Each year, late in the fall, the best industrial advertising films are honored by the independent association ITVA (IT-Video-Audio) at the “photokina” in Cologne. Regional participants were also among this year’s award recipients. For example, the Fürth communications agency gernBotschaft won the gold award for the conception and content of the 90-second ad “Strongest Man.” The commercial was produced in collaboration with Nuremberg’s Ammerbacher Studios for the booth of the Siemens Group Industrial Solutions and Services at the 2004 Hannover Messe.

In explaining the success of the film, Managing Director Bernhard Pluskwik said, “Siemens wanted to present its new integrated solutions and service concept in Hanover. This was to be communicated to the trade show visitors, and not only at the cognitive level – particularly in the case of such a complex concept, people must first be affected emotionally. You have to tell them a simple and powerful story.” Pluskwik continued by saying that the film was integrated into a coherent communications concept developed by the agency and adapted for various print and electronic media for its client Siemens.

Pluskwik expressed his conviction that the potential for regional companies and agencies lies precisely in such intelligent communications solutions, tailored to include only the most essential aspects. “Today people are fleeing on the one hand from the flood of advertising messages – at the same time, however, they have a great need for communications that gets to the point and delivers explanations.” According to Pluskwik, the key to successful communications therefore lies in the strategy – inseparably linked to the professional implementation in a number of media channels, from brochures to direct marketing. The interaction of consulting, conceptual, and implementation strengths is the prerequisite for successes such as the “Gold Award.”

gernBotschaft Gesellschaft für Kommunikation was founded in 2000 and, since that time, has exhibited constant growth in a difficult business environment. It currently has 20 permanent employees. Following two growth-related relocations, the company moved into its present offices at the former Grundig complex in Fürth-Uferstadt at the end of 2003. Its focal areas of expertise include communications solutions for industry, the real estate sector, financial service providers, the healthcare industry, trade, and transportation, for example. The agency, whose business principles include the training of qualified junior employees, anticipates continued growth for 2005.