Advertiser Denis Luck has rescued Germany's Social Democrats from dire straits. In the new elections, Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz once again relied on advertising professionals from canton Aargau.
Patrick Muller/ch media
“Yes, we are once again tasked with supporting the Social Democrats in the elections,” Denis Luck said by phone. That was the only word he could get out of it. Of course, he could not reveal how Luck hopes to achieve the seemingly impossible feat of saving the ailing Social Democrats from being voted out. You should be surprised, says the 46-year-old, who has lived with his family in Wohlen AG for many years.
Contributing to the SPD's success at the last election: Dennis Lück attended the Swiss Media Forum 2023 in Lucerne.Image: smf
In the 2021 federal elections, Lück and his agency Brinkert Lück Creatives ran a campaign that contributed to the electoral victory of the Social Democrats. The fact that the Aargau native is once again active in the chancellor's party may have fueled hopes of a new miracle among some desperate Social Democrats. However, time is running out for this: Germany will hold new elections on February 23, 2025, after the SPD's traffic light alliance with the Greens and FDP dissolved last week.
Survey value is 15% – same as three years ago
It’s already 2021 and the conditions for the SPD are not good at all. When the election campaign began, the party's approval rating was around 15% (the current figure is equally dismal). Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz was considered fragile and boring. Even within our own ranks, there were skeptics. Scholz was not believed to be able to mobilize voters.
This is where Lück started. He turned a candidate's apparent weakness into a trademark: Scholz should project trust and reliability. The campaign's slogan, “Scholz Solved the Problem,” focused on Scholz's qualities as a conscientious doer. The poster shows a simple black-and-white portrait of the candidate, with a quote that reads: “With respect to you and all those who support this country,” a conscious contrast to the visual overload of many political posters. They spoke directly to voters with no artificial theatrics but promised stability in turbulent times.
But there's a second level: the cheeky, humorous behavior of people reacting to current events on social media, such as when CDU opponent Armin Laschet came out at the wrong moment (during a devastating storm )laughing out loud. A combination of boredom and humor comes into play. The Social Democrats won 25.7% of the vote, 5 percentage points higher than four years ago, and were eventually appointed prime minister.
Dennis Lück was undoubtedly a star when he was voted Advertiser of the Year 2017. At the Swiss Media Forum and other conferences, he discusses the secrets of his success in depth. Swiss SP also hired him. Their 2023 campaign, with the slogan “We choose a side”, was designed by Brinkert Lück Creatives.
The agency always develops themes and propositions together with clients and people at the most senior levels: in 2021, Olaf Scholz spent four hours in person exchanging ideas with the creative team.
It will be harder this time
Taking into account the elections on February 23, 2025, the situation for the SPD and Scholz will be much more difficult than it was then. Current surveys show no upward trend for the SPD. Citizens think the current government is doing a disastrous job. Scholz also failed personally, while his CDU opponent Friedrich Merz is currently the favorite to become chancellor.
In 2021, Scholz can enter the fray as a new face — at least compared to Angela Merkel, who has been in power for 16 years. Now he is the face of a coalition that has made a name for itself since its inception primarily through disputes rather than political success.
Olaf Scholz in the Bundestag on Wednesday.Image: trapezoid
Scholz told ARD in an interview on Sunday that he was convinced of victory. On Wednesday, he appeared combative in the Bundestag and shifted into attack mode. But can he and his advertisers reverse the trend in three months?
For better or worse, Luck will once again focus on his candidate's old strengths. It is doubtful whether coolness can still be a trump card in the current environment, given dissatisfaction with the economic situation and growing impatience with support for the war in Ukraine.
Current Chancellor Scholz has little ability to impose his message of change. Similar to Kamala Harris in the United States, his disadvantage is that he represents the establishment, while his CDU opponents promise change and renewal.
Family man and hard rock fan
Luc, a father of three and hard rock fan, seemed very relaxed on the phone. Back in 2021, he proved the skeptics wrong. “Many professional colleagues warned us not to advertise for politicians. “It's a completely different world and you burn your fingers very quickly,” Luc told our newspaper at the time. His satisfaction at achieving this feat was even greater.
His income still comes mainly from private sector orders. Lück was creative director and partner at advertising agency Jung von Matt/Limmat until 2020, before starting his own agency with German advertiser Raphael Brinkert. (aargauerzeitung.ch)
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