Marketing America for the Germans
Trip Start
Mar 18, 2012
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Trip End
Apr 25, 2012
We visited Erfurt which is near Eisenach and which has wonderful old architecture and two great old cathedrals and a cool old bridge. There was a little carnival set up near the churches (it wasn't open since it was still early on a weekday); it was like the travelling rides/game booths we see at county fairs. I thought it was funny how some of the booths and rides were decorated with American themes and also how the American culture was portrayed. Kind of eerie...we are all Marilyn and Elvis and dollars and hip-hop. English is used a lot in marketing; I can't tell you how many clothes I saw in malls and stores with English words (sometimes misspelled-like my bolg!). There is a line of clothing called Maryland so there were (expensive) jackets, hats and shirts with "Maryland" written across them, Laguna Beach everything, etc.
Comments
You guys are really getting a lovely feel for the various regions by staying there more than a night or two. I think that's so cool. It's interesting to see how Americans are represented. Sort of no diversity to us. We are all Marilyn and Elvis types and gangstas.
I think it's a very romanticized vision of America from the 50s and early 60s. I guess we do the same when we think all Germans wear Lederhosen and Drindl and drink beer and eat pretzels...