Cramming field hockey jargon with humor
For the 2009 Ice Hockey World Championship in Switzerland, Frank Baumann realized television and audio spots with the duo Lapsus. He received the commission from the Swiss Organizing Committee of the World Championship.
In 225 days, the 2009 Ice Hockey World Championship will kick off in Bern and Kloten. As early as 8.09 a.m. on 8.9.2008, the whistle blew for the sale of tickets for the major event organized by Zug-based 2009 IIHF World Championship AG. Reason enough to announce this to the general public in the near future via an advertising campaign. Frank Baumann, founder and owner of the communication company Wörterseh, realized it on behalf of Zug.
To ensure that no lapses happen to us Swiss as hosts, the comedian duo of the same name provides a remedy in whimsical TV spots, with Theo Hitz in suit and glasses explaining technical terms from the world of ice hockey together with Bruno in orange worker's garb. And he does so figuratively in his usual Lapsus manner. There are, for example, the two-line pass, the flat pass and the double pass, which are shown with red Swiss passes. Or the stick shot and the high stick, where potato sticks have to be used, and the storm with a souped-up leaf vacuum cleaner. After that, the viewer is called to "poschten" now the tickets for the ice hockey world championship.
The duo Lapsus also practiced Italian and French. Heinz Mazenauer, Head of Communication & Media Service of the organizing committee and member of the board of directors at EQ Media AG, explains: "The duo's broad Swiss-German accent is not intended to poke fun at the French and Ticino, but at the Swiss-German Français fédéral and Italian. One can find the spots funny or not. But they are certainly a pièce de dialogue, and that's the important thing."
The commercials will be shown mainly in ice hockey stadiums, but also on television. Negotiations are underway with Swiss television and other broadcasters.
Reaching a broad audience
In the spring of 2008, the World Cup organizing committee explored the possibilities of working with a production company to create an advertising campaign for the event. "The advertising budget is not particularly large. That's why we wanted to create something that would attract a lot of attention, be fun and leave a lasting impression at a tolerable financial cost," says Mazenauer. Luciana Crameri, who is responsible for marketing in the World Cup OC and used to work for St. Moritz Tourism, had already organized events with the Lapsus duo. So she suggested them for the campaign. An important criterion was that the two comedians should appeal to a wide audience.
The duo Lapsus didn't have to be asked twice. When the World Cup mascot was christened "Cooly" last April - in reference to the word "Chueli" - the duo discussed initial ideas for the World Cup spots with Mazenauer and Crameri. The idea was to appeal not only to hardcore fans, but to the general public, Mazenauer notes. Now the question arose, with which agency these should be realized. "We quickly came up with Frank Baumann, because he is known for advertising that is a little different. As a journalist, advertiser, satirist, TV and former radio presenter, he combines all the relevant fields," says Mazenauer. Baumann, who knows the Lapsus duo from previous projects such as the legendary Gran Canaria commercial for Arosa, was enthusiastic about the request: "I played ice hockey myself in my school days and think it's a great opportunity for the 2009 World Cup to be held in Switzerland."
Within a short time, Baumann and the Lapsus duo were brainstorming ideas for the TV spots. "We cross-fertilized each other," says Baumann, describing the teamwork. Filming got underway in August. Within a single day, the crew in Schlieren recorded 15 video and 6 audio spots in three languages. Mazenauer recalls that the work was highly professional yet relaxed. New ideas kept coming up, and old ones were developed further. Baumann is convinced that this intensive day of filming was possible not least thanks to the great experience of those involved. "We were virtually a grandfather troupe, a pensioners' collective," says the TV man, who celebrated his 51st birthday two weeks ago. "We got into the swing of things quickly during filming, one thing led to another. It was like windsurfing or sailing, it just went."
Seemingly easiest spots the most difficult
According to Baumann, the spots that look the easiest were particularly challenging: The one with the pig and the one with the chicken. Since you can't quite control what the animals do and when, shooting with them was quite difficult, especially since each spot consists of a single take. Incidentally, for the animal actors, the crew obtained permission from the cantonal animal welfare association in advance of the shoot. "The sow felt like a pig," Baumann believes.
He and Mazenauer are convinced the spots will resonate with a broad audience. "They are unpretentious and beyond glamour or high-profile design. I think they're so goofy that they're genius," Baumann says with a laugh.
Olivia Raths
To ensure that no lapses happen to us Swiss as hosts, the comedian duo of the same name provides a remedy in whimsical TV spots, with Theo Hitz in suit and glasses explaining technical terms from the world of ice hockey together with Bruno in orange worker's garb. And he does so figuratively in his usual Lapsus manner. There are, for example, the two-line pass, the flat pass and the double pass, which are shown with red Swiss passes. Or the stick shot and the high stick, where potato sticks have to be used, and the storm with a souped-up leaf vacuum cleaner. After that, the viewer is called to "poschten" now the tickets for the ice hockey world championship.
The duo Lapsus also practiced Italian and French. Heinz Mazenauer, Head of Communication & Media Service of the organizing committee and member of the board of directors at EQ Media AG, explains: "The duo's broad Swiss-German accent is not intended to poke fun at the French and Ticino, but at the Swiss-German Français fédéral and Italian. One can find the spots funny or not. But they are certainly a pièce de dialogue, and that's the important thing."
The commercials will be shown mainly in ice hockey stadiums, but also on television. Negotiations are underway with Swiss television and other broadcasters.
Reaching a broad audience
In the spring of 2008, the World Cup organizing committee explored the possibilities of working with a production company to create an advertising campaign for the event. "The advertising budget is not particularly large. That's why we wanted to create something that would attract a lot of attention, be fun and leave a lasting impression at a tolerable financial cost," says Mazenauer. Luciana Crameri, who is responsible for marketing in the World Cup OC and used to work for St. Moritz Tourism, had already organized events with the Lapsus duo. So she suggested them for the campaign. An important criterion was that the two comedians should appeal to a wide audience.
The duo Lapsus didn't have to be asked twice. When the World Cup mascot was christened "Cooly" last April - in reference to the word "Chueli" - the duo discussed initial ideas for the World Cup spots with Mazenauer and Crameri. The idea was to appeal not only to hardcore fans, but to the general public, Mazenauer notes. Now the question arose, with which agency these should be realized. "We quickly came up with Frank Baumann, because he is known for advertising that is a little different. As a journalist, advertiser, satirist, TV and former radio presenter, he combines all the relevant fields," says Mazenauer. Baumann, who knows the Lapsus duo from previous projects such as the legendary Gran Canaria commercial for Arosa, was enthusiastic about the request: "I played ice hockey myself in my school days and think it's a great opportunity for the 2009 World Cup to be held in Switzerland."
Within a short time, Baumann and the Lapsus duo were brainstorming ideas for the TV spots. "We cross-fertilized each other," says Baumann, describing the teamwork. Filming got underway in August. Within a single day, the crew in Schlieren recorded 15 video and 6 audio spots in three languages. Mazenauer recalls that the work was highly professional yet relaxed. New ideas kept coming up, and old ones were developed further. Baumann is convinced that this intensive day of filming was possible not least thanks to the great experience of those involved. "We were virtually a grandfather troupe, a pensioners' collective," says the TV man, who celebrated his 51st birthday two weeks ago. "We got into the swing of things quickly during filming, one thing led to another. It was like windsurfing or sailing, it just went."
Seemingly easiest spots the most difficult
According to Baumann, the spots that look the easiest were particularly challenging: The one with the pig and the one with the chicken. Since you can't quite control what the animals do and when, shooting with them was quite difficult, especially since each spot consists of a single take. Incidentally, for the animal actors, the crew obtained permission from the cantonal animal welfare association in advance of the shoot. "The sow felt like a pig," Baumann believes.
He and Mazenauer are convinced the spots will resonate with a broad audience. "They are unpretentious and beyond glamour or high-profile design. I think they're so goofy that they're genius," Baumann says with a laugh.
Olivia Raths
