To the point: Hypocrisy
Swisscom's decision to hand over the budget for its private customer campaign to the German creative agency Heimat has led to some fierce reactions.
Indignation spread. It was not acceptable for a quasi-state-owned enterprise to place its advertising in the hands of a German agency. In online comments, many of the supposedly cosmopolitan advertisers suddenly showed signs of being xenophobic homeland protectors. "Honor the native creation" is all right, but species protection for Swiss agencies is going too far. Especially because there are some points to consider.
After all, more than half of the 15 largest Swiss advertising agencies belong to foreign agency networks. And not just in the sense of cooperation, but with a tangible stake. And only a fool would believe that no money would migrate abroad via management levies.
But also pure Swiss agencies shoot films abroad for Swiss clients and shoot with foreign photographers in foreign studios. And only the uninitiated believe that this is only because of weather security or the top creatives; pecuniary motives often play a big role as well. Customers who outsource their print jobs abroad also want to save money. This behavior doesn't quite fit in with the trade association's campaign against consumer shopping tourism either. But that's just it: The shirt is closer than the skirt. The outrage over Swisscom's budget allocation to Germany is therefore pure hypocrisy. After all, a large proportion of media spending on television also flows abroad.
But the excited indignation fits well with the current situation in Switzerland: SVP National Councillor Natalie Rickli has too many Germans in the health care and hospitality industries, problem bear M13 came to us from Tyrol and now only a Black Panther (probably run away from Germany!) scares the population of Solothurn. And it can come still worse: If one may believe the media, Western Switzerland is facing an invasion of tax-evading rich Frenchmen who want to avoid their new president. Where does that leave the homeland? In Berlin or soon as an offshoot in Zurich with upright Swiss advertisers?
Pierre C. Meier, Editor-in-Chief
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