The Zurich branch of Scholz & Friends has designed a mobile campaign for the cigarette brand John Player Special (JPS). Part of the truck delivery fleet of JPS owner Imperial Tobacco Switzerland is now adorned with a motif showing JPS packs falling backwards like dominoes. In addition, the packs appear to be standing man-high inside the otherwise empty truck. With the campaign, Imperial Tobacco wants to bring movement to the highways and other roads throughout Switzerland, according to Tuesday's announcement. Scholz & Friends won the overall account for all Imperial Tobacco Switzerland brands in January 2008, including Davidoff Cigarettes, John Player Special, Drum and Rizla. The measures, some of which have already been taken, include advertisements, posters, point-of-sale activities, below-the-line competitions and interactives. Scholz & Friends is cooperating with Commarco subsidiary Deepblue Networks, which is acting as lead agency.
Responsible at Imperial Tobacco Switzerland:

Julia Gangloff and Leslie Capillon (overall responsibility) and Khalid Azeroual (responsibility JPS). Responsible at Scholz & Friends Zurich: Raphael Brinkert (overall responsibility consulting), Fabian Keller and Merja Rinderli (consulting), Joerg Jahn (overall responsibility creation), Friederike Coninx and Markus Hammer (AD), Björn Blöchlinger (graphics) and Robert Leben (text).

 
As recently as May, Migros announced in the course of the discounter price war that 302 everyday items would not be cheaper anywhere else than in its own range. In order to keep this price promise, it has now called on shoppers to act as watchdogs, so to speak, and to inform Migros of comparable but cheaper items in other stores (see: ). As a generous gift, anyone who can deliver a usable report of this kind to the Orange Giant will receive the fabulous sum of - ten francs. This is not just a nostalgic reminder of the days when you could fill your entire shopping cart with food and take it home for free if you found an expired yogurt. It is also remarkable how Migros outsources its own work to its customers, and certainly to the very people it wanted to lure into the store with its promise of cheap products. So not only is the information spread through the public for free, it also does some of the work for the product. In contrast, viral campaigns in which only the information is disseminated free of charge are downright primitive.

 
Adrian Haut joined the Musqueteers’ Zurich communications team on July 1, 2008. Haut studied journalism and organizational communication at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) and holds a degree in communications (FH). Before joining the Musqueteers, the 32-year-old most recently served as a public relations project manager for Migros Bank. At the Musqueteers, Haut will manage existing PR accounts such as British Airways and Hitachi Data Systems. He will also contribute as a communications specialist on CI and CD projects. 

 
Valeska Beck will take over the editorial management of the weekly newspaper Wirtschaft regional of Vaduzer Medienhaus AG at the beginning of October. She takes over from Matthias Hassler, who is moving to the communications department of the fastening technology group Hilti after eleven years at the media company. The 28-year-old Valeska Beck has been writing for the newspaper, which mainly reports on business topics from the Liechtenstein, Werdenberg and Sarganserland regions, for two years, as the media company announced on Tuesday.  

 Online tracking is coming under increasing criticism because website operators are not only tracking users' surfing behavior and using the data for advertising purposes, but are now also working closely with Poviders. Lawmakers and data protectionists in the US are criticizing this new type of cooperation and calling for strict regulations, as the Wall Street Journal reports. Users should at least be asked for their consent before private data is used for advertising purposes, according to the critics. US government representatives want to enforce similar guidelines for tracking advertising as apply to telephone and cable connections. The practice of web tracking should only be allowed if customers agree to it, says Democrat Edward Markey. His Republican colleague Joe Barton takes a similar view. "I understand the need to collect information. However, this should only be done with consent".

 
Peter Buri, former editor-in-chief of the Aargauer Zeitung mantle, is taking over the project management for the planned multimedia center in Aarau. He will also take over its management once it opens in the fall of 2009. In view of the new field of activity, the 50-year-old will step down as AZ editor-in-chief on January 1, 2009, or at the time of the new appointment. However, Buri will remain responsible for the Aargau and Regions division and the project to relaunch the AZ regional editions. He will also remain a member of the company management. With the Multimedia Center, AZ Medien intends to strengthen the future areas of online and multimedia, as stated in a press release. Ueli Eckstein
is relinquishing his position as COO. Eckstein will continue to be responsible for the management of the Mittelland Zeitungsverbund as a member of the Executive Board and Head of Print Media. As Head of Print Media, the 56-year-old will continue to be responsible for the traditional areas. As deputy publisher, he will also devote more time to strategic projects. The 59-year-old Stefan Milla, Head of Printing, Sales and Logistics, is stepping down from the company management for reasons of age and will take early retirement next year. The Newspaper Printing division will now be managed by 54-year-old Urs Binkert. He will report directly to the CEO. Christine Rennhard
, 44, who has been responsible for the Aargauer Zeitung and Sonntag publishing house since January 2008, will become a new member of the company management. The federally certified marketing and publishing specialist was an independent communications and management consultant for six years before joining the Aargauer Zeitung. Last but not least, Werner De Schepper will accompany the AZ regional edition relaunch project as a journalistic consultant from September 1, 2008. He will also write a weekly column. De Schepper has worked at Ringier for the last 14 years and was Editor-in-Chief of Blick from 2003 to 2007.

Peter Buri

 Fabio Serratore took up his new role as Key Account Manager for the Ticino-based combination Tre Top Ticino on July 1. He will be responsible for German- and French-speaking Switzerland and will receive internal support from Publicitas Lugano. Serratore has been working in the media industry for some time, most recently as Project Manager at Publicitas Publimedia Zurich. His predecessor, Giuseppe Sammartano, will take up a new position at Publicitas Mittelland on August 1.

 For the sixth time, the CREA Credential Award will determine the best examples of professional agency self-marketing and the most relevant agency self-representations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland with a jury consisting solely of clients. New this year is a special category for newcomer agencies that are less than two years old. Agencies from all German-speaking countries, including Austria and Switzerland, can now request the entry forms at . The closing date for entries is August 15, 2008. The CREA offers agencies from all disciplines of the communications industry the unique opportunity to put their own advertising to the test in front of potential clients. The submitted communication materials and campaigns will be evaluated and the shortlist selected by a 30-member jury consisting solely of marketing and communication decision-makers at the SAP Germany office in Hamburg on September 15, 2008. In a second step - and this is what gives the competition its special realism - the finalists will present live to the jury in November, who will announce the winners immediately afterwards at the evening awards ceremony. And as is so often the case in real agency life, personal performance and the form of the day can be decisive.

 
The Investor Relations (IR) Firm, a communications agency active in the investor sector, has changed its name to IRF Communications. With this step, the Zurich-based service provider intends to tap into new customer groups, namely individuals and organizations in the public eye, associations and other business-oriented institutions and authorities. At the same time, the field of activity is also expanding to include the positioning of individuals and organizations, crisis communication, financial communication, media relations and analyses. In addition, two new members will join the Board of Directors: Martin Menzi (45), Partner at Swiss Capital Group, and Ralf Rosenow (46), Partner at Rosenow Grob Schilling Rechtsanwälte. Both are familiar with similar management issues in their own companies and are familiar with communication activities from their own activities, according to the press release issued on Monday. The two new members will complement the existing partners Michael Düringer, Jan Gregor and Martin Meier Pfister in corporate development.
 

 
The Expo+Event Swiss Association is launching a new degree program for practitioners in the field of live communication together with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (HWZ). The association aims to promote quality and expertise in the event and exhibition industry and to enhance the profession as a whole. According to a press release, the course will provide graduates with comprehensive basic skills in exhibition and event management. The DAS Live Communication diploma is the first internationally recognized university degree in this sector to be offered in Switzerland. It can be completed on a part-time basis and is aimed at professionals from all areas of live communication and related disciplines. 

 
At the Radio Lora anniversary celebration held in Zurich at the weekend, the poster by Advico Young & Rubicam was one of the 25 different subjects created by 25 advertising agencies (see: Advertising for 25 years ad-free zone / http://www.werbewoche.ch/print080709_jubliaeum.werbewoche). According to the agency's press release, the metal poster with the magnetic subjects for self-design and the claim: "The station where you can determine the content" also magnetically attracted a few viewers. There were serious political statements, but also Dadaist nonsense. Responsible at AY&R:

Philipp Skrabal (CD), Emi Lehmann-Iwasaki (AD) and Andi Portmann (text).  

 
At the end of May, Migros announced that 302 everyday items would not be cheaper anywhere else than in its own range. To guarantee this price promise, Migros has set up a price hotline. Since Monday, Migros customers who find a comparable item cheaper at a national supermarket can alert Migros via the hotline or the Internet. The information is checked immediately. If the information is correct, the prices will be adjusted as quickly as possible, the company announced. Customers who have successfully helped Migros to adjust the prices will be rewarded with a voucher worth CHF 10.