It has already been clicked over 300,000 times, and the new image video of Linz Tourism was even featured in ZiB2. Critics and fans agree on one thing: the goal of attracting attention with the spot has clearly been achieved – there is no question about that for everyone.
While many hoteliers, marketing experts and also parts of the city politicians, above all Mayor Klaus Luger (SP), are not very happy with the video, as OÖN readers know, it is well received by tourism representatives outside Upper Austria. But even they are not entirely convinced that this will lure more tourists to the state capital in the future.
“Merciless” public
Dieter Hardt-Stremayr, managing director of Graz Tourismus, speaks of an “exciting, courageous approach”. “Those in charge will have been aware of the risks associated with such a video. The public can be merciless.” Hardt-Streymayr knows this only too well from his own experience. For example, the ORF did not want to show the advertising video “Graz may do everything” published in 2003 – garden gnomes are being smashed there – and in 2006 a sexism scandal ensued.
For him, there is no question that smaller cities like Linz have to lean further out than larger ones when it comes to such campaigns. It remains to be seen whether the courage will be rewarded with more tourists in the end. “It’s also exciting how you want to move on,” says Hardt-Streymayr, to make a suggestion at the same time. “I would offer the walking stick that can be seen at the end of the video in the souvenir shop.”
- Video: Survey about provocative Linz campaign
