In the store with Madonna
Radio Ruf Lanz is sending out job applications on behalf of Radio Energy from international stars. They are looking for jobs as salespeople.
Radio Ruf Lanz sends out letters of application from international stars on behalf of Radio Energy. They are looking for a job as a salesperson. "My name is Madonna. I am applying for a job as a bedding saleswoman. I believe that I have the necessary experience for this job". This is how a letter from the pop star to the advertising manager of Ikea Switzerland begins. On her letter of application, Madonna lists as experience "successful presentation of bed pillowcases" (on the record cover of "Like a Virgin") or, even more clearly, "intensification of sales promotion measures" with the film "In Bed with Madonna." In the appendix to her letter, the singer and would-be saleswoman cites 554,210 Google hits under the search term "Madonna+bed" as references.Pretty cheeky B2B campaignThe Zurich radio station Energy has long been bringing the stars to its fans' homes. Now Ruf Lanz is bringing those stars to the business world, too, with a pretty cheeky B2B campaign.
The genre campaign for radio commercials starts with well-worded job applications. Stars such as Robbie Williams, Shakira or Christina Aguilera apply to companies that could somehow fit their job as a salesperson.
In flawless CT style - Ruf Lanz has purchased a guidebook "Wie bewerbe ich mich richtig?" ("How do I apply properly?") especially for this purpose - Robbie Williams wants to offer himself as a salesman for underwear via this route. As a reference, he can add that it is one of his strengths to put the ladies into such an ecstasy with just a few notes that they "instantly feel compelled to take off their panties, bras and other lingerie items" and throw Robbie onto the stage. In all seriousness, however, the singer attaches to his letter the photo that is obligatory for Swiss companies.
Shakira, who is applying for a job as a perfume saleswoman, has also got involved in the action in this very high-decent style. The rapper 50 Cent recommends himself as an "ideal salesman for insurance". Snoop Dogg sees his application chances more with the car producers, as he "makes it clear again and again that a man without a solid sled is nothing," as lyricist Thomas Schöb knows on Ruf Lanz.
In a further phase of the campaign, these letters of application go not only to potential individual companies, but also as a dossier to media agencies. Head of Marketing Dani Büchi from Radio Energy presents himself as a headhunter who has a whole range of promising sales talent in his portfolio.
All the stars agreed to this publicity stunt "with fun and a great sense of self-irony" and signed off on their "letters of application" without any requests for changes. Büchi attributes this to a good understanding between his station chain and the top stars in the industry. Here it was a courtesy. With the audience campaigns, he says, it was "a mutual give and take."
The idea is also supported by advertisements in the trade press. The factual section reveals that thanks to the stars' hits, 220,000 people listen to Radio Energy Zurich every day. "So Swiss companies can only benefit by placing their radio ads in the environment of these stars." And even though such prominent job applications should be treated confidentially, Energy wants to reveal in this campaign: "The salary expectations of the star salesmen are surprisingly modest."
As far as the success of the campaign is concerned, Markus Ruf is convinced that, especially in times of an endless flood of mail on the Internet, such a "personal" letter with a photo of Shakira or Robbie will hardly end up unread in the wastepaper basket.
Andreas Panzeri
The genre campaign for radio commercials starts with well-worded job applications. Stars such as Robbie Williams, Shakira or Christina Aguilera apply to companies that could somehow fit their job as a salesperson.
In flawless CT style - Ruf Lanz has purchased a guidebook "Wie bewerbe ich mich richtig?" ("How do I apply properly?") especially for this purpose - Robbie Williams wants to offer himself as a salesman for underwear via this route. As a reference, he can add that it is one of his strengths to put the ladies into such an ecstasy with just a few notes that they "instantly feel compelled to take off their panties, bras and other lingerie items" and throw Robbie onto the stage. In all seriousness, however, the singer attaches to his letter the photo that is obligatory for Swiss companies.
Shakira, who is applying for a job as a perfume saleswoman, has also got involved in the action in this very high-decent style. The rapper 50 Cent recommends himself as an "ideal salesman for insurance". Snoop Dogg sees his application chances more with the car producers, as he "makes it clear again and again that a man without a solid sled is nothing," as lyricist Thomas Schöb knows on Ruf Lanz.
In a further phase of the campaign, these letters of application go not only to potential individual companies, but also as a dossier to media agencies. Head of Marketing Dani Büchi from Radio Energy presents himself as a headhunter who has a whole range of promising sales talent in his portfolio.
All the stars agreed to this publicity stunt "with fun and a great sense of self-irony" and signed off on their "letters of application" without any requests for changes. Büchi attributes this to a good understanding between his station chain and the top stars in the industry. Here it was a courtesy. With the audience campaigns, he says, it was "a mutual give and take."
The idea is also supported by advertisements in the trade press. The factual section reveals that thanks to the stars' hits, 220,000 people listen to Radio Energy Zurich every day. "So Swiss companies can only benefit by placing their radio ads in the environment of these stars." And even though such prominent job applications should be treated confidentially, Energy wants to reveal in this campaign: "The salary expectations of the star salesmen are surprisingly modest."
As far as the success of the campaign is concerned, Markus Ruf is convinced that, especially in times of an endless flood of mail on the Internet, such a "personal" letter with a photo of Shakira or Robbie will hardly end up unread in the wastepaper basket.
Andreas Panzeri
