Trigema - "Made in Burladingen"

Trigema, Germany's largest t-shirt and tennis clothing producer is running an adamant anti-globalization spot on German television featuring a talking chimpanzee. The chimp assures us that Trigema products are made in Germany, by Germans and that the 1,200 Germans working at the Trigema factory in the German town of Burladingen are "safe" as their jobs will be kept in - of course - Germany.

Now the fact that it's a chimp giving this "ein Volk" pitch may lead you to believe that this spot is a parody of sorts. Not so.
With reason of this spot, the Südwestrundfunk (Southwest Broadcasting) has an interview with Wolfgang Grupp, sole owner of Trigema and reigning patriarch of Burladingen, on it's website. During the course of the interview it becomes quite clear that the 61-year-old Grupp is actively making a political statement while attempting to sell his t-shirts to the German public.

Now don't get me wrong. With the German economy on the rocks, I applaud local advertisers and advertising professionals in their attempts to get the country back on its feet again. But I'd prefer the country to stand tall in tennis shoes made in Taiwan than in Jackboots made in Burladingen.

Trigema's "advertising news" webpage & SWR interview with Wolfgang Grupp

"Hello fans, TRIGEMA is Germany's largest T-shirt and tennis clothing manufacturer, TRIGEMA produced with over 1,200 employees only in Germany.
What says the owner Mr. Grupp?"

"We will only produce in Germany in the future and secure our 1,200 jobs."

"I only buy TRIGEMA products and secure these jobs."