You’ve probably stood next to one at some point. But where do they come from? And who put them there?

What do the Pyramids of Giza, the Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Everest, Machu Picchu, and presumably every other major attraction on Earth have in common?

Obviously, all are adorned with an oval, neon yellow sticker with a text in German reading “Nett hier. Aber waren Sie schon mal in Baden-Württemberg?“ – “Not bad. But have you ever been to Baden-Württemberg?”

Slapped on sign posts, railings, and lamp poles in all corners of the planet, the stickers ask visitors of the world's most spectacular places to consider the mildly pleasant rolling hills of southwest Germany instead.

First developed in 1999 by an ad agency, the stickers were part of a campaign to improve the image of Baden-Württemberg, a German state best known as an industrial powerhouse, home to companies like Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. Its people are known for being diligent, frugal, and very particular.

The state gave the stickers away for free in the hopes that Baden-Württembergers would participate in the effort to make their home state more popular.

But they only went viral after 2021, when another agency gave them a new neon yellow colour and relaunched them to help attract skilled workers from abroad – an elusive strategy, given the stickers are mostly written in German.

Baden-Württembergers, it seems, were convinced by the stickers' deadpan sense of humour, and started bringing them along when travelling abroad. Social media did the rest.

Marketing professor Anja Forster credits the stickers' massive success to the way they tap into regional pride and shared values.

Today, no one knows exactly how many there are – the best estimates are in the millions – nor whether any of this has actually convinced people to relocate. Last year, Baden-Württemberg asked people to please stop sticking them in public and just take photos instead.

Faced with worker shortages, other states have also tried slogans. Rhineland-Palatinate is shooting its shot with “Maybe not paradise. But close.” and “Nice people, nice scenery, nice food: like Instagram in real life.” Eeeurgh.