We heard for the first time about the Poland. Come and complain campaign in July, when films presenting a cultural expert, computer geek and taxi driver appeared on the net. Since that moment, the campaign has become enriched by 7,200 complain-hours, 135 works of graphic art prepared for the needs of the activity and 31,000 Facebook fans, 2 new characters (Biały Miś and businesswoman) along with countless number of likes, comments and tweets. The Internet was buzzing, because promoting Polish culture by complaining is a very non-standard idea – not to say iconoclastic; distance is needed for such revolutionary acts, and Poles, according to stereotypical notions, do not have it.
The last production of the campaign has recently appeared on the official YouTube channel of the action. The video presents a waitress who, whilst polishing a glass, is monotonously talking about Poles’ stereotypical inclination… to drink alcohol. But even in this area, we are mediocre, because, for example, the French consume more alcohol than us. Well, nothing can be done but to complain – because when people drink little, the tips are also smaller…
And this is the conclusion ending a campaign whose task was to cast a spell on everybody who wants to come to Poland and become convinced whether the malcontent heroes exist for real. If so, do Poles really have a special cabinet with slippers for guests, do they celebrate their name days and are they capable of asking about intimate details from your private life when feasting at the table, do they really eat pizza with ketchup, are they capable of preparing dumplings in at least fourteen different ways, and when travelling – especially by train – do they relish on hard boiled eggs and pickles cut into blocks?
You will never find out about these things unless you come here. “Come and complain” – the organisers of the campaign are going to encourage foreigners until the end of April. And then – well, we will be left with the complaining. Because, when you think of it, the action lasted only 10 months, and 130 graphic works is not really that many…
The creators of the idea are Jan Mosiejczuk and Tomasz Chojnacki from Blacklama.pl. The videos were produced by Papaya Films. Communication on social networking sites is conducted by Bird&Co.
By the end of April, it is possible to have your say in the virtual book of complaints.