Migros has dug through its archive of commercials and compiled a selection of the 50 best from the past five decades. On www.migros.ch/werbespots You can take a trip back in time to the 1960s and, for example, watch the first black-and-white commercials from the era of bouffant hairstyles and floral wallpaper. The journey ends with the latest Migros commercials from 2008, which is now drawing to a close.

This year's Grands Prix Design go to the fashion designer Albert Kriemler, the photographer Walter Pfeiffer, the exhibition designers Barbara Holzer and Tristan Kobler and the "multi-talented" Alain Kupper. The award winners, who must be over 40 years old, were selected by the Federal Design Commission chaired by Lorette Coen. Each award is endowed with 40,000 Swiss francs. Since 2007, the Confederation has been awarding the Grands Prix Design to designers who have made an effective and lasting contribution to the reputation of Swiss design.
Albert Kriemler was honored for his creativity and his constant perfection of the shape, cut and material of his collections. But also for helping to establish and position the Akris fashion company, which was founded by his grandmother in 1922 as an apron manufacturer.
Walter Pfeiffer has opened up new paths in the field of photography with his way of capturing the world in pictures, according to a press release. Walter Pfeiffer is a border crosser between so-called applied and free photography, and he has succeeded in combining these areas with ease.
Barbara Holzer and Tristan Kobler receive the Grand Prix Design of the Swiss Confederation for their international commitment in the field of exhibition design. Their outstanding achievement in this field is the consistent linking of exhibition content and design. Holzer Kobler understand how to create a holistic atmosphere that appeals directly to the public on an emotional and intuitive level.
Alain Kupperalso known as Rockmaster K., is a multi-talented artist: over the years, he has retained his integrity and the will to move in his very own cosmos and follow his very own path, the press release continues. He works as a graphic designer, musician, artist, gallery owner and photographer. The visual identity of Bilgerverlag and currently that of Theater Neumarkt in Zurich, for example, bear his signature.

Claim Sought via Advertisement
Because the music website Restorm.com has «grown so rapidly» in recent months, the Zurich-based team behind the platform hasn’t had time to take care of day-to-day tasks like advertising. However, the ad in Bestpicture magazine—featuring the best photos from Keystone—had already been booked. So they made a virtue of necessity and turned the ad into a creative contest. The challenge: Who can come up with the best tagline for Restorm.com? Restorm is a hub connecting bands, music lovers, labels, and concert promoters.

No idea what to give your loved ones? Instead of the same old perfumes, bottles of wine, and scarves, why not try something more original? For example, a can of worms, a breeding sow, or an outhouse. The „Give Aid“ campaign by HEKS (Aid Organization of the Protestant Churches in Switzerland) makes it possible.
The best part is this: Every gift has a double impact. It reaches the recipient in the form of a gift certificate—and it actually benefits people in need all over the world. A can of worms, for example, loosens and fertilizes the field of a poor Cambodian family in a sustainable way, leading to larger harvests.
In keeping with the campaign’s surprising mechanism, the advertising also takes a new approach: AY&R combines giving with fun for HEKS. The aim is to reach people who are put off by the usual, often depressing fundraising appeals. The website www.hilfe-schenken.ch, along with ads, posters, banners, and mailings, will go live at the end of October. (pan)

Hardly elected, the new president of the United States of America is already being instrumentalized for PR purposes. "Barack Obama wins presidential election with Avis slogan" was the message distributed by the US car rental company Avis via press release on Wednesday.
As justification for the action, the company points to a quote in the Washington Post, where Obama used the Avis claim: "We try harder," which has been valid since the 1960s. "When your name is Barack Obama, you're like Avis: you've got to work, you know, twice as hard," writes Avis logically, not forgetting to mention that the motto is still relevant for Avis.
As a potential Avis customer, you will have to remember this episode. After all, once you're standing in an Avis store and you don't get what you want, you'll have to politely tell the clerk, "Try harder, and just say: Yes, we can."

That happened fast. Three weeks ago, Arjen Strijker launched a call for participation on Twitter. The Dutchman, who lives in Zurich and works in business relationship management—and is a specialist in executive recruitment in the finance and consulting sectors—wanted to exchange ideas with like-minded people about trends and the latest developments in web services. He is convinced that social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Xing, and First Tuesday «offer more than just a way to pass the time.» Such web services have long since brought about massive changes in the world of corporate communications. «How can companies get the most out of social media?» is therefore the question.
No sooner said than done: Three weeks after Strijker’s call on Twitter, Somesso Zürich 08 took place at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute in Rüschlikon. At the conference, a select group of about 80 entrepreneurs from all over Europe gathered to spend an entire day discussing the Internet and networking.
«I came across the idea for Somesso on Twitter and was immediately drawn to it,» reveals Daniel Jörg. The Head of Cross-Media at Burson-Marsteller in Bern shared the tweet with like-minded colleagues and, together with his agency and other specialists, launched the website www.sommesso.com within a few days. This platform could now become something of an umbrella organization for the united portal operators. Most of the key figures among them were able to clear their schedules for the event in Rüschlikon. The GDI also responded to the Twitter message and offered its conference rooms for Somesso. Jojo Rufener, who has long been known as a major networker, is so enthusiastic about the new initiative that he has already offered to organize not only Somesso at the GDI but also the next conference in March in London and another in Barcelona in 2009 through Rufener Events. «At a subsidized rate, of course.» Because even though Agoracs, as the organizer of Somesso, already brings together many initiatives aimed at expanding business contacts, the vanguard of such developments naturally continues to be found in the startup sector.
75 percent of innovations fail
Nine selected startups were also given four minutes each at the first Somesso to present their ideas and business models. Prior to that, experts and representatives of already successful networks spoke about their activities. The presentation was moderated by Susan Kish, who has been an international expert in this field since the emergence of the first social networks. «Social media has been around for ages. But today we have a new technology that will change society even more in the future than the invention of the newspaper,» said Kish, attempting to put the significance of new media into proper perspective. What’s revolutionary about this form of communication: It enables anyone to share information and connect with like-minded people at an extremely low cost. Kish demonstrated that print media is far from obsolete by showing a souvenir she brought back from London. There, at an airport kiosk, she found a colorful, thick magazine called *Facebook Guide Magazine*.
In his preview of upcoming trends, Dutch professor Frans van der Reep has observed a shift from marketing to sales. The Spanish fashion retailer Zara, for example, no longer engages in any marketing at all. They simply stock their stores with a large selection of new clothes. Whatever sells within three weeks is added to the lineup. The rest gets tossed out. The customers themselves thus determine the fashion strategy for marketing. Reep offers further analysis: «Social media turns everyone into a salesperson.» An online presence will become essential. Anyone who isn’t connected somewhere simply won’t be seen. Also interesting are his figures showing that 75 percent of planned innovations come to nothing. In our current era, what works is what somehow emerges organically from the grassroots and then grows from the bottom up. «This leads to new business models that rely much more on cooperation than on traditional top-down command structures.» It’s also necessary to be open to ideas from one’s surroundings because 70 percent of inventions come from outside an institution or even the industry itself. «Develop talent to spot talent,» Reep concluded.
One such talent is undoubtedly Julie Meyer. The Englishwoman was awarded the title «Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2000» for building her platform, First Tuesday. Four years ago, she sold her «new economy» think tank for $50 million. Through her firm, Ariadne Capital, Meyer has since been supporting startups such as Skype, which enables revolutionary Internet telephony. At the WEF in Davos, Julie Meyer was named a «Global Leader of Tomorrow.» In Rüschlikon, she explained that the evolution is moving from a «digital island» to an «entrepreneur country.» Meyer sees a growing trend toward micro-enterprises. If these companies ever grow large, they must absolutely be able to maintain their startup mentality; otherwise, the company will become too bloated. Her statement that by 2012, «90 percent of companies will be using »open source’ software” also caused a stir in blogs following the Somesso. Open source refers to software whose source code is publicly accessible and whose generally available license encourages further development. Another promising business model, which operates via the “Slice The Pie” platform, is a network where musicians can post their work online and connect with their fans. Fans can interactively invest in their favorite bands and thus share financially in the success of the artists they support.
Paying users – more interesting users
«The Greater IBM Connection – IBM’s Social Media Tools.» Under this title, Bettina Kahlau of IBM presented how the once-leading computer company aims to use a new network to once again bring together as many active—and, above all, former—IBM employees as possible. As part of a cultural shift at IBM, the specialists—who often left the company out of frustration—are expected to help restore the IBM brand to its former glory. «It simply can’t be that so much expertise is suddenly no longer accessible,» said Kahlau, summarizing the idea behind this new IBM Family. In fact, 30 percent of former employees have already joined the new network, which initially ran through Xing.
Ten years ago, Thomas Power and his wife founded the platform www.ecademy.com. It took them six years for their network to become a major player in the market. On Ecademy, you can find and offer anything that fits the slogan «connecting business people.» The platform is funded 80 percent by subscribers and 20 percent by advertising. «Members who pay for a network are the most interesting users, even setting aside the financial aspect,» said Power.
During his digression into the history of such networks, he presented James F. Moore’s non-fiction book *The Death of Competition* as the «bible» that sparked this entire movement. Summarized in six words, the evolution was «find me» for Web 1.0, «join me» for Web 2.0, and soon «follow me» for Web 3.0. Related to this: «Microsoft is struggling to succeed on the web because it focuses on organizing and managing documents. But the internet isn’t about documents—it’s about people.»
In his presentation, Daniel Jörg of Burson-Marsteller explored the question: What can happen if you don’t take the blogging community seriously and ignore or dismiss comments? His conclusion: You’ll very quickly find yourself at odds not only with bloggers, but in the worst-case scenario, with the entire media. In the case of the bike lock manufacturer Kryptonite, ignoring criticism nearly led to bankruptcy. Of course, an event like Somesso has already made its way into many blogs. Bottom line: Somesso was worth the money, even though the conference cost 720 euros—or 590 for early birds.
Among the nine startups presented by Peter Hogenkamp, the founder and CEO of Blogwerk, Cassiber.com stood out with its slogan «Make ideas happen,» as did the Swiss company Amazee.com, which helps launch projects. Kyte, based in Zurich and San Francisco, is also promising. Nokia is a major investor in this «digital multimedia platform for the 21st century.».

Andreas Panzeri

Daniel Jörg of Burson-Marsteller has pulled a lot of strings.

Julie Meyer founded First Tuesday. Amir Suissa is an advisor.

Susan Kish and Jojo Rufener are committed to Somesso.

Arjen Strijker came up with the idea for the Somesso Conference.

At the end of 2007, Frédéric Dru, the initiator of Radio Tropic, pulled the plug on his FM station after ten years and since then Roger Schawinski's Radio 1 has been broadcasting on the same frequency. "It will be a very long time before something like Radio Tropic comes into being again," Dru said sadly in the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper at the time. He had given up because he did not want to apply for a new FM license. The requirements regarding journalistically prepared local information did not suit his "cultural radio without too much blah blah blah" concept.
But just five months after the end, Dru became radio-active again. To be more precise: Dru's daughter and his wife founded a new company called Radio Tropic International on May 9, 2008, whose purpose is the "distribution of radio broadcasts on the Internet and through other electronic media". However, only Frédéric Dru provides information on this.
And he wants to try again. The response to the end of his radio station was so overwhelming ("some people even cried") that he decided to try again - with the same program concept. In other words, with around 270 different rhythms from blues, soul, reggae, tropical jazz, African jazz, gospel and tango, combined with news in German, English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Of course, the Dru family will no longer be broadcasting on FM, but via the Internet and perhaps one day via DAB+. Frédéric Dru cites his love of music and of people and their different cultures as the reason for the new attempt. "Music has many powers. It is a medicine and provides inner balance. It also sets the emotions in motion," is how he describes his philosophy. Radio Tropic should also stand out. "We don't want to be like everyone else - after all, the world isn't just made up of the USA and the UK." His radio should rather contribute to broadening listeners' horizons. Money, on the other hand, is secondary to him. "I never wanted to be number 1 with Tropic and I never wanted to become a millionaire," he says.
Radio Tropic is not yet on air. No start date has been set either, although the Dru family at Limmatstrasse 31 in Zurich would be ready to start. The obstacle is the lack of funds. Dru has been making radio for ten years - often at the limit financially and only thanks to volunteers, friends and acquaintances. Dru no longer wants that. For the new project, however, they need sponsors or firm commitments from advertisers. "Many have shown interest, but no one wants to commit. Everyone is waiting for the final award of the broadcasting license. And the financial crisis has also made many more cautious," says the radio man. How much money does Dru need to get started - a million francs? Frédéric Dru waves it off. "Half that will do," he says, without revealing any budget details.
Markus Knöpfli

The communications and design agency TBS Identity has developed a communicative overall appearance for the corporate identity and image of the Clienia Group. Implementation is now taking place in stages. Key areas of the visual identity and corporate communication have already been realized, as TBS Identity announced in a press release on Wednesday.
In addition to the brand, typography and color, a central element of the design is Clienia's own visual world. The aim is to portray a friendly and unspectacular world with images of everyday life in the hospital and the tranquil landscape. Fears and prejudices about psychiatry are to be addressed and the target groups addressed directly, writes the agency.
Since July 2008, the Schlössli and Littenheid private clinics have been operating at a total of six locations under the common credo of "psychiatric competence" as the Clienia Group. The various locations of the two clinics, with inpatient and outpatient psychiatric and psychotherapeutic services, operate under a single umbrella brand.
Responsible at Clienia: Hans Schwyn (CEO), David J. Bosshard (CFO). Responsible at TBS Identity (ASW): Michael Schädelin (concept/consulting), Christian Tobler (CD), Kathrin Treml (AD), Heidi Röllin (project management).

Mercedes-Benz has developed a reversing camera designed to make reversing easier for drivers. The Jung von Matt/Limmat agency created the campaign under the motto "Reversing is just as good as driving forwards" and used a stylistic device from literature: the palindrome. These are sentences and terms that make the same sense when read forwards and backwards. The motifs have been on display in Switzerland since October 1.
Responsible at Mercedes-Benz Switzerland: Doris Lengwiler (Head of Marketing Communications Mercedes-Benz Cars). Responsible at Jung von Matt/Limmat: Alexander Jaggy, Michael Rottmann (Creative Direction), Alexander Holtz (Text), Inken Rohweder (Art Direction), Nora Vögeli (Graphics), Felix Schröder (Consulting).

NZZ AG, the parent company of the NZZ Group, is facing "a comprehensive restructuring and cost-cutting program" due to declining revenues and poor economic forecasts. This will also involve job cuts through natural fluctuation, early retirement and the elimination of vacant positions, according to a communiqué issued on Tuesday. When asked about the exact extent of the reduction, the new CEO Polo Stäheli was not yet able to provide any information. However, the total number of jobs to be cut will be "in the lower double-digit range", he said. All areas will be scoured for savings potential immediately in order to be able to present the Board of Directors with a budget for 2009 that is as close to reality as possible. "We don't just want to react, but also anticipate what we might have to face next year," said Stäheli. At first glance, the measures appear somewhat hasty, as the NZZ titles show a stable advertising volume in 2008. This is deceptive, says Stäheli, as the VSW statistics do not include financial advertisements. "And we are quite exposed in that respect." The CEO goes on to say that he was not surprised that he had to make cuts at the NZZ as almost his first official act. After all, he had already been observing the market from Bern. "But I was surprised by the extent of the slump this fall." For the NZZ, on the other hand, it is probably new "to react early instead of waiting until it is too late".

The intricate dynamics of the global banking collapse are overwhelming not only the economy and politics, but also the media. Twenty years ago, the end of history was still being proclaimed, now people are collectively mocking the irony of history. And are trying to conceal their own failures.
Things are gradually getting serious. The impact is getting closer, the Reduit is wobbling, a serious recession is on the doorstep of Mr. and Mrs. Swiss. Every day, the newspapers provide new figures, signs and quotes showing that the crisis circles spreading concentrically from Wall Street will soon hit the Swiss heartland. There is inflationary talk of irony. It ranges from letters to the editor ("The fact that my UBS advisor advised me to hold on to my Swissair shares sounds like an irony of fate today.") to columns ("The most biting irony in the history of the crisis: Finance Minister Paulson raked in millions as an investment banker.") to magisterial interviews ("The Federal Council has an overall responsibility and must act, even if this is bitterly ironic in view of the arrogance of individual managers.").
The public revaluation of all values has thus resulted in all kinds of ambiguous mockery and open malice, even in Swiss editorial offices. But we have known since Thomas Mann at the latest: "He who ironizes turns adversity into superiority." So the mother of all ironies is the fact that the financial crisis is also a media crisis. Suddenly we are learning in detail what journalistic market observers should have noticed long ago: The whole debacle had a system and was consequently predictable - or rather would have been predictable if the media had devoted themselves to the subject with sufficient persistence and critical distance. Instead, they preferred to sit on the edge of Paris Hilton's bed, producing borderline stupid formats such as "Deal or no Deal" or launching more and more new free newspapers that present even less information in an even more colorful way.
As is well known, Weltwoche took the cake in terms of incompetence and ignorance with its cover slogan "La crise n'existe pas". In the following issue, its media columnist manages to knowledgeably castigate the failure of the industry as an early warning system without saying a single word about the epochal failure of his own paper. Presumably Zimmi (as chief ironist) simply doesn't read his own Postille. The possibility that his publisher (as chief ideologue) has censored can be ruled out for once. Because in the same issue, there are two touches of self-irony regarding the aforementioned cover: In an advertisement - hardly coincidentally placed next to the editorial - a regional search engine denies the economic crisis in the same wording and lettering as the legendary cover. And in a review of quotes from other newspapers, the WOZ can sneer at its arch-enemy: "You can't write more clearly what is not."
Weltblätter has a section called Korrigendum, Weltwoche has Roger Köppel. So instead of taking a stand on his courageous dip in the toilet, the neo-publisher is playing games, making WOZ and advertisers blink their eyes in an attempt to dilute one of the most embarrassing headlines in Swiss press history. For nothing. The leading Anglo-Saxon media of the global financial community have been doing this far more elegantly since the beginning of the crisis. After the Lehman bankruptcy, the Wall Street Journal wrote that it would not change its name even if the New York Stock Exchange went up in flames. And the Financial Times started a section where external experts evaluated the quality of its daily reporting on the big banking quake. Not unironic in view of its own standards, but at the same time a very confident gesture. Local media could take a leaf out of their book.

Against Aids. For those affected." This is the claim of the new campaign for Aids-Hilfe Schweiz. The new campaign was realized by TBWA Zurich with prominent Swiss personalities.
The ideas from CD Frederick Rossmann's team aim to simultaneously raise awareness and support fundraising activities around World Aids Day on 1 December. The campaign can be seen on posters, e-boards and mailings from the beginning of November until the end of the month. The sensitive topic is attracting attention in these media, with Swiss celebrities such as Marc Forster, Stefanie Glaser, Stephan Eicher, Didier Cuche and Sandra Studer asking the question: "What if I were HIV-positive?"
Still discriminated against
The message is getting through: "It is the HIV virus that needs to be excluded, not HIV-positive people." The Swiss AIDS Federation is convinced that infected people are still discriminated against. (pan)