Alinghi sets new sails
Sponsorship: Publicis is fueling Alinghi fever surrounding the America's Cup with three commercials for UBS. A prime example of a win-win situation.
Sponsoring Publicis heats up the Alinghi fever surrounding the America's Cup with three commercials for UBS. A prime example of a win-win situation: the victory was a sensation. The landlocked country of Switzerland leaves the world's best sailors in the slipstream. Alinghi wins the America's Cup 2003 in New Zealand. This victory also brings UBS a long-lasting wave of success for its image. The cooperation between Switzerland's largest bank and billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli's Team Alinghi is now one of the most successful sponsorship commitments in the world. Now the race is taking place in Europe for the first time. The media interest is likely to be even greater than in New Zealand because boats from Germany, South Africa and China will also be competing in Valencia in 2007. A "win-win situation", according to UBS.
Training is already underwayThe Alinghi team can be sure of the support of one of the largest global financial services providers. Conversely, thanks to Alinghi, UBS is able to emotionalize the most important aspect of its business world: teamwork. The race works in such a way that eleven teams from nine countries will determine the challenger in a preliminary competition in Valencia - the Louis Vuitton Cup - who will be allowed to compete against the last winner, Alinghi, in the America's Cup.
The first teams are already training and testing their boats on site today for this spectacle. "Clear sail" therefore also for advertising. Together with Publicis in Zurich, UBS has developed a series of new films featuring Team Alinghi. The commercials communicate the key values of preparation, commitment and "understanding". All the films use fascinating sailing footage shot at the future racing venue in Valencia.
Christian Siegrist, the consultant responsible at Publicis, was present during the filming. It is clear to him: "When you see these sailors in action in the commercials, their motivation and passion are unmistakable. Alinghi has only one goal, and that coincides 1:1 with what UBS wants with its clients: success." Publicis produced over 100 cut-downs from the three commercials in seven language versions, ranging from 7 to 45 seconds in length.
Star Com in London is responsible for media planning for the international use of the commercials. The films will be used on television in general and specifically in the context of sailing-related programs. The budget for the media use is still open. Publicis has also designed advertisements and posters for various applications. Part of UBS's concept as a sponsor is that the races are no more than an almost secret ritual on the open sea. The spectators should see what happens on the boats: hard work and teamwork.
Fine-tuning the racing boatsThe spots were filmed with the boats that were built for the Cup in New Zealand. In the meantime, two Alinghi teams are testing the boats adapted to the new rules in Valencia. Before the race, the test results will lead to two more modified boats before the real start is made in June 2007 with the optimum racing boat. Both Alinghi and the other teams have had shipyards built in Valencia for this development process, comparable to the pits in Formula 1 - only much larger.
Working on the spots led to a "completely different way of tackling a project", explains Christian Siegrist. The film team had to adapt to Alinghi's specifications and was able to follow the sailors' training almost like a documentary. "We only had a slot of one week, otherwise we would have had to wait a whole year again," reveals Siegrist.
Authentic film materialThe advertiser was impressed by how the very lightly built high-tech boats "yaw and creak like a whale". These sounds also give the commercials a very authentic character. It was also fascinating to study the technology of the boats in more detail. "You constantly had the feeling that the lightweight material was breaking apart in the waves."
Christian Siegrist, who was in charge of the UBS/Alinghi budget for Publicis during the last race, is now so enthusiastic about sailing that he obtained his own sailing license last fall, "but only for Lake Zurich". A supporting program for the America's Cup with the UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour will also start there at Whitsun. More information can be found on the website alinghi.com.
Making of ...Publicis and Markenfilm from Hamburg spent four days filming in Valencia at the original locations of the next America's Cup 2007. 70 people worked on the set around director Adrian Moat.
Two cameras were installed on speedboats. One camera followed the sailors' training from a helicopter.
A small lipstick camera mounted at the top of the Alinghi's 30-meter-high mast also provides special effects. The winning yacht from the 2003 America's Cup served as the boat.
The main actors in the commercials are all real protagonists from Team Alinghi.
Reaching the goal with teamwork: the commercials convey the similarities between Team Alinghi and UBS.
Andreas Panzeri
Training is already underwayThe Alinghi team can be sure of the support of one of the largest global financial services providers. Conversely, thanks to Alinghi, UBS is able to emotionalize the most important aspect of its business world: teamwork. The race works in such a way that eleven teams from nine countries will determine the challenger in a preliminary competition in Valencia - the Louis Vuitton Cup - who will be allowed to compete against the last winner, Alinghi, in the America's Cup.
The first teams are already training and testing their boats on site today for this spectacle. "Clear sail" therefore also for advertising. Together with Publicis in Zurich, UBS has developed a series of new films featuring Team Alinghi. The commercials communicate the key values of preparation, commitment and "understanding". All the films use fascinating sailing footage shot at the future racing venue in Valencia.
Christian Siegrist, the consultant responsible at Publicis, was present during the filming. It is clear to him: "When you see these sailors in action in the commercials, their motivation and passion are unmistakable. Alinghi has only one goal, and that coincides 1:1 with what UBS wants with its clients: success." Publicis produced over 100 cut-downs from the three commercials in seven language versions, ranging from 7 to 45 seconds in length.
Star Com in London is responsible for media planning for the international use of the commercials. The films will be used on television in general and specifically in the context of sailing-related programs. The budget for the media use is still open. Publicis has also designed advertisements and posters for various applications. Part of UBS's concept as a sponsor is that the races are no more than an almost secret ritual on the open sea. The spectators should see what happens on the boats: hard work and teamwork.
Fine-tuning the racing boatsThe spots were filmed with the boats that were built for the Cup in New Zealand. In the meantime, two Alinghi teams are testing the boats adapted to the new rules in Valencia. Before the race, the test results will lead to two more modified boats before the real start is made in June 2007 with the optimum racing boat. Both Alinghi and the other teams have had shipyards built in Valencia for this development process, comparable to the pits in Formula 1 - only much larger.
Working on the spots led to a "completely different way of tackling a project", explains Christian Siegrist. The film team had to adapt to Alinghi's specifications and was able to follow the sailors' training almost like a documentary. "We only had a slot of one week, otherwise we would have had to wait a whole year again," reveals Siegrist.
Authentic film materialThe advertiser was impressed by how the very lightly built high-tech boats "yaw and creak like a whale". These sounds also give the commercials a very authentic character. It was also fascinating to study the technology of the boats in more detail. "You constantly had the feeling that the lightweight material was breaking apart in the waves."
Christian Siegrist, who was in charge of the UBS/Alinghi budget for Publicis during the last race, is now so enthusiastic about sailing that he obtained his own sailing license last fall, "but only for Lake Zurich". A supporting program for the America's Cup with the UBS Alinghi Swiss Tour will also start there at Whitsun. More information can be found on the website alinghi.com.
Making of ...Publicis and Markenfilm from Hamburg spent four days filming in Valencia at the original locations of the next America's Cup 2007. 70 people worked on the set around director Adrian Moat.
Two cameras were installed on speedboats. One camera followed the sailors' training from a helicopter.
A small lipstick camera mounted at the top of the Alinghi's 30-meter-high mast also provides special effects. The winning yacht from the 2003 America's Cup served as the boat.
The main actors in the commercials are all real protagonists from Team Alinghi.
Reaching the goal with teamwork: the commercials convey the similarities between Team Alinghi and UBS.
Andreas Panzeri
