The motz of Butz: pictures as riddles

I came across an advertisement in the NZZ for Bank Pictet that made me question the state of mind of the bank's managers. At first I thought that the advertisement didn't actually say anything at all. And the closer I looked at it, the clearer the false statement became.

The headline tells me that even after 20 years, the selection of hedge funds is not simply a routine job. In other words, every selection of a hedge fund is preceded by a carefully considered decision-making process. This is probably exactly what the black and white photo subject is intended to express. I am standing on the landing, and in front of me the corner of the staircase juts sharply into the room, forcing me to decide which way to go, left or right. I have to make a decision because I can't just stand still. But both decisions seem so negative. I go downhill to the left and to the right. On the left, there is still the possibility of catching myself on a handrail before the total fall occurs. On the right, a fall is inevitable, especially in wet weather. Whatever you decide to do with Pictet-Funds, it always goes down. This makes me doubt the client and his agency.

My theory: the more a company offers and advertises services and not haptic products, the more it reaches for the symbolic image box. People climbing stairs are currently being used by Finova Bank in an advertisement. The blue staircase leads to nowhere and the step height is about 80 cm. UBS recommends a portfolio check on a poster. It shows an American "caution wet floor" poster with a pictogram of a little man hitting the sack. So beware of UBS. There are endless other examples of such images, but they twist the intended message into its opposite. For example, Fiat had the image of rusting. To solve this problem, two Ritmo cars were placed on a sea cliff in an advertisement: one in the old design and one with the new anti-rust bodywork. After six months, one was rusty and the other was not. The result for the consumer was the opposite, because Fiat had once again put its finger in its wound. Back then, Ritmo was called "rust assembled in Turin."

You advertisers should have learned by now how fleeting advertising is perceived. Keep it simple - creative, but positive. The anti-smoking images don't try to show how healthy and beautiful you would be if you didn't smoke. I will go into the important topic of imagery in more detail in a later post. My plan now is to light up a Cohiba Club - legally on my terrace - and enjoy it.