Browse through Stephan Eicher's diary
Instead of a dry collection of statistics, Swisscom’s 2008 annual report is a picture book to look through and browse. More specifically: a diary—Stephan Eicher’s diary, to be exact. It was produced by Studio Achermann.
Did you used to "borrow" your older sister's diary from time to time to browse through it? Then you will be delighted with Swisscom's 2008 annual report. Rather than just giving the reader facts and figures, Swisscom and Studio Achermann have asked Stephan Eicher to travel the world of Swisscom. The singer, writer and poet visited the Swisscom subsidiary Fastweb in Rome, the national ski team in Wengen, skied with Didier Cuche, visited the art foundry in the Sittertal in St. Gallen and wrote a diary about his experiences. The result is a Swiss cosmopolitan, poetic and informative picture book with photos in color and black and white, with newspaper clippings and e-mails, full of handwritten comments, drawings and small finds from the trip.
Dear diary
Incidentally, the diary also has a surprisingly high information value - after all, it is an annual report, which the reader may well forget in the meantime: In Rome, Eicher collected information about the fiber optic network and Telefonino, in Wengen he got to know the Swisscom-sponsored Skinati, in
St. Gallen, he visited a Swisscom best practice. Eicher entrusted his impressions and insights, ideas and conversations to his diary, and thus also to the reader. Finally, Eicher takes the reader into his studio, where he uses his cell phone, landline, e-mail, Internet, Voice over IP and Internet TV. But not so that Swisscom can report on it, but simply because that's the way it is.
Eicher is a passionate communicator and enjoys a high level of acceptance in all three language regions of Switzerland. This makes him the perfect testimonial for Swisscom. "It wasn't difficult to get Eicher interested in this artistic project, although he's not normally so easy to come by," says Beda Achermann from Studio Achermann. "Eicher sings, writes, draws and photographs. What we show in the diary is totally authentic. And the readers feel that too." Incidentally, THE symbol of the information age, the cell phone, is nowhere to be found in this annual report. Just like the Swisscom logo, which is only casually attached to the front page of the report with a piece of scotch tape.
Close to people
"Part of our new brand identity is to convey the Swisscom brand more emotionally," explains Tom Hauk, Head of Brand Communications at Swisscom. "We also convey our culture and the values that Swisscom stands for to a large extent in the annual report. Of course, we also provide the bare figures for the financial statements, because the financial analysts need them." Facts and figures have been published in a plain white booklet entitled "Swisscom in brief", and analysts can also request a 250-page tome with more figures, figures, figures. Anyone else who is interested in Swisscom can simply experience the company alongside Stephan Eicher. You can hardly prepare an annual report in a more target group-oriented way.
The business presentation is sent to around 50,000 customers, authorities and institutes, employees and alumni. "We didn't want dry food," says Beda Achermann, explaining the agency's concept. "We have implemented Swisscom's message exactly, which is: 'Close to the people'. Swisscom should not be perceived as an anonymous company, but should be given a face."
Studio Achermann has been using a similar approach for Migros for ten years. It was the Migros annual report that gave Tom Hauk the idea of working with Studio Achermann.
Renaissance of emotions
"We approached the diary with a rough travel plan and knew what core messages we wanted to convey," says Achermann. "The ideas of how we would present this in concrete terms only emerged for the most part during implementation." It took Swisscom and Studio Achermann around three months to produce the diary. The planning goes back much further. After all, the diary should not be a one-year fling. "The concept will be with us for the next few years," says Tom Hauk. "But we are not yet revealing who we have in mind to write the diary in 2009."
Isn't it strange that a high-tech communications company like Swisscom publishes a printed diary as an information and image tool? Let's be honest: no. It's quite possible that Swisscom's picture and experience book is in tune with the times. After all, we're all tired of digital agendas, online diaries, PDAs and especially Outlook. Paper is not old-fashioned. It has never been out of fashion and is very much on the rise again. Almost all of us have a Moleskin or a notebook - we just don't dare admit it anymore. Diaries are a full stop. They capture the most beautiful days of the time that passes so quickly, preserve them and make it possible to relive them again and again. Because both are beautiful: speed and slowness.
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm
Dear diary
Incidentally, the diary also has a surprisingly high information value - after all, it is an annual report, which the reader may well forget in the meantime: In Rome, Eicher collected information about the fiber optic network and Telefonino, in Wengen he got to know the Swisscom-sponsored Skinati, in
St. Gallen, he visited a Swisscom best practice. Eicher entrusted his impressions and insights, ideas and conversations to his diary, and thus also to the reader. Finally, Eicher takes the reader into his studio, where he uses his cell phone, landline, e-mail, Internet, Voice over IP and Internet TV. But not so that Swisscom can report on it, but simply because that's the way it is.
Eicher is a passionate communicator and enjoys a high level of acceptance in all three language regions of Switzerland. This makes him the perfect testimonial for Swisscom. "It wasn't difficult to get Eicher interested in this artistic project, although he's not normally so easy to come by," says Beda Achermann from Studio Achermann. "Eicher sings, writes, draws and photographs. What we show in the diary is totally authentic. And the readers feel that too." Incidentally, THE symbol of the information age, the cell phone, is nowhere to be found in this annual report. Just like the Swisscom logo, which is only casually attached to the front page of the report with a piece of scotch tape.
Close to people
"Part of our new brand identity is to convey the Swisscom brand more emotionally," explains Tom Hauk, Head of Brand Communications at Swisscom. "We also convey our culture and the values that Swisscom stands for to a large extent in the annual report. Of course, we also provide the bare figures for the financial statements, because the financial analysts need them." Facts and figures have been published in a plain white booklet entitled "Swisscom in brief", and analysts can also request a 250-page tome with more figures, figures, figures. Anyone else who is interested in Swisscom can simply experience the company alongside Stephan Eicher. You can hardly prepare an annual report in a more target group-oriented way.
The business presentation is sent to around 50,000 customers, authorities and institutes, employees and alumni. "We didn't want dry food," says Beda Achermann, explaining the agency's concept. "We have implemented Swisscom's message exactly, which is: 'Close to the people'. Swisscom should not be perceived as an anonymous company, but should be given a face."
Studio Achermann has been using a similar approach for Migros for ten years. It was the Migros annual report that gave Tom Hauk the idea of working with Studio Achermann.
Renaissance of emotions
"We approached the diary with a rough travel plan and knew what core messages we wanted to convey," says Achermann. "The ideas of how we would present this in concrete terms only emerged for the most part during implementation." It took Swisscom and Studio Achermann around three months to produce the diary. The planning goes back much further. After all, the diary should not be a one-year fling. "The concept will be with us for the next few years," says Tom Hauk. "But we are not yet revealing who we have in mind to write the diary in 2009."
Isn't it strange that a high-tech communications company like Swisscom publishes a printed diary as an information and image tool? Let's be honest: no. It's quite possible that Swisscom's picture and experience book is in tune with the times. After all, we're all tired of digital agendas, online diaries, PDAs and especially Outlook. Paper is not old-fashioned. It has never been out of fashion and is very much on the rise again. Almost all of us have a Moleskin or a notebook - we just don't dare admit it anymore. Diaries are a full stop. They capture the most beautiful days of the time that passes so quickly, preserve them and make it possible to relive them again and again. Because both are beautiful: speed and slowness.
Anne-Friederike Wilhelm
