#wonachsuchstdu – Max Planck Day Science Awareness Campaign

In 2018, the Germany-wide Max Planck Day took place with three parallel anniversary celebrations – the 160th birthday of Max Planck, the 100-year anniversary of his nobel Prize and the 70-year existence of the Max Planck society. In order to highlight the day, the anniversaries and the visibility of the research, onliveline developed an overarching campaign under the name #wonachsuchstdu (what are you looking for). The rather general target group was to come into contact with the theme of research in a playful, interactive and lasting manner.

The basis for this was an online question campaign that presented the Max Planck researchers with their questions and answers, as well as the scope of Max Planck research, whilst incorporating the Max Planck Day. Through the social media channels of the Max Planck society, its 84 institutes and a central website, people were encouraged to submit questions themselves. Two Youtubers visited the 16 Max Planck institutes to find answers to the many submitted questions and to issue invitations to the Germany-wide Max Planck Day.

A wide variety of events were held throughout Germany for the finale of the campaign, the Max Planck Day. The threads of all the events came together at the Munich Marstallplatz and were extended by a media livestream. The previously travelling YouTubers gathered the highlights and gave out invitations to direct discussions, various research topics and science slams. A “colorful hashtag” was the symbolic connecting element between all the events and online activities.