Attack of the Buzz
How do the new dynamic ad formats work? Three Buzz events hosted by Numéro 10 in Zurich, Bern, and Lausanne promise to provide the answers.
Guerrilla marketing, the viral spread of campaigns online and buzz are trends that are becoming increasingly important in contemporary advertising. International experts agree: Barack Obama was only able to win his election campaign for US President thanks to the latest campaigns with viral marketing via online communities. A "new film" by Mark Forster, which after a few twists and turns on the net turned out to be a prestige spot by Publicis for the airline Swiss, caused quite a stir in Switzerland. The adventures of Mary Woodbridge from the fantastic mountain world of Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett are best remembered. Or, more recently, a mysterious film featuring footballer Stephan Lichtsteiner, who suddenly mutated into an iconic advertising figure as a star of Lazio Roma and player for the Swiss national football team. Under the new name "Liftsteiner", the football star is causing all kinds of confusion and furor, and not just online for Puma.
Numéro 10 in Bremgarten, Bern, is behind this latest campaign. In addition to traditional communication, Numéro 10 also launched its new Buzzilla unit in March 2008 as the "first Swiss agency for buzz, viral and guerrilla marketing". Since then, Buzzilla has launched various campaigns using the new technology for numerous clients such as Fnac, Blick, Le Matin Bleu, Cardinal, Vaudoise Assurances, Wyborowa, L'Hébdo, La Redoute and now Puma. These innovative campaigns were picked up by the Swiss media and attracted attention - in short: they generated "buzz", which translates as "whispering" in the sense of "spreading rumors".
Brands and their environment are constantly confronted with social upheaval. The markets are flooded with innovations. The media landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented and now consists of thousands of websites, magazines, television and radio channels. To succeed in this context of general sensory overload, brands urgently need to combine traditional advertising with new marketing techniques.
Buzzilla now wants to contribute the knowledge and experience gained from such projects to an informative event for the industry. "As a Swiss pioneer in buzz advertising, we also see it as our role to educate our customers," says Gilles Aeby. The CEO and strategist of Numéro 10, who also teaches this booming sector at Sawi, is convinced that "education is necessary" when it comes to the differences between viral, buzz, street marketing and guerrilla.
It goes without saying that such an educational event should not take the form of a "traditional" seminar. Aeby found the idea in a "buzz event". In keeping with the new technology, this should also be entertaining. On September 10 in Zurich, September 17 in Bern and October 1 in Lausanne, the events will take place at 5 p.m. in the cinema. The premiere of "Attack of the Buzz" has been announced. This surprising movie was created by Numéro 10 in co-production with Pumpkin Stream and director Tolga Dilsiz. The content promises a popular scientific explanation of buzz and its mechanisms. A trailer for the movie, whose visual style is based on the fantasy films of the fifties and sixties, is available on the website www.attackofthebuzz.ch to see. Tickets can also be ordered online there. For 20 francs, you can be part of the new world, including an aperitif for networking and discussion. The event is scheduled to end at 6.30 pm. "Nobody goes to a promotional event for a whole evening anymore. But a visit to the cinema with an aperitif seems to me to be an ideal after-work party". So Aeby wants to break the classic norm a little here too.
Andreas Panzeri
Numéro 10 in Bremgarten, Bern, is behind this latest campaign. In addition to traditional communication, Numéro 10 also launched its new Buzzilla unit in March 2008 as the "first Swiss agency for buzz, viral and guerrilla marketing". Since then, Buzzilla has launched various campaigns using the new technology for numerous clients such as Fnac, Blick, Le Matin Bleu, Cardinal, Vaudoise Assurances, Wyborowa, L'Hébdo, La Redoute and now Puma. These innovative campaigns were picked up by the Swiss media and attracted attention - in short: they generated "buzz", which translates as "whispering" in the sense of "spreading rumors".
Brands and their environment are constantly confronted with social upheaval. The markets are flooded with innovations. The media landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented and now consists of thousands of websites, magazines, television and radio channels. To succeed in this context of general sensory overload, brands urgently need to combine traditional advertising with new marketing techniques.
Buzzilla now wants to contribute the knowledge and experience gained from such projects to an informative event for the industry. "As a Swiss pioneer in buzz advertising, we also see it as our role to educate our customers," says Gilles Aeby. The CEO and strategist of Numéro 10, who also teaches this booming sector at Sawi, is convinced that "education is necessary" when it comes to the differences between viral, buzz, street marketing and guerrilla.
It goes without saying that such an educational event should not take the form of a "traditional" seminar. Aeby found the idea in a "buzz event". In keeping with the new technology, this should also be entertaining. On September 10 in Zurich, September 17 in Bern and October 1 in Lausanne, the events will take place at 5 p.m. in the cinema. The premiere of "Attack of the Buzz" has been announced. This surprising movie was created by Numéro 10 in co-production with Pumpkin Stream and director Tolga Dilsiz. The content promises a popular scientific explanation of buzz and its mechanisms. A trailer for the movie, whose visual style is based on the fantasy films of the fifties and sixties, is available on the website www.attackofthebuzz.ch to see. Tickets can also be ordered online there. For 20 francs, you can be part of the new world, including an aperitif for networking and discussion. The event is scheduled to end at 6.30 pm. "Nobody goes to a promotional event for a whole evening anymore. But a visit to the cinema with an aperitif seems to me to be an ideal after-work party". So Aeby wants to break the classic norm a little here too.
Andreas Panzeri
Successful self-runners on the net: Swiss-Film by Mark Forster, Mary Woodbridge and "Liftsteiner".
Virally distributed online videos played a decisive role in Barack Obama's campaign.
Virally distributed online videos played a decisive role in Barack Obama's campaign.
Movie screenings:
Thursday, September 10 at 5 p.m. at the Arthouse Le Paris cinema in Zurich.
Thursday, September 17 at 5 p.m. at Ciné Bubenberg in Bern.
Thursday, October 1 at 5 p.m. at the Cinéma Capitole in Lausanne.
Trailer, info and tickets: www.attackofthebuzz.ch.
