Please perceive as a person: Jean-Remy from Matt on an idea of sofa
Photo: Mago/Michael Handelmann
If this were a left leaflet, the text might begin like this: »The Swiss Jean-Remy from Matt, co-founder of the Jung von Matt advertising agency, is born in 1952 and one of the best loudspeakers in capitalism in this country. With his slogans and campaigns, he missed corporations and their brands (such as Mercedes-Benz, Ebay, Edeka, Sixt, Jever, Ricola and »Bild«) a positive, fresh image and contributed to the increase in profits. «
But this is a text on the cultural pages, where it is more aesthetic subj notes. And an advertising text (which I am home) would never write in such a way about the upper guru of the industry. And that was for me until that April evening in 2006 in Trier when Jean-Remy spoke from Matt to entrepreneurs. Of course, he knew that hundreds of presentations in front of company bosses and marketing managers had gone through how to take an audience for themselves. In addition, he has plenty of charisma and the well -dose -dose portion of arrogance that has not yet tipped into the unappealing.
But then, during the subsequent question and answer session, the unexpected happened. The owner of a medium-sized company got up and described the devastating effects of Matt’s slogan for the Saturn markets: “Geiz is cool”. The value of quality is no longer recognized. The buyers would have lost any inhibitions and would always be outrageous when printing. As a result, the margins and profits would have broken in. And suddenly Matt’s sovereign Jean-Remy lost his content and began to go around.
The answer sounded as small as that of a child who was caught when picked up in the candy glass. Probably it would not have agreed to him if he had been described as a “büttel of the major capital”. But that his very own clientele – those companies for which he wrote all the original sayings – accused him of behavior that causes business that were harmful to business. One of the 77 chapters of his recently published anecdotal collection “In the end” also bears the title “The Union of Ake”.
Jean-Remy from Matt is therefore capable of learning and self-critical. He begins his “autobiographical closing word” with the sentences: “If nine of ten matches do not ignite, I am upset. At least nine out of ten ideas that still crossed my way today lit – even though they were good or even very good. Because nobody recognized their value, nobody had the courage – or because they drowned in the sea of consideration. This book tells how I was still happy as a creative. ”Whoever writes this does not want to be perceived as a advertising-grand chot, but as a person. But as one who knows to sell.
Three failed marriages to give a positive shoot – you have to do that first: »After my family, four spouses enriched my life – each in their own way. They encouraged me. They gave me strength. And they made their peace with my wagons – if not for for. ”From Matt, as the grand master of truth staging, Matt presents itself. He has done nothing else since the age of 22. “I claim to have never lied in my job: we gift packaging facts. And if something is bothering, there is a grind. “
It is teeming in the book by Schleifchen. Because Jean-Remy from Matt worked in an industry where there are quite a few disturbing facts. Numerous chapters are about how ideas are killed. He is aware that he, the creative, acts in an economy in which “a destructive, problem -oriented, blocking thinking in little caro”. Of course, Matt also knows the reasons. He moves »in a fear -driven environment. Ideas agonizing deaths die every day. Sometimes they are suffocated by concerns, sometimes they are borne in discussions or simply shot down. They are tested or are ambushed by killer arguments. «Entrepreneurship such as the car rental company Erich Sixt, who waved every polarizing politician advertising motif with the words” Why not? “, Are the exception.
The reality of the customer relationships, which Matt describes, has nothing to do with the glamorous “We are the Champions” image that the advertising industry likes to convey. The more intensely you get into this book, the more dawns that “at the end” is actually existentialist literature. Under the gift packaging and grinding, dark truths hide: »Faith is important, love is even more important, but I think that we humans waste too much time with hope. How often in life we hope that something will get better again – a book, a series, a job, a relationship -, invest more time and then be disappointed. “That is why his book will” become worse and worse from start to finish “: A jury rated all chapters – the best are at the beginning, the worst.
Likewise, the fantasy handling is: »This free and bold thinking stunted over time. The first inhibition is the school system, followed by the seriousness of life, expectation of being a system -relevant member of society. And later the backpack of our experiences, which is becoming increasingly heavier, hindered us. “
Yes, Jean-Remy from Matt questions his own professional life. Already in the foreword he reveals why he has preferred to deal with concept art since 2018: »Of course, the idea of finally being able to be able to be self -determined as a creative service provider after five decades. To be very instance. Regardless of fears and moods of the clients. And regardless of printing, to have to earn money. «Uff. A critic of capitalism could not have been expressed more critically.
The paradox of it: “In the end” still puts you in a good mood. Ernest Hemingway once said about F. Scott Fitzgerald: “His style sings of hope, but his message is despair.” The same applies to Jean-Remy from Matt. With his smelly-written snack autobiography-it is a festival how he deals with language-he succeeds in giving the impression that a real life in the wrong one would be possible. So what we all try every day.
Jean-Remy from Matt: at the end. Experiences and knowledge from my creative life. Econ. 240 pages, born, 25 €.