The “365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas” contest is the largest series of events in Germany. Every day throughout the year an innovative project receives the “Selected Landmark” award. The award is part of the nation-branding initiative “Land of Ideas” launched by the federal government and the Federation of German Industries (BDI).The locations of winning entries are showcased in an events and travel guide book published by Deutsche Bank.“Landmarks” refers to projects, initiatives and associations, which demonstrate outstanding new ideas and innovations. These can be public and private institutions, universities and research institutes, companies and social and cultural projects.In 2006, the initial goal of the campaign was to present Germany, the host of the Football World Cup, as a modern country to a global audience via the events and the associated travel guide book. The primary goal however, has been to demonstrate to the German people their country’s creativity and high potential for innovative projects and also generate tourism. The increasing number of contest applications, from 1,200 in 2006 to 2,072 in 2009 - an increase of 58 %, illustrates that “Land of Ideas” is a very well established initiative: people are aware of it and are keen to receive an award for their project, association etc.

Due to its topical nature, national and regional press reported daily about this contest.

The 2009 edition of the contest “365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas” commenced on 6 August 2008. Projects, initiatives, associations, companies etc. had the opportunity to apply until October 3. The project team addressed 8,000 representatives, including Members of Parliament and members of federations and universities, in order to attract more attention. An advertising campaign has raised more awareness about the new edition. A panel of 18 judges chaired by the General Director of the State Art Collections in Dresden, Professor Dr. Martin Roth, and the Director of the Institute of the German Economy in Cologne, Professor Dr. Michael Hüther, selected the winners in seven categories. The 2,072 applications were submitted by companies, research institutes, art and cultural institutions, community and charity projects and initiatives. From 1 January 2009, each day of the year winners showcase their innovative ideas with a special event and thus officially become a “Selected Landmark 2009”.

2009 marked a record for the contest with 2,072 applications. In comparison with the 2008 edition, the number of applicants increased by over 600. This increase in popularity demonstrates that Germans appreciate the daily award series, which feature a variety of innovations. The decentralised concept has encouraged people across Germany to make a genuine effort to impress the jury with their ideas. Innovations are showcased every day via events and in the media, encouraging others to create something new. There were 6901 media features about “Landmarks” between March 2008 and February 2009. 190,000 people attended the 366 award ceremonies.