Balkon Contest

It’s all about likes, likes, likes – DIY and fun.

Three balconies from the southwest compete for the title “Most Beautiful Balcony of the Season”. From artwork to abomination, they take on the challenge of beautifying their balcony, all under the scrutiny of an accomplished jury: Thomas Klotz – upcycling expert from Berlin, Silvia Appel aka “Gartenfräulein” – garden expert from Munich and Anni Conen aka “Fraeuleinemmama” award points for creativity, sustainability and implementation of the idea.

With sharp-tongued humour and good advice, they provide a running commentary. The three jury members are not only experts in their field, but also popular influencers on Instagram. Skilled at self-promotion, they give the balcony beautifiers the task of staging their balcony once a day – the more creative, the better! Who will snatch the title?

ARD goes online. As an online-only format, the Balkon Contest faces several new challenges: the legal framework for one thing, along with the storytelling for various social platforms, each with its own user behaviour. You have to focus on the meat: the beautiful moments that allow a movie to “breathe”, cleverly constructed dramaturgy, are too long for Instagram. Viewers must be hooked with the first image, the first movement in the reel. Faster paced and with harder cuts, this kind of storytelling is a separate genre with its own rules and viewing habits that are constantly reinvented.