A Campaign Straight Out of a Movie
For the past eight years, Numéro 10 in Bern has been working with Aligro, an independent Swiss family-owned business. The advertising for the company’s network of cash-and-carry stores is based exclusively on the graphic design of movie posters.
An assignment with a happy ending. For eight years, the agency Numéro 10 has regularly designed new image campaigns for the family business Aligro. The surprising thing about this job: even eight years after the premiere, the advertising subjects still work according to the same principle. A popular movie poster serves as the basis for the design. Not only the graphic style, but even the title, is taken from the ads for these blockbusters. Naturally in a font that is almost indistinguishable from the original. The headlines "Buffalo Bill", "Titanic" and "Pulp Fiction" no longer advertise a movie, but are intended to evoke associations with products on sale at Aligro. Such bestsellers as fresh vegetables, juicy steaks, cool drinks, but also toilet paper or cleaning products are then integrated into the cinema posters by the illustrator as eye-catchers instead of the usual movie stars. Other typical elements from film posters such as the competition palms, credits, quotes from reviews and, of course, "Aligro présente" are also included.
The customer obviously enjoys this concept: "We have never talked about changing the idea. Everyone is eagerly waiting to see which films will be selected and edited by our creative team for each new edition," says Numéro 10's Head of Strategy Gilles Aeby. There have never been any problems with such a "synchronized version" of well-known posters. After all, the tongue-in-cheek "pirated version" is also a small homage to great films.
Now run by the third generation of the Demaurex family, brothers Dominique and Etienne Demaurex, the company operates under the Aligro brand and is considered the largest food wholesaler in French-speaking Switzerland. The company primarily supplies food and beverages to restaurants and retailers. To this end, Aligro operates four pick-up wholesale markets in Chavannes, Geneva, Sion and Matran. A fifth store was also opened in Schlieren in German-speaking Switzerland at the end of 2012. The Aligro assortment comprises more than 20,000 items and ranges from fresh fish to baked goods from the company's own bakery and non-food products. Everything is available in XXL format to suit customers from the catering sector.
Andreas Panzeri
