Wunderman kneads for Microsoft
Wunderman has designed an extensive international campaign for Microsoft's Technical Audience division. The star of the campaign: original creations made from plasticine.
A ball of plasticine is an inanimate mass. It is like a football waiting for its Brazilian. Only in the hands of a creative person does it become something unique. It is the same with software: the products of the world's largest manufacturer, Microsoft, are only brought to life by their users. This is the message of a new campaign developed by Zurich agency Wunderman for the Zurich-based technical audience department of the American software company. "You shape it" is the title of the campaign, with plasticine as the main symbol.
A movie welcomes visitors to the website Microsoft.com/youshapeit. "Your ideas transform the digital world", says a speaker after the viewer has been guided by a cursor through a plasticine world that has just been created. At the end of the short intro strip, the user lands on a text field where they can get started right away: their text entries appear in plasticine and the creative process has begun. This website is aimed at IT specialists, developers and designers - professionals who use Microsoft software to change the digital world on a daily basis.
The website forms the umbrella for various topic pages where professionals can find new product tips, editorial content and information on specialist events. "Microsoft wanted to summarize three important target groups and explain to them that they are changing the world with their tools. They have a blank sheet of paper or a new ball of plasticine in front of them every day," explains Christian Erni, Creative Director of Wunderman. "We wanted to create a campaign that works with playful elements and conveys joy." An idea that demanded a great deal of flexibility from the 15 Wunderman employees involved. "There were many challenges where we couldn't fall back on existing experience. New solutions had to be found again and again," says Samuel Textor, who accompanied the project as copywriter together with Art Director Daniel Schranz until the end.
But in addition to them, an artist was needed: "We didn't need a final artist, we needed a final kneader!" says Erni with a laugh. This was found in the form of freelancer Marco Wyss. In addition to the website and the film, Wyss also helped to design additional advertising banners, beautiful wallpapers and screensavers. Advertising measures that are now being discussed on software blogs all over the world and are being used by Microsoft in over 60 countries. "It was a great, big, intensive job," says Christian Erni at the end. Then everyone has to get going again. New ideas need to be formed.
Adrian Schräder
Responsible at Microsoft Switzerland: Christian Frei (Senior Marketing Director), Urs Müller (Developer Marketing Manager). Responsible at Wunderman, Y&R Group Switzerland: Christian Erni (CD), Claus Bornholt (Head of Consulting), Daniel Schranz (AD), Samuel Textor (Copywriter), Simon Gerber (Consulting), Isabelle Bischoff (Screen Design), Philippe Gassmann, Patrick Schwegler (Programming).
A movie welcomes visitors to the website Microsoft.com/youshapeit. "Your ideas transform the digital world", says a speaker after the viewer has been guided by a cursor through a plasticine world that has just been created. At the end of the short intro strip, the user lands on a text field where they can get started right away: their text entries appear in plasticine and the creative process has begun. This website is aimed at IT specialists, developers and designers - professionals who use Microsoft software to change the digital world on a daily basis.
The website forms the umbrella for various topic pages where professionals can find new product tips, editorial content and information on specialist events. "Microsoft wanted to summarize three important target groups and explain to them that they are changing the world with their tools. They have a blank sheet of paper or a new ball of plasticine in front of them every day," explains Christian Erni, Creative Director of Wunderman. "We wanted to create a campaign that works with playful elements and conveys joy." An idea that demanded a great deal of flexibility from the 15 Wunderman employees involved. "There were many challenges where we couldn't fall back on existing experience. New solutions had to be found again and again," says Samuel Textor, who accompanied the project as copywriter together with Art Director Daniel Schranz until the end.
But in addition to them, an artist was needed: "We didn't need a final artist, we needed a final kneader!" says Erni with a laugh. This was found in the form of freelancer Marco Wyss. In addition to the website and the film, Wyss also helped to design additional advertising banners, beautiful wallpapers and screensavers. Advertising measures that are now being discussed on software blogs all over the world and are being used by Microsoft in over 60 countries. "It was a great, big, intensive job," says Christian Erni at the end. Then everyone has to get going again. New ideas need to be formed.
Adrian Schräder
Responsible at Microsoft Switzerland: Christian Frei (Senior Marketing Director), Urs Müller (Developer Marketing Manager). Responsible at Wunderman, Y&R Group Switzerland: Christian Erni (CD), Claus Bornholt (Head of Consulting), Daniel Schranz (AD), Samuel Textor (Copywriter), Simon Gerber (Consulting), Isabelle Bischoff (Screen Design), Philippe Gassmann, Patrick Schwegler (Programming).
(Image: Kneaded poster of the "You shape it" campaign)
(Pictures: Excerpts from the opener of the website www.microsoft.com/youshapeit)
(Image: The creative minds behind the Microsoft campaign: AD Daniel Schranz with copywriter Samuel Textor and consultant Simon Gerber (from left) from Wunderman)
(Image: The artist at work: master kneader Marco Wyss (([email protected])) creating the Microsoft logos)
