Chemnitz advertises with "Unfold yourself": Space and room for ideas and opportunities

"Unfold yourself!": With this message, the communication campaign launched last year will take the next step in the coming months: it is one of the first actions from a package of marketing measures with which the city wants to draw attention to itself.

The campaign is aimed primarily at young people who are looking for space for their ideas or to start their careers. People who want to found, build, dream and realise something. In short, the city says: #CHEMNITZWILLDICH.

The campaign uses real Chemnitz residents to show what is possible in the city. Today, Mayor Barbara Ludwig, together with supporters and the managing directors of the advertising agency zebra, presented the first motifs, which will appear on posters, city cards, megalights and city lights as well as in electronic media over the next few weeks. The large posters can be seen from mid-June in Chemnitz and then in other cities in the region.

"Chemnitz is a city of possibilities," says Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig, "a city where not everything is ready yet and therefore exciting. Chemnitz is right for people who are looking for freedom, who have ideas, who want to shape their lives, who want to do something. We want to appeal to these people because they are the people who naturally make Chemnitz a good place to live and work. And the skilled workers that our companies urgently need."

"Despite all our wishes for good city marketing for Chemnitz, we need to focus on ensuring that young families and career starters discover this city as their home. This is vital for the future of our city," says zebra Managing Director Joerg G. Fieback.

"There is only one Chemnitz. We can only maximise our reach and attractiveness if we join forces and pull together. Zebra has developed smart formats and campaigns to attract the attention of young people from the region and neighbouring federal states to Chemnitz. Anyone who wants to stand up for a greater Chemnitz is welcome to join the team," says zebra Managing Director Ralf Sippel.

Daniel Mixich is a U18 national player and Niners Academy scholarship holder and was the model for the "high-flyer" motif: "I came to Chemnitz last August because of my sport, basketball, and I liked it here straight away. The people, the opportunities - it fits. That's why I'm happy to represent the Niners and it's an honour for me personally to be part of the campaign."

Gina Lathan is the mother of the family featured on the posters: "As a native of Karl-Marx-Stadt, I am proud to promote the city of Chemnitz with my family. We feel very much at home here. The play and accommodation facilities are ideal for us. And we look forward to our walk to the castle pond every weekend. Then we go to the playground, the jetty or one of the cosy pubs - there's always something new to discover here.

Markus Amthor is Technical Manager at PMG Vliestex GmbH and presents the skilled labour motif. "For me, Chemnitz is the city at second glance. Once you look behind the industrial façade, there are one or two unexpected opportunities."

The campaign was presented in the café "Emmas Onkel", which is run by Heike Ludwig and Mathias Weiß. They can also be seen on one of the four poster motifs. Maximilian Münch, who already supported the campaign last year with a video message, was recruited for the photo shoot.

The presentation was accompanied by photos of a morning guerrilla campaign with which Chemnitz wanted to draw students' attention to the city in front of the universities in Mittweida, Freiberg and Ilmenau. Holger Löbel, Commercial Director of Baselabs GmbH, which supported the campaign: "Surprising and funny campaigns like this are exactly what we need to make young people aware of us. That's why we support the campaign and hope that many other entrepreneurs will do the same."

Based on the content already developed for the "The city is me" communication campaign, an undisguised, likeable image of the city is shown. Popular sections such as "Makers of the Week" or events such as "Rock am Kopp" are to be continued. In addition, a "Stadtpicnic" series of events is planned, for example, in which clubs and institutions invite you to a favourite place.

The website www.die-stadt-bin-ich.de remains an important communication platform. It will be joined by the website www.chemnitz-will-dich.de, which aims to convince those not yet familiar with Chemnitz to visit the city with numerous hard facts and tongue-in-cheek arguments. For example, there are surprising facts in the new section "Nu gu(c)ke an", as well as good reasons to come to the city and finds from the internet.

Further steps for the communication campaign are planned for the summer, such as a fishing campaign "You were still missing", which appeals to young people in particular with bold motifs. In addition, various advertising materials will draw attention to the new campaign.

The advertising measures are based on the long-term strategy presented last year by the city and the zebra agency. A committee with representatives from chambers, companies, the technical university, the industrial association, politics, culture, sport and event organisers has since accompanied the process and confirmed the concept ideas.

Supporters of the campaign so far include the companies eins Energie in Sachsen GmbH und Co KG, Volksbank, envia Mitteldeutsche Energie AG and Baselabs GmbH.