Purple crocodile

Also called: red tape or Amts fungus

The purple crocodile is a symbol and metaphor for rule-seeking and bureaucracy. It is widely used for unnecessary rules that prevent customer-oriented service or logical decisions and actions.

The term refers to a 2005 TV commercial by insurance company OHRA. In this commercial, a mother inquires with a pool employee about the purple inflatable crocodile her daughter forgot the day before. The crocodile is behind the counter, but the mother must first fill out a form and return it to another department tomorrow. The advertisement ends with the slogan "little hassle is nice.

Since this commercial, the mere mention of the term purple crocodile is enough to express unnecessary regulations. The term subsequently surfaced on various TV programs, in politics and business. It is also sometimes referred to as "eradicating purple crocodiles. In 2006, a legislative amendment called Purple Crocodile was passed to reduce the administrative burden of various tax laws.

OHRA had the purple crocodile return to the screen in 2018. This time in a commercial to promote an app that allows claims to be filed more easily and digitally.

Purple crocodiles abroad

The English counterpart of the purple crocodile is red tape.

This would refer to the ribbon with which it was common in the sixteenth century to bundle important documents and laws. The exact origin is unclear, as red tape was used in several places, including England and Spain. By extension, the reduction of bureaucracy is also referred to as "cutting of red tape.

The German variation is Amtsschimmel.