The outsider
With her advertising agency, Sarah Hiltebrand wants to channel energy into ideas rather than hierarchical infighting.
you don't necessarily have to have a classic career under your belt.
", says Sarah Hiltebrand. The 30-year-old CD and partner of
Werbeanstalt Schweiz in Zurich adds: "Advertising has much more to do with
life on the street than with a long walk through the
established agencies."
After graduating from the School of Arts and Crafts in Biel, exactly two
Jobs in the display. And the whole class wanted to get their hands on it. But
Hiltebrand was lucky - or perhaps better: she convinced with
her talent. At Hofer Kommunikation in Bern, she quickly became the
"Adöse". As with many who have carved out their place in the industry today
Hiltebrand never wanted to go into advertising. But he did:
"Perhaps it was precisely this rejection that made me
motivated me to want to do better."
And Hiltebrand had dreams: she "naturally wanted a
to become a "famous artist". When she received her graphic design diploma at the age of 24 in the
hands, this art world looked a little more realistic.
The School of Arts and Crafts produces many people who, due to a lack of
practice could not work in the market. "I had the advantage,
that I had to earn the school myself". So the
graphic designer, the practice at night and literally by herself
from club flyers to brochures for machine factories.
The next job was even more hands-on. After seven years in Biel
and Berne, she wanted to make her presence felt in Zurich. Hiltebrand
started at Fisch.Meier, "but only wanted to do it after two weeks.
really admit that she had ended up in a DM agency". And
made a virtue out of necessity. In the four years there, "I
Did he go full throttle and wasn't popular with everyone as a result?" But from
those who appreciated her skills and ambition, she became
preferably on pitches: She was not insignificantly involved in the
involved in winning Bluewin, has for Saab and Kuoni DM in CHF
or the agency trip from Helvetic Tours in Adliswil to the
brought to a halt. Nonprofit organizations such as animal welfare or
Greenpeace were able to benefit from their work.
During this time, Hiltebrand attended creative school, or rather
- served: "I haven't learned much new, maybe I'm
stupid or I'm just one of those people who are convinced that you have to be
You can't learn to be creative, whether it's technique or training."
The rejection of advertising has gradually turned into passion.
has become. So big that it's written all over her face.
"Only wrinkles and rings adorn my face now," describes the
CD self-ironically describes its current appearance. And the development
of the last few months would have given her the rest. Since the
agency was founded a year ago, the 50 percent partner of the
advertising agency can no longer take vacations and with the pitch win
Sandoz three months ago, the free weekends have also fallen through.
fell. "But who wants to hear that anymore, yes it's true, at the moment
there's only the work. And that's a lot of fun, sorry."
But because that wasn't always the case, she had to find out what she liked about
the advertising no longer fitted. Since the creative is the main evil in the environment
which also became apparent when switching to a traditional agency.
"would probably not have changed much," Reto
Dürrenberger put the idea together: "We create the right environment
with its own agency." In this agency, the energy is no longer
"unnecessarily wasted on ellbögeleien", but more profitable in
ideas.
With the campaign "Give your current agency a
farewell aperitif", the advertising agency has already been quite
unconventionally staged. Because this message is also directly
potential customers, the industry initially suspected that it was "a
a few "known minds" behind the cheeky action. "But it was us
two that nobody knew yet." That has changed.
Today, the advertising agency already has eight employees, and the search for
of new personnel continues unabated. The biggest chunk among the
budget is Sandoz. But that's not all: The advertising agency was able to
three more of the coveted budgets from the health sector into the
portfolio.
"At the beginning, we thought that we might get orders for a chocolate
or get a beer." But the first order is from the Zurich
city police. Since then, there have been a conspicuous number of customers of the
advertising agency with a serious-looking "Swiss" in its name.
begin: Swiss Pharmacists Association, Swiss Youth Hostels,
Swiss Lung League ...
"But we are not cherry-pickers," says Hiltebrand, explaining the selection of these
Customers comment. You simply won the pitches. And that
should "encourage" every agency, because it shows that in
achieve something in this industry with passion and tenacity
can.
Andreas Panzeri
