Bold and the Swiss Hiking Federation says "Merci" to the volunteers

Hiking in Switzerland is popular: 57 percent of Swiss* over the age of 15 hike regularly, according to the Swiss Hiking Association. In the campaign implemented by the Bern agency, ten men and women give thanks for the seamless signaling of hiking trails. Yohualli Muñoz is one of them: "I am grateful for the well-maintained hiking trails and the reliable markings. This allows me to discover impressive landscapes and take carefree tours with my friends."

While 96 percent of people in Switzerland know about the yellow signposts, only 10 percent know who takes care of them. "I hardly thought about that in the past either. Today, however, I like to help make the services of volunteers better known and give something back with my 'Merci'," says Muñoz, a 25-year-old geology student, explaining her motivation for helping with the campaign.

In action for four million hikers

Also part of the campaign are four of the more than 1,500 volunteers nationwide. They include Peter Schaffner, who has been volunteering with the Zürcher Wanderwegen for six years: "Hiking is my passion. The commitment to it is a matter of the heart," explains the man from Kloten. "Every now and then, hikers approach me during my inspection tours and thank me for my work - that's my greatest reward. Nevertheless, it is nice that our achievements are now also publicly appreciated," he adds.

Throughout the country, all hiking trails are inspected at least once a year by the volunteers of the 26 cantonal hiking trail organizations. They clean, install or replace signposts, paint intermediate markings or, depending on the canton, carry out simple maintenance work. In this way, more than 86,000 hours of volunteer work are accumulated each year, from which around four million Swiss hikers benefit. Without the contribution of the volunteers as well as the financial support of private individuals, companies and the public sector, the free provision of attractive and reliably signalized hiking trails would not be possible. This is because the paths on the official network of hiking trails must be freely accessible by law.

Campaign with signal effect

"I am a passionate hiker myself. But before I was employed by Swiss Hiking Trails, I wasn't aware of how much work goes into the network of hiking trails," admits Patricia Cornali, the association's communications manager. "Now, in my role, I can help raise this awareness," she says happily. The aim of the campaign is to make the achievements of the helpers, who mostly work in the background, visible and to give them a face by means of short video portraits. "The existence of hiking trails and their signalization should not simply be seen as a public service," says Cornali as food for thought.

For those who want to know more about the association and its work, get to know a few of the volunteers better, and find out how their efforts can be supported, the campaign website features Merci-wanderwege.ch Information. The central instrument of the campaign is a short video clip that will be distributed on various online channels. The measures will focus on the period from August to October 2021.

Responsible at the Swiss Hiking Federation: Andrea Gysi (Head of Marketing & Communication); Vera In-Albon (digital communication and media planning); Patricia Cornali (association communication); Monika Leuenberger (marketing assistant); Susanne Frauenfelder (support hiking trail network); Loïc von Matt (coordination digital interfaces). Responsible agency: Bold. Shootings: Simon Opladen (Photography and filming models); Simon Huber (Director of Photography, filming volunteers). Responsible for TWmedia (Media Planning): Flavio Garofalo (Online Media Planner).