"Advertising is increasingly recognized as a professional tool"
Federal Councilor Moritz Leuenberger on His Relationship with Advertising
Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger on his relationship with advertisingBy Andreas Panzeri The book containing his speeches is already a bestseller. Expectations were therefore high when Federal Councillor Moritz Leuenberger addressed the assembled industry at the "Advertising Day" in Bern's Kornhauskeller. The Swiss "Communications Minister" played his role brilliantly. His speech, which is available in full at www.werbewoche.ch, was accompanied by repeated applause and lots of laughter.
Your speech ends with the resolution: "As soon as advertising becomes the state, the state will become advertising." Is that just a nicely worded bon mot at the end of your speech or do you see a concrete timetable for this development?
Moritz Leuenberger: The state and advertising are both subject to social developments. There is no fixed timetable. In my speech, I noted that there is also skepticism about advertising from the Federal Palace. Too much advertising can damage a product under certain circumstances. However, I believe that we are in a process in which advertising is increasingly being recognized as a professional means of selling not only commercial products, but also government products. I emphasize, however, that this is a social process and not a legislative plan.
In the introduction to your speech, you humorously described how you fell for Carlo Schmid-Sutter's advertising and therefore accepted this invitation to "Advertising Day". Have you ever fallen for seductive advertising before?
Leuenberger: For me, the word "fooled" is dangerous. You can also want to fall in. That's what I wanted to say with this introduction. Some advertising is seductive, yes! But it always takes two people. It also needs those who are prepared to be seduced. An independent person can also remain resistant. No tobacco advertising has ever been successful with me because I have no interest in smoking. But if a barker at a fair is particularly charming and tries to sell me something that I really don't know yet, then I'm happy to buy it. This can also be the case with professional advertising. But then I didn't fall for it, I wanted to fall for it.
Why is it important to you to write your speeches yourself? There are very good PR agencies in Switzerland.
Leuenberger: A speech is something personal. You can immediately tell whether a speaker has formulated their words themselves or bought them in. You can hear whether the basic content of a speech comes from within or whether the speaker is just reading down something that someone has written down for him. I have never said that my speeches are written from A to Z by myself. I always consult others. But I want to be behind the basic message and structure myself.
You recently wrote the script for a commercial for SBB. Did you find the job of an advertiser beautiful on this occasion?
Leuenberger: When I wrote the more literary text, I toyed with the idea of an advertising film. When "10 vor 10" put it into practice, I realized that advertising should not be romanticized, but is a tough job.
Would you rather be a politician than an advertiser?
Leuenberger: That's a leading question that I'd better not fall for.
Your speech ends with the resolution: "As soon as advertising becomes the state, the state will become advertising." Is that just a nicely worded bon mot at the end of your speech or do you see a concrete timetable for this development?
Moritz Leuenberger: The state and advertising are both subject to social developments. There is no fixed timetable. In my speech, I noted that there is also skepticism about advertising from the Federal Palace. Too much advertising can damage a product under certain circumstances. However, I believe that we are in a process in which advertising is increasingly being recognized as a professional means of selling not only commercial products, but also government products. I emphasize, however, that this is a social process and not a legislative plan.
In the introduction to your speech, you humorously described how you fell for Carlo Schmid-Sutter's advertising and therefore accepted this invitation to "Advertising Day". Have you ever fallen for seductive advertising before?
Leuenberger: For me, the word "fooled" is dangerous. You can also want to fall in. That's what I wanted to say with this introduction. Some advertising is seductive, yes! But it always takes two people. It also needs those who are prepared to be seduced. An independent person can also remain resistant. No tobacco advertising has ever been successful with me because I have no interest in smoking. But if a barker at a fair is particularly charming and tries to sell me something that I really don't know yet, then I'm happy to buy it. This can also be the case with professional advertising. But then I didn't fall for it, I wanted to fall for it.
Why is it important to you to write your speeches yourself? There are very good PR agencies in Switzerland.
Leuenberger: A speech is something personal. You can immediately tell whether a speaker has formulated their words themselves or bought them in. You can hear whether the basic content of a speech comes from within or whether the speaker is just reading down something that someone has written down for him. I have never said that my speeches are written from A to Z by myself. I always consult others. But I want to be behind the basic message and structure myself.
You recently wrote the script for a commercial for SBB. Did you find the job of an advertiser beautiful on this occasion?
Leuenberger: When I wrote the more literary text, I toyed with the idea of an advertising film. When "10 vor 10" put it into practice, I realized that advertising should not be romanticized, but is a tough job.
Would you rather be a politician than an advertiser?
Leuenberger: That's a leading question that I'd better not fall for.
