Jason Brügger flies through Zurich station concourse for Circus Knie
To draw attention to the new circus program, Circus Knie’s three-person media team is having Switzerland’s top talent of 2016 perform as Icarus at Zurich’s HB.
Onlookers gathered at Zurich main station at 7.30 am, 11.30 am, 1.30 pm and 3 pm to watch Jason Brügger fly. Last year's biggest Swiss talent took off in a white costume as Icarus, next to the colorful guardian angel by French-Swiss artist Niki de St. Phalle, who watches over travelers in the station concourse.
"We want to inspire people and put a smile on their faces," explains Circus Knie media manager Sara Hildebrand in a conversation on site next to the crane that pulls Brügger up into the air. "We want to create a circus atmosphere here in the station concourse." For once, the cool hall smells of popcorn while music plays through the loudspeakers. Children with red balloons around their wrists clap as Jason Brügger demonstrates his acrobatic skills. The response from passers-by is good, confirms media manager Hildebrand, after all they can watch for free, eat popcorn and win tickets for the circus performances in May. However, Circus Knie does not make any sales on this day. Tickets can be won, but not bought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=/vxWN5SJ2ewc
Around a month ago, Head of Media Sara Hildebrand and her two colleagues came up with the idea of showcasing the Swiss artist next to trains. The small media team managed the organization and implementation alone; no agency was involved. "We had to think about a lot of things, including the question of how to get the crane into the station concourse," says Hildebrand. At a quarter past six in the morning, the device was finally allowed to slowly drive in with trucks on the tracks, accompanied by SBB officials.
Circus Knie will be performing its current show, "Wooow!", at a total of 40 Swiss locations this year. In Zurich, the circus with Jason Brügger as Icarus will open its tent on the weekends from May 6 to June 5. Sara Hildebrand also wants to implement marketing campaigns similar to the one in Zurich in other cities. "My original idea was to attach Jason to a hot air balloon so that he could show off his act," says Hildebrand. "But we didn't get permission from the city of Zurich." She is now trying to organize the event in other cities instead, for example in Lucerne. (aks)
