Since this morning, an almost three-meter-high microphone belonging to international news and information broadcaster BBC World News has appeared to “break through” the floor of the ground-floor waiting hall at Berlin Central Station. The microphone model was installed overnight and will remain on display until 30 November. Deliberately cordoned off with bright orange police barriers, the installation symbolizes the bold, investigative journalism for which the broadcaster stands.
Positioned in the center of the ground-floor waiting hall, the microphone—bearing the words “You can’t bury a powerful question”—immediately catches the eye of every passer-by.
At the site, passers-by can use Bluetooth technology to download two 30-second BBC World News commercials to their mobile phones. The spots carry the slogan “Never stop asking questions” and highlight the persistence of BBC reporters in researching stories, often under the most difficult conditions.
Annabel Cameron, Head of Consumer Marketing at BBC Global News, comments: “We created this unique microphone specifically for Berlin Central Station to demonstrate the investigative journalistic determination of BBC World News. We are convinced that the microphone’s enormous dimensions will attract the attention of passers-by and prompt them to think.”
The microphone at Berlin Central Station is part of BBC World News’ current “Power of Questions” campaign. The campaign presents two striking and thought-provoking image advertisements, both built around the microphone motif. The advertisements can be seen in various German newspapers, magazines and websites. The images are also being shown on television monitors at Berlin Central Station. The first depicts the microphone in chains; the second shows it trapped in barbed wire. The visual language is reinforced by the statements “You can restrain a powerful question” and “You can’t suppress a powerful question.”
