toom Baumarkt: Irmela vs. Nazis
toom Baumarkt wanted to evolve its - Respect - brand platform to be more culturally relevant in a polarized Germany. Working with Scholz & Friends, they sought to move beyond traditional retail advertising to demonstrate their commitment to diversity and democracy, targeting a broad audience of German citizens who value civic courage and the power of individual action.
Creative Idea
Framed an activist's removal of hate symbols as the ultimate - do it yourself - project.
toom Baumarkt reinterpreted its - Respect for those who do it themselves - slogan by featuring 80 - year - old activist Irmela Mensah - Schramm, who uses simple DIY tools to remove Nazi propaganda, transforming a retail product ad into a powerful stand for democracy.
The 2.59 Euro Tool for Democracy
The Sprayer Granny and the Red Heart
The campaign centers on Irmela Mensah - Schramm, an 80 - year - old activist known as the Sprayer Granny. For nearly four decades, she has faced legal fines and property damage charges for her mission to eradicate hate speech. Director Leo Fuchs opted for a raw, documentary aesthetic that eschews music and voiceovers. This silence forces the viewer to focus on the tactile, ambient sounds of civil courage: the rhythmic scraping of a €2.59 scraper and the scrubbing of a €3.79 wood brush. By featuring actual toom products with their retail prices, the production framed democratic action as an affordable, accessible DIY project.
From Retail Slogan to Political Stance
Creative leadership under Matthias Spaetgens and Michael Winterhagen successfully pivoted the brand’s "Respect" DNA from home improvement to societal responsibility. The film’s recurring motif - a red heart sprayed over swastikas - transformed toom’s inventory into tools for peace. This "attitude campaign" resonated deeply in a polarized German market, generating over 5.3 million views on YouTube and sparking a nationwide debate. It effectively "legalized" Irmela’s lifelong activism in the court of public opinion, proving that a price - driven retail brand could tackle right - wing extremism without appearing opportunistic.
The Hess and Hass Connection
A subtle layer of the campaign is its internal title, toom vs. Hass (Hate). This serves as a phonetic nod to Irmela’s first act of defiance in 1986, when she removed a sticker demanding freedom for Nazi official Rudolf Hess. By reclaiming the brand's long - standing slogan, Scholz & Friends demonstrated that "Respect" is not just a sentiment but a physical act of labor, bridging the gap between a hardware store’s catalog and the front lines of human rights.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
A long - standing brand platform centered on - Respect - and the DIY spirit of taking action.
Category
DIY retailers typically focus on price - driven product ads, home improvement projects, and functional tool demonstrations.
Customer
Citizens felt a growing sense of helplessness against rising extremism and wanted a tangible way to defend democratic values.
Culture
A cultural climate in Germany where brands are increasingly expected to take a clear stance against right - wing hate.
Company
A long - standing brand platform centered on - Respect - and the DIY spirit of taking action.
Category
DIY retailers typically focus on price - driven product ads, home improvement projects, and functional tool demonstrations.
Strategy:
Reframe a functional craft philosophy as a civic duty to transform passive values into tangible social action.
Customer
Citizens felt a growing sense of helplessness against rising extremism and wanted a tangible way to defend democratic values.
Culture
A cultural climate in Germany where brands are increasingly expected to take a clear stance against right - wing hate.
Strategy:
Reframe a functional craft philosophy as a civic duty to transform passive values into tangible social action.
Strategy Technique
Turn Brand Values Into Action
Instead of just talking about - respect, - toom demonstrated it by supporting a real - life activist who uses their tools for the ultimate DIY project: protecting democracy.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Take a Real Stand
The campaign moves beyond product features to address a pressing social issue, using the brand's core DIY philosophy to empower citizens to physically remove hate speech from their communities.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign brilliantly subverts the 'retail price-point' ad format to deliver a profound social message, using a real-life activist to give the brand's tagline new meaning.
The recontextualization of the brand's existing tagline 'Respect those who do it themselves' from DIY home repair to social activism is a masterstroke.
The use of the standard retail price-tag graphic overlay creates a jarring and effective contrast with the serious subject matter.
The synergy between the mundane visual language of a hardware store ad and the extraordinary reality of the protagonist's life creates a powerful 'double-take' effect.
