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City of Magdeburg
Role
Task
Strategy and concept for the European Capital of Culture 2025 bid books
Challenge
Magdeburg needed a two-volume bid book for its European Capital of Culture 2025 application. The format was highly standardized, but the submission still had to capture the city’s character and emotional core. At that point, no campaign platform had been defined.
Insight
Magdeburg is a city that rewards a second look. Instead of competing on conventional attractiveness, the strategy focused on possibility, on what can happen when empty space is filled with culture, ideas, and civic energy. From "Out of the Void" to "Force of Attraction".
Solution
The two bid books became the foundation for the broader campaign and reshaped how the city was seen, both externally and internally. Out of the Void presented Magdeburg with honesty and restraint. Force of Attraction showed what happens when that openness is filled with imagination, participation, and momentum. The result was a submission that went far beyond the application itself and became identity-building for the city.
