The PAPP campaign is designed to trigger students by raising social questions, says communications advisor Mariska Giesen. `We want to show that in Public Administration you view social issues from different angles. Free public transportation is one of those issues.'
Connexxion told the UT that the raised question was `too political' and that they did not want to start a discussion about free public transportation using their own buses. Giesen: `We are a university, not a political party. It's obvious who made the statement. But we could find ourselves opposed to the statements, so we thought up some alternatives to accommodate their wishes. Like `I support/oppose mandatory identification' or `I support/oppose nuclear energy.' But those slogans were rejected as well, on political grounds. It's a shame; you can call everything political if you look at it in such a way. I think Connexxion exaggerated. Besides, we don't take one side; we just want to stimulate people to think.'
Connexxion allowed Giesen to invent a completely different slogan. `We were advised not to communicate a specific subject. But that's impossible. Public Administration is all about social issues. Our whole campaign is based on the support/oppose-idea. The advertisements on the buses had to correspond to that idea.' Giesen says there will probably be a `corporate UT advertisement' on the bus. `But that has to first be designed.'
The communications advisor was repeatedly phoned this week about the issue. Did it get the required publicity anyway? Giesen: `It's great that this makes it into the newspapers, but our campaign was meant to be long lasting and visible. This will be over in a week.'
At Conexxion, nobody could be reached to react to the question. According to the bus company, the sale of advertising space is contracted out to CBS Outdoor in Amsterdam. This company says publicity, in the Overijssel region, is handled by Triple Media in Weerselo. Benno Brand from Triple Media pointed back at Connexxion and CBS Outdoor. `We're not a participating party, this issue is for Connexxion and CBS Outdoor.'
