The VBI Verband Beratender Ingenieure e.V. (Association of Consulting Engineers) in Germany (www.vbi.de) is launching a major image campaign called "Die Ausdenker" (the Outthinkers) for the planning and consulting engineering sector this week. On billboards, online and with a large-format advertisement in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ newspaper), employees from engineering companies are talking about their ideas and goals - innovative, self-confident and optimistic.
The German campaign was developed by VBI together with the renowned communications agency Ressourcenmangel, which is part of the Hirschen Group network. The campaign will be shown on more than 100 digital display boards at highly frequented junctions in the capital, such as Berlin's main railway station, Unter den Linden, Friedrichstraße as well as in other state capitals in Germany. The ten employees shown present innovative approaches to solutions for the challenges of the 21st century, for example Carolin Strotmann asks: "Heizen mit Eis – kannst Du Dir nicht ausdenken (Heating with ice - can't you imagine?)" and confidently answers "Ich kann! (I can!)".
VBI President Jörg Thiele: "It's a paradox: engineering services have never been more in demand than they are today, and yet we struggle to find appropriate remuneration, fair award procedures and new employees. Without civil engineers and architects, there would be no energy transition, no transport transition, no climate protection and not enough new housing. Yet many people don't know what we do. We now want to change that."
In addition to the ten testimonials, the VBI has also set out political demands for the planning industry on the landing page www.die-ausdenker.com. In it, the association calls for fair award procedures, an end to dumping contracts, priority for STEM in schools, full digitisation of award procedures and authorities, and data sovereignty for European planning data.
As one of the earliest members of the association, Dorsch Gruppe supports the VBI campaign and backs the association's demands. Forderungen für die Planungsbranche (German) - PDF
Proceed to the campaign video (in German): Die Ausdenker Kampagnenfilm (mp4)
