Scholz & Friends
A major German advertising and communications agency with operations in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Scholz & Friends is a German advertising and communications agency founded in Hamburg in 1981 by Jürgen Scholz, Uwe Lang, and Michael Menzel. It developed from a Hamburg-based agency into one of Europe's larger advertising networks, working across brand strategy, creative development, advertising, and broader communications services. The agency's work has included public-sector destination marketing, cultural and national image projects, and integrated campaigns intended to operate across multiple media and public touchpoints. The company is associated with both Hamburg and Berlin. Its current dual headquarters are identified as being in Hamburg-HafenCity and Berlin-Mitte, reflecting the importance of both cities to its German operations. The available reference material describes the business as operating in several German and European locations, although a complete office-by-office list and detailed international ownership structure are not established here. A notable early public-sector assignment was the 1999 campaign for the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Its slogan, commonly translated as “Not bad. But have you ever been to Baden-Württemberg?”, became sufficiently recognizable to be reproduced on stickers that were later encountered in locations around the world. Scholz & Friends also participated in projects connected with the Paralympic symbol in 2003 and the Walk of Ideas in 2006, demonstrating work beyond conventional product advertising and into public communication and national or institutional image-building. The agency also had a joint venture with Commarco. Commarco was acquired by WPP in 2011, an event that placed the joint-venture relationship within the orbit of one of the world's largest advertising holding companies. The available material does not establish the precise continuing ownership, governance, or operating consequences for Scholz & Friends after that transaction. Accordingly, its current parent company, owner, and group structure are left unspecified. Scholz & Friends is best characterized as an integrated communications-services brand rather than a consumer product brand. Its typical work encompasses advertising creativity, brand strategy, campaign development, and digital or cross-channel communications. Specific current clients, revenue figures, executive leadership, and detailed service-line organization are not identified in the supplied references.
History
Scholz & Friends was established in Hamburg in 1981 by Jürgen Scholz, Uwe Lang, and Michael Menzel. The agency began as a German advertising business and subsequently developed into a larger communications network with activity in Germany and other parts of Europe. Its work has covered conventional advertising as well as broader brand, institutional, and public-sector communication. The agency's best-documented campaign from the supplied material is the 1999 marketing program for Baden-Württemberg. Its distinctive slogan invited people to reconsider the German state as a destination, using a deliberately conversational formulation that is commonly rendered in English as “Not bad. But have you ever been to Baden-Württemberg?” The line achieved a life beyond the original campaign: stickers carrying the slogan were later found in countries around the world, giving the work an unusually persistent and geographically dispersed afterlife. Scholz & Friends also worked on projects with a public or institutional dimension. Its activities included work connected with the Paralympic symbol in 2003 and participation in the Walk of Ideas in 2006. These projects indicate a role in visual and public communication beyond ordinary commercial product promotion, although the available references do not provide detailed accounts of the agency's specific responsibilities, deliverables, or contractual arrangements in either case. The agency has been associated with Hamburg and Berlin. The reference material identifies dual headquarters in Hamburg-HafenCity and Berlin-Mitte, while also describing a presence in several German and European cities. This two-city structure reflects the agency's German base and its broader network orientation. The available sources do not provide a reliable current list of offices, employees, clients, revenue, or senior management. Scholz & Friends entered a joint venture with Commarco. In 2011, WPP acquired Commarco. That transaction is an important corporate milestone because it linked a company associated with Scholz & Friends to WPP, a major global advertising holding group. However, the supplied material does not establish whether Scholz & Friends became a WPP-owned brand, how the joint venture was reorganized, or what governance changes followed. Those points therefore remain unresolved. Today, Scholz & Friends is described in the reference material as one of Europe's larger advertising agencies. Its service profile is that of an integrated communications firm: brand and campaign strategy, creative advertising, digital communications, and institutional or destination marketing. The available evidence supports describing the agency as active, but does not support detailed claims about its present ownership, financial performance, client roster, or executive team.
- 2011
Commarco acquired by WPP
[1]WPP acquired Commarco, the company connected to Scholz & Friends through a joint venture.
- 2006
Participation in Walk of Ideas
[1]Scholz & Friends participated in the Walk of Ideas project.
- 2003
Work related to the Paralympic symbol
[1]The agency is associated with work on the Paralympic symbol.
- 1999
Baden-Württemberg campaign introduced
[1]Scholz & Friends created a Baden-Württemberg marketing campaign whose slogan later became visible on stickers around the world.
- 1981
Agency founded in Hamburg
[1]Jürgen Scholz, Uwe Lang, and Michael Menzel founded Scholz & Friends in Hamburg.
Products and positioning
Integrated, high-profile advertising and communications agency
Advertising services
Advertising and campaign creative
Creative development for advertising and public communication campaigns, including the development of campaign concepts, messaging, and visual or verbal identities. The Baden-Württemberg campaign is the clearest documented example in the supplied material.
Brand consulting
Brand strategy
Strategic communications work intended to define or strengthen a brand's positioning, identity, and public presentation. The available references identify brand strategy as part of the agency's general service profile but do not specify a separately branded product or methodology.
Communications services
Integrated marketing communications
Cross-channel communications combining strategic planning, creative advertising, and digital or other media activity. Scholz & Friends is characterized as an integrated advertising and communications agency rather than a provider of a single media or production service.
Public relations and public communication
Public-sector and institutional communication
Campaign and image-building work for public institutions, destinations, and nationally significant projects. The documented Baden-Württemberg assignment and the agency's work connected with the Paralympic symbol and Walk of Ideas illustrate this part of its scope.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006Walk of Ideas
Germany
Scholz & Friends participated in the Walk of Ideas, a public-facing project focused on presenting German ideas and cultural achievement.
- 2003Paralympic symbol project
International
The agency undertook work related to the Paralympic symbol, placing its communications expertise in an international sporting and institutional setting.
- 1999Baden-Württemberg tourism campaign
Germany · International visibility through later sticker circulation
Scholz & Friends developed a marketing campaign for the German state of Baden-Württemberg using a conversational slogan that challenged audiences to visit the region. The slogan later appeared on stickers found globally.
Outcome. The slogan became widely recognizable and continued circulating beyond the original campaign through stickers encountered in locations around the world.
Brand decisions
2011
Corporate consequences of WPP's Commarco acquisitionM&ABackground
Scholz & Friends had established a joint venture with Commarco before WPP acquired Commarco in 2011.
Action taken
WPP acquired Commarco. The available reference does not specify whether Scholz & Friends itself changed ownership or how the joint venture was subsequently structured.
Recent events
- 2011
WPP acquires Commarco[1]
M&A
WPP acquired Commarco, the company with which Scholz & Friends had established a joint venture. The supplied references do not specify the subsequent ownership or operational status of Scholz & Friends itself.
- 2006
Scholz & Friends contributes to Walk of Ideas[1]
Campaign
The agency participated in the Walk of Ideas project, a public communication initiative associated with Germany's presentation of ideas and cultural achievement.
- 2003
Scholz & Friends works on the Paralympic symbol[1]
Other
Scholz & Friends is credited with work related to the Paralympic symbol, extending its communications activity into an international sporting and institutional context.
- 1999
Scholz & Friends launches Baden-Württemberg tourism campaign[1]
Campaign
The agency created a marketing campaign for Baden-Württemberg centered on a slogan inviting audiences to visit the German state. The line later appeared on stickers found in locations around the world.
- 1981
Scholz & Friends founded in Hamburg[1]
Other
Jürgen Scholz, Uwe Lang, and Michael Menzel established Scholz & Friends in Hamburg, creating the agency that later expanded into a larger German and European advertising network.
Sources2 sources
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