May I present Blu, one of the most famous TV characters in Europe! 20th anniversary of the costume design for the “Geiz ist Geil” (cheap is cool) campaign by the German consumer electronics retailer “Saturn”, featured in 3 different TV commercials. Designed and created exactly 20 years ago when I relocated from London to Munich. By far the most successful advertising character and campaign in Germany, broadcast throughout Europe. Loud and proud advertising that forced the media to sit up and take notice, creating scandal on an almost daily basis. From the designer’s point of view, that means I still hold the copyright to the characters – and I had to exercise it to block the commercials when they decided not to pay. My earnings were peanuts compared to the effect on the customer’s bottom line. But it wasn’t about money – it was about the principle of treating artists right. Like the royalty they are. In my early 20s, I won the court case before it had even got off the ground. The director thought she could treat people like that, but she decided she would rather pay up before I destroyed her reputation any further. My advertising character helped Mediamarkt Saturn to reach record total annual revenues of EUR 10 billion in just one year. EUR 80 billion from 2002-2010.
Now that’s royal.
May I present Blu, one of the most famous TV characters in Europe! 20th anniversary of the costume design for the “Geiz ist Geil” (cheap is cool) campaign by the German consumer electronics retailer “Saturn”, featured in 3 different TV commercials. Designed and created exactly 20 years ago when I relocated from London to Munich. By far the most successful advertising character and campaign in Germany, broadcast throughout Europe. Loud and proud advertising that forced the media to sit up and take notice, creating scandal on an almost daily basis. From the designer’s point of view, that means I still hold the copyright to the characters – and I had to exercise it to block the commercials when they decided not to pay. My earnings were peanuts compared to the effect on the customer’s bottom line. But it wasn’t about money – it was about the principle of treating artists right. Like the royalty they are. In my early 20s, I won the court case before it had even got off the ground. The director thought she could treat people like that, but she decided she would rather pay up before I destroyed her reputation any further. My advertising character helped Mediamarkt Saturn to reach record total annual revenues of EUR 10 billion in just one year. EUR 80 billion from 2002-2010.
Now that’s royal.
