"Boah Bahn!" makes people laugh online Deutsche Bahn goes viral with web series
Delayed and canceled trains cause a lot of frustration for passengers in Germany. To keep customers happy, Deutsche Bahn is trying a new image campaign. And it's going viral.
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- The much-maligned Deutsche Bahn has launched an extremely successful web series.
- According to the company, the campaign reached 50 million people in just one week.
- In the short clips, TV star Anke Engelke plays the lead role of ICE train manager Tina and takes a humorous look at everyday life on DB's long-distance services.
A dilapidated rail network, plummeting punctuality figures and a lot of frustrated passengers: Deutsche Bahn has a real image problem with its northern neighbor. Now the state-owned company is making a virtue out of necessity and trying a little humor.
The central part of the new advertising campaign is the web series "Boah Bahn! We're all on the same train." And Deutsche Bahn probably spent a lot of money on it, with comedy star Anke Engelke in the leading role and a lot of presence on social media. And it paid off: for once, people in Germany are not only ranting about the railroads, but also laughing.
After around a week, millions watched the clips on YouTube alone. "The feedback is overwhelming. Both employees and customers are delighted," says a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson to T-Online. The campaign has reached around 50 million people so far.
Internship at Deutsche Bahn
In the clips, which are only a few minutes long, Engelke, herself a committed rail passenger, plays the ICE train manager Tina and humorously presents everyday life on long-distance trains. She spills coffee, irritates passengers with curious announcements and makes viewers laugh out loud with plenty of self-irony.
"With love for the job, humor and team spirit, Tina and her crew accompany their passengers on their journey across Germany, face all challenges and always stick together despite all adversity," is how Deutsche Bahn describes its campaign.
Months before the launch, Anke Engelke attracted attention with the announcement that she was doing an internship at Deutsche Bahn. On the Bremen radio talk show "3nach9", she said: "I walk through the train and ask if anyone would like a drink".
The fact that there was more to it can now be seen with "Boah Bahn!" - on all channels.
