Photo (mis)opportunity

One of the greatest PR exercises after the second world war was the refugee photoshoot, where little children would be photographed amidst some war torn, bomb ridden town clutching their favourite possessions. 

With this in mind, during the late 1940’s the great German publicist Wolfgang Meyer created his own photo shoot for doll manufacturing client Kämmer & Reinhardt.  In an attempt to boost sales after the war, Kammer & Reinhardt decided to create a new doll and Meyer was the man to launch it. 

Meyer advertised around Munich for young children to come forward to participate in the photo shoot, herded them off to derelict housing project and gave them all a brand new Kammer & Reinhardt doll. 

Sadly the result was less than heartening as although the picture turned out a treat, the connotations associated with the picture reminded the losers of the second world war what they had all fought for and not won.  The papers ran amok with the story and Kammer & Reinhardt spent the next year trying to regain their former position in the manufacturing world.