy in the idea of trying to boost their confidence by reminding them of the most shameful period in their history?