i AMsterdam!

While abroad, I took advantage of our weekends off and, with three of my dearest friends, drove to Holland. Amsterdam is simply the best city. The ambiance around and throughout the city is unparalleled, and the indifference to all-things-taboo in the United States makes the city an unbelievable place to travel. As a repeat visitor, I can appreciate capitalizing on the city's glorious past, the reputation of tolerance and liberalism, the red-light district and the gay scene.

Upon arriving in Amsterdam, one will encounter an unusually pleasant and healthy atmosphere. For one, the canals don’t stink because the water from the canals is flushed out into the North Sea every three days. The humid air is clean due to the astounding number of bikes and the lack of cars in the city. The ‘Amsterdamers’ ride their bikes with vigor and it is more likely to be hit by a bicycle than by a car. So, when you hear the bells ringing behind you, make sure you get heck out of the way.

My Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GPEt4xzvag

--An early morning in Amsterdam, watching the bicycle rush hour outside my hostel.

In terms of city sightseeing, Amsterdam has a slew of museums. These include the Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum and the Heineken Experience (just thought I'd count this one too). I didn’t find the old Heineken Brouwery that interesting until they decided to unveil the secrets behind their marketing campaign, take us on a Disneyworld-like ride as 'beer being brewed' and get us drunk at the Heineken bar at the end of the "experience". It was definitely worth my twelve Euros for four beers and the stolen glass from the bar. Oh, the museums are cool too.

**Entrance of the Rijks, sitting by the river in front of Anne Frank's Haus, Brewing bier @ the Heineken Experience

I feel that the strategic choice to market the city of Amsterdam for its main representations has far-reaching possibilities for cultural tourism than many other cities in Europe. As for marketing the city as a main tourist destination, Amsterdam speaks for itself. My first visit to Amsterdam was too short. There was too much to see, and too little time. I was able to squeeze three museums, one canal tour and around seven coffee shops before leaving. This time around, I made sure to make the most of it.

At our hotel, front desk recommended we purchase the i amsterdam Card, which we had already seen advertised throughout the city, including Centraal Station. She explained that we could find the card at one of the many "Tourist Offices of Amsterdam Tourism & Convention Board." The i amsterdam Card consists of a Transport Ticket, a Chip Card (for free admission to the museums) and an i amsterdam Guide, which contains vouchers for discounts at restaurants and attractions. Confession: this was a very useful purchase.

What I found most interesting was the citybranding. The i amsterdam theme was mimicked througout the city with large i amsterdam sculptures. I believe that keeping this brand image is a great marketing strategy, where the city of Amsterdam can be easily attributed and recognized. The i amsterdam campaign sells Amsterdam to interested clients, with the usual range of T-shirts, coffee mugs, key rings, umbrella’s and assorted paraphernalia. Billboards in bus stops show smooth photographic representations of the city with an i amsterdam logo. The campaign is definitively slick and elaborated, and its success is due to the mechanism of "globalization."

Of some importance:

• Amsterdam mainly markets itself through word-of-mouth
• The i amsterdam campaign is an example of 'marketing a destination' by keeping the same citybranding image throughout the world
• GO TO AMSTERDAM!

~~MuSiC and CuLTuRe~~

We all know German and American cultures are different. From class lecture, we defined culture as “the shared values, norms, traditions, customs, arts, history, folklore, and institutions of a group of people.” Moreover, as an American student, I was submerged intentionally into the German lifestyle for about a month. There came a point where I was left no choice, but to become “culturally competent;” that is, to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures. Mostly, what stood out was the music culture surrounding the city of Berlin.

All of Germany’s regions offer concerts that attract international acclaim and music lovers from all over. However, outside of the United States, Germany generates the most sales for recorded hip-hop*, and has one of the more vibrant scenes in the world. The genre is very popular within the country. FYI: throughout my stay in Berlin, I came to discover that hip-hop music is dubbed “Black.” In one of our class lectures, we shared our views of race and ethnicity regarding "black" music with our German counterparts. Personally, they opened my eyes to the varying degrees of prejudice that still exist in the world. It seems that hip-hop and “black culture” have once again been intertwined and/or stereotyped.

**LIL WAYNE CONCERT FLYER I PASSED**

In addition, Germany has the largest electronic music scene in the world. Trance music is a style of electronic music that originated upon German unification. Prestigious annual electronic music festivals are held in beautiful, traditional country settings all over Germany. One of the most notable events referring to this scene is the Love Parade festival that includes millions of participants from all over the world. People gather to enjoy all types of electronic music. It is a remarkable festival for all the senses.

**@ Love Parade by the Statue of Victoria**

The night before having to catch a flight back to Miami, I got a chance to catch one of my favorite trance DJs in action @ Weekend in Berlin. I went with people who appreciated the origins of this genre, EDM lovers. As wee made our way to the front of the line, past the German bouncer, into the elevator filled with outsiders and right to the front of the dj booth, German life was great. The air was crisp, the lasers were gleaming and the music was just right. I came to Berlin with many goals in mind. Seeing Carl Cox, spinning at one of the best clubs in Berlin, satisfied one of the many. Talk about “cultural competence.”

My Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2Zn0AIGWmU

Carl Cox Live @ Weekend in Berlin -- June 18, 2009

*Pennay, Mark. "Rap In Germany: The Birth of a Genre." In Global Noise: Rap and Hip-Hop Outside the USA, 121. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2001.

H & M Fashion against Aids (click)

**One of the many H&M's I went shopping in - near Zoologischer Garten**

**In the dressing room: Purple Heart Condoms; Life is Too Short-Have Sex Be Safe t-shirts

H&M has launched a project to collect funds and drive awareness around the HIV virus. Fashion against AIDS features a special t-shirt collection designed by a series of international music artists. Celebrities are making a stand to raise awareness and help fight the disease. I learned that 25% of the sales are being donated to youth HIV/AIDS awareness projects. Some of the celebrities I've seen on ads around Berlin, who have come together to design H&M's new collection, are Dita Von Teese, Katy Perry, Cyndi Lauper, N.E.R.D and Tokio Hotel. Many of the designs have an 80’s feel to them, which is hip for summer.

.
The Fashion against AIDS campaign is a great example of interactive media and, in my opinion, one of the great advertising ideas I've seen recently. I always love it when celebrities use their super powers for good. H&M's message is loud and clear, with bold slogans and vibrant summer colors. Everywhere I went, whether by train, tram, bus or on foot, I could easily recognize the campaign. What is it about H&M's Fashion against AIDS awareness campaign that works well throughout all of Europe? It’s very simple. The project used the same black and white photography, while adding a splash of neon colors, for all its diverse advertising. In addition, the use of well-known celebrities could easily bring the ad campaign from Germany to Holland and even to Czech Republic (a few places I spotted the ads).

While in Berlin, my experience at an H&M was just as interesting as the campaign. On every other street corner, I could find an even bigger and better store. However, not every store was the same, and not every store offered the Fashion against AIDS collection. I noticed the collection was only sold, and probably with good reason, in the more youthful H&M stores. As you first walk in, you're engulfed in colors. The music coming from the speakers is a compilation of featured songs from the celebrities who have joined the campaign. At checkout, after I purchased a 'safe sex' t-shirt, the person behind the counter gave me a pin with Tokio Hotel on it. The cashier then pulled a basket full of condoms, what I thought initially to be postcards, and let me take as many as my little heart desired. I took six condom/postcards thinking about my roommates back at the hostel. You gotta love H&M!

**A postcard with a boxed condom attached to it; given to me after purchase