Curious campaign by Hornbach – DIY store solves the mystery of letter theft
Created: 10/05/2022 12:54 p.m
By: Kai Hartwig
A mysterious series of letter theft recently affected numerous Hornbach branches.
The police knew nothing, now the hardware store chain is clarifying the case.
Munich – Hornbach is one of the best-known DIY chain stores in Germany.
The company operates more than 160 branches throughout Europe, almost 100 of which are in Germany.
However, according to Hornbach, which recently excited the public with a drive-in branch, there have recently been anomalies on some of them.
Hardware store chain Hornbach complains about letter theft at several branches in Germany and abroad
As Hornbach employees announced, individual letters of the lettering above the entrance were stolen from several branches.
The letter theft started in Germany, according to the Hornbach website.
Subsequently, locations abroad also complained that their Hornbach lettering was no longer complete.
Several media then turned to the police.
However, the officials were not aware of a series of thefts.
"We're hearing that for the first time," says a spokeswoman for the Munich police of the
WAZ
.
Likewise, no report was received by the police, according to a department near Freiburg.
The Hornbach hardware store chain drew attention to itself with a curious campaign.
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
But Hornbach continued to claim that the letters had been stolen.
In addition, supposed evidence photos of the affected branches were published.
Hornbach even commissioned a radio spot.
In it, the hardware store chain affirmed: "We just want to have back what belongs to us."
Hornbach clears up the mystery of alleged letter theft at hardware store branches
However, the company has now solved the mystery of the supposed letter theft at the hardware stores.
A YouTube video has now been published on the Hornbach website.
The clip entitled "What is behind the disappearance of the Hornbach letters?" provides clarification.
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The video shows several people going to Hornbach branches at night and unscrewing the letters there.
They explain in different languages what they do with the stolen objects.
The letters are used by the "thieves" in a very creative way.
They serve as garden decorations, hot tubs, art installations, stage backdrops, pieces of furniture or skate ramps.
But the end of the video suggests that the whole thing is almost certainly a PR campaign by Hornbach.
Even if employees initially denied this after the letter theft had made the rounds.
One of the letter "thieves" is asked in the final seconds of the clip what his message is "to the people out there".
The young man replies: “Do something.
No matter what.
try something.
build something
Just start.” These words are very reminiscent of the official Hornbach slogan.
It reads: "There's always something to do." Meanwhile, an article by Hornbach recently caused a lot of confusion.
(kh)
