Vacations under the Christmas tree
Tourism: The Swiss National Tourism Board experimented with the world-famous youth hostel logo. The result is surprising.
Tourism The Swiss advertising agency played with the world-famous youth hostel logo. The result is surprising. "Beautifully located" is the claim with a cleverly ambiguous play on words for the Swiss Youth Hostels. The subjects are illustrated with various versions of the "only slightly modified" signet for youth hostels. The symbol is internationally registered and therefore known worldwide. The advertising agency has also conducted field research and found that 95 percent of young people in Switzerland associate the symbol with the fir tree and the little house with "youth hostel". "There is a value in this logo that is good for the campaign," the creative team quickly agreed. However, "it wasn't easy to get the rights for our playful alterations," explains strategist Reto Dürrenberger from the advertising agency.
Playing with the imaginationFor CD Sarah Hiltebrand, the effort was more than worth it. In the new campaign for the youth hostels, the protective fir tree with the inviting house next to it allows an almost unlimited play with the imagination.
"Where you can spend the cheapest South Sea vacation" is the headline for an alienation of the logo as a beach hut with a palm tree. "Where shouting is a good thing", reads the logo in the style of a child's drawing. The message is clear: children are also welcome in youth hostels. Just like "party mice", which the advertising agency visualizes with a mouse hole in the hostel, just like Mickey Mouse. Hiltebrand wants to design further subjects "depending on the customer's needs". The advertising agency is also planning a few guerrilla campaigns around the current campaign, which of course will not be revealed here.
For Dürrenberger, the campaign with these easy-to-decipher symbols can not only "work very quickly". It is also a sensible use of limited resources. The Swiss Youth Hostels are organized in the form of a foundation, so there was little budget for an elaborate photo shoot, "although there are a few visually very exclusive buildings with hostels that would have made wonderful subjects". Such buildings used to be bequeathed to the foundation with regularity. There are a total of 58 youth hostels in Switzerland, and they are open to everyone.
The Swiss Youth Hostels were the first client of the newly founded advertising agency two years ago. However, the agency is not housed in such a hostel, as it has now grown to ten people and is already considering further expansion.
Andreas Panzeri
Playing with the imaginationFor CD Sarah Hiltebrand, the effort was more than worth it. In the new campaign for the youth hostels, the protective fir tree with the inviting house next to it allows an almost unlimited play with the imagination.
"Where you can spend the cheapest South Sea vacation" is the headline for an alienation of the logo as a beach hut with a palm tree. "Where shouting is a good thing", reads the logo in the style of a child's drawing. The message is clear: children are also welcome in youth hostels. Just like "party mice", which the advertising agency visualizes with a mouse hole in the hostel, just like Mickey Mouse. Hiltebrand wants to design further subjects "depending on the customer's needs". The advertising agency is also planning a few guerrilla campaigns around the current campaign, which of course will not be revealed here.
For Dürrenberger, the campaign with these easy-to-decipher symbols can not only "work very quickly". It is also a sensible use of limited resources. The Swiss Youth Hostels are organized in the form of a foundation, so there was little budget for an elaborate photo shoot, "although there are a few visually very exclusive buildings with hostels that would have made wonderful subjects". Such buildings used to be bequeathed to the foundation with regularity. There are a total of 58 youth hostels in Switzerland, and they are open to everyone.
The Swiss Youth Hostels were the first client of the newly founded advertising agency two years ago. However, the agency is not housed in such a hostel, as it has now grown to ten people and is already considering further expansion.
Andreas Panzeri
