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Hin und wieder sehen wir uns genötigt, einen Probetext zu schreiben, um uns für ein bestimmtes Projekt in Position zu bringen. Briefings für Probetexte sind üblicherweise die übelsten Briefings, die es gibt, so dass man selten genau sagen kann, was der Auftraggeber denn eigentlich möchte. So bleibt immer auch ein großer Anteil Zufall dabei, nämlich ob man die Vorstellungen des Auftraggebers getroffen hat, oder nicht.

Auch in diesem Fall hier waren die Anweisungen bestenfalls als kryptisch zu beschreiben – und noch dazu sollte das Ergebnis in englischer Sprache abgeliefert werden.

Mit diesem Text reichte es uns dann aber doch zum Sieg.

Party time at Company! / Company decides on special anniversary gimmick / Time capsule to be buried underneath Company parking lot

Our board of directors is absolutely excited to be setting up our 75th company anniversary. One of the ideas they want to put in place, is a time capsule with tokens from every department – and they want that done by next month. My job is to write about it. I’m Tom from Marketing in Shanketon. For those who don’t know me, I’m 23 years old, male, Caucasian, and have joined Company last January. I studied computer science at Ballux University, but ended up in Marketing, as I love all things creative: writing, designing, drawing and the like.

Enough about me, let’s drop a few lines about the time capsule.

You all know the company’s big anniversary is coming up soon. In their last meeting, corporate have decided to party big time, but they also want to create something with a lasting impression. That’s why last month one of them knocked at our marketing office door. I had the spontaneous idea of creating a time capsule, and they immediately loved it!

How does this work?

We have five branch offices around the nation, plus the various sales and service points. We have HQ, of course, and we have legal, who (for some reason) have been moved to another building at the edge of town. The idea is, that every location would choose an object, that reflects the work they are doing, maybe the surroundings they work in, or even their spirit. Our late CEO’s widow has donated the first doorknob her beloved John knocked at on his first sales call some 75 years ago!

After all these tokens have been collected, they will be placed inside a sturdy container we purchased, which is said to last over 100 years submerged in sea water. The capsule will be buried underneath the extension of the parking lot at HQ. A brass plaque will mark the spot on the tarmac.

Here is where you come in

Please discuss within your departments, what would make a good token. Ask yourselves:

• what work are we doing here?
• which character traits define us, doing this work?
• what would be typical for the region where we work?

Here is an example. The software development guys in Utah have crafted a miniature snowboarder out of old computer chips, and signed it with a sharpie – all of them! What a brilliant idea!

Don’t worry if you come up with two or more objects in one location. We will have little stainless steel plates printed by laser ablation, with short descriptions about what and why. And the capsule will be big enough to hold ’em all.

I seriously hope to live and see, when the capsule will get dug out after another 75 years. Can you imagine it? And if John watches us from heaven, I’m sure he will be pleased as can be!

Remember: post your objects at your branch’s postal department until the 27th of August. And let me know what you think about it in the comments. But don’t you dare snitching to anyone, what your token’s going to be :oD

Yours,
Tom