Back to glasses
Specialist optical retailer Ramstein Optik in Basel ventures a change of agency with White Room and (temporarily) shows its own glasses in advertising again.
Specialist optician Ramstein Optik in Basel dares to change agencies with White Room and (temporarily) shows its own glasses in advertising again.advertising for an optician without showing its core competence, glasses? The Basel-based company Ramstein Optik and its in-house agency Favo proved for years that this concept works. Despite this tradition, or perhaps because of it, Ramstein business owner Andreas Bichweiler was looking for new ideas for the current campaign and had agencies pitch for the communications budget. The concept from the White Room agency won out. Graphic designers Natascha Stauffer and Dani Schoeneck visualized the designer "nose bikes" in an unusual way. Photographer Martin Hemmi used his camera to zoom in on otherwise unspectacular eyewear details and create his own microcosm. Another novelty: the pictures are in color. This is a clear break with Favo's campaign strategy, which used black and white celebrity portraits by photographer Christian Vogt to promote the optician.
Focus on eyewear as a design object
"It was very appealing for us to return to glasses," says Andreas Bichweiler, but hints that a return is conceivable. For Schoeneck and Stauffer, moving away from "glasses wearers" and towards the design of fashion accessories was a must. The reason for this is that White Room is basically not an advertising agency, but a graphic design studio, says Schoeneck. They suggested to the client, for whom they had already completed smaller jobs such as stationery, that they bring color back into play and showcase the glasses as a design object. While low-cost providers such as Fielmann are clearly defined by price, Ramstein focuses on the sophisticated appearance of its visual aids and therefore also appeals to a more upmarket clientele.
The posters will be hung in Basel from March and will be used for a period of two years. However, Bichweiler is already convinced that we will then return to communication without glasses.
Martin Hemmi photographed eyewear details for the latest Ramstein campaign.
Simone Keller
Focus on eyewear as a design object
"It was very appealing for us to return to glasses," says Andreas Bichweiler, but hints that a return is conceivable. For Schoeneck and Stauffer, moving away from "glasses wearers" and towards the design of fashion accessories was a must. The reason for this is that White Room is basically not an advertising agency, but a graphic design studio, says Schoeneck. They suggested to the client, for whom they had already completed smaller jobs such as stationery, that they bring color back into play and showcase the glasses as a design object. While low-cost providers such as Fielmann are clearly defined by price, Ramstein focuses on the sophisticated appearance of its visual aids and therefore also appeals to a more upmarket clientele.
The posters will be hung in Basel from March and will be used for a period of two years. However, Bichweiler is already convinced that we will then return to communication without glasses.
Martin Hemmi photographed eyewear details for the latest Ramstein campaign.
Simone Keller
