In the Media category at Cannes, Christof Kaufmann represented Switzerland on the jury. For the CEO of OMD Switzerland, efficiency metrics were just as important as creative merit during the judging process. Christof Kaufmann, CEO of OMD Switzerland, has just completed five days of judging in the «Media» category. Like his Swiss fellow jurors Danielle Lanz and René Eugster, he has noticed that the presentation of the entry is becoming increasingly important: «An entry without a video had almost no chance. At the same time, the jury has to figure out what it’s about within ten seconds.» Kaufmann regrets that, in some Swiss entries, the presentation wasn’t sophisticated enough, resulting in missed opportunities. Overall, however, Switzerland is taking home three Lions. «Given the size of the country, that’s not a bad ratio,» says Kaufmann. He advises agencies to submit their work without hesitation: «Because Switzerland can certainly hold its own in terms of quality.» During the intense days of judging, Kaufmann saw «a lot of trash, but also some insanely strong work among the gold-winning entries.» The winners quickly emerged. In the Media category, however, it’s not just the creative idea that matters: Kaufmann also paid attention to efficiency during the judging: «Especially when it came to awarding the gold, silver, and bronze prizes, business results were always part of the discussion.» In this regard, the juror identified weaknesses in the submissions: «About half of the entries did not include any efficiency metrics.»
Kaufmann found the Cannes operation to be very well organized, which made the jury’s work easier. He sings the praises of jury president Dominic Proctor, CEO of Mindshare Worldwide: «He did an outstanding job leading the jury.» For Kaufmann, Cannes is an experience: «It’s very enriching to be part of the »World Cup« of my profession.» He’s also pleased that big names like Procter & Gamble and Unilever were represented with numerous entries: “It’s not just nonprofit organizations that are making a splash with creative advertising. That gives us hope for the future.”

 The CEO of the German TV group ProSiebenSat.1, Guillaume de Posch, is leaving his post. De Posch is leaving the company at his own request on December 31, 2008 after four years at the helm, the company announced in Munich on Tuesday. The former CEO justified his move by stating that he wanted to seek a new challenge following the takeover of the Scandinavian broadcasting chain SBS last year. Andreas Bartl, currently responsible for the German-language television business, will be appointed to the Management Board. However, a new CEO has not yet been found. The Group will now conduct an intensive search for a successor, explained Supervisory Board Chairman Götz Mäuser. CFO Lothar Lanz also left the company a few days ago.

 Televisione svizzera di lingua italiana (TSI) is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It plans to celebrate the anniversary in the fall with a series of events on and off the screen. The company announced on Monday that it first wanted to get the Euro 2008 and the Summer Olympics behind it. TSI went on air for the first time on June 18, 1958 with a team of six. For the first three years, the program was produced in Zurich. The move to Ticino took place in 1961 and the studios were housed in an old streetcar depot in Paradiso near Lugano. Today, TSI is based in Comano above the city of Lugano.

 The Swiss Press Association has responded to the consultation on the revised Postal Act. In its response, it welcomes the "gradual and at the same time fastest possible" complete opening of the market, as stated in a press release. According to the publishers, Switzerland should align itself with the pace of the EU as far as possible and abolish the letter monopoly on January 1, 2011. The aim is to create fair conditions for genuine competition. The association believes that additional regulations, such as those provided for in the draft law, should be avoided. They would contradict the idea of liberalization. On the other hand, it is of the utmost importance that Swiss Post is subject to a clear transparency requirement and a ban on cross-subsidization after liberalization, the publishers continue. An independent regulatory authority "PostCom" should be able to check this. Furthermore, Swiss Post and third-party providers should be treated equally in future with regard to special privileges such as taxes, night-time driving bans and customs clearance. Swiss Post's infrastructure must be made available to all providers at market conditions in return for compensation.
The Publishers Association also supports the Confederation's intention to continue indirect press subsidies for regional and local newspapers and magazines with circulations of up to 40,000 copies even after market liberalization.

 Of the 185 works shortlisted in the "Radio" category, only one is from Switzerland: the radio commercial for Ruf Lanz's Sport Factory Outlet bike store. The campaign, entitled "Bush", was created in the Selmi sound studios on Döltschiweg in Zurich.

 
The Touring Club Switzerland TCS is stepping up the pace in its dispute with the Young Greens and National Councillor Bastien Girod and is demanding that the 27-year-old National Councillor's parliamentary immunity be lifted. The background to this demand is a political advertisement for the Young Greens' off-roader initiative, which parodies a TCS advertisement. Among other things, it shows Girod with his arms crossed and a "tattooed" prohibition sign for off-road vehicles on his right upper arm. People on TCS advertising posters adopt the same pose, but with a tattooed club logo. The slogan "lifelong human" has become "lifelong against off-roaders". The TCS accuses the Zurich
of illegal "use of the original work". He is infringing copyrights with his campaign. As reported by the Sonntagszeitung newspaper, the affair caused hilarity in the National Council's Legal Affairs Committee. Apparently, the public prosecutor did not take the matter very seriously either and suspended the proceedings for the time being, which have now been resumed due to an appeal. The TCS, not exactly known for its sense of humor, is demanding the withdrawal of the subjects in question. Girod sees this as harassment. He is of the opinion that a parody campaign should be possible in a political debate.

 The outdoor advertising developed in Switzerland was particularly well received by the jury at the advertising festival in the south of France. The following nominations were agreed:- eight different motifs from the Leica campaign by AY&R
- three posters from the Publicis campaign for Axe
- five subjects of the Novartis advertisement by Saatchi & Saatchi Simko
- the Golf Variant campaign by Krieg Schlupp Bürge & Jacoby
- two smart motifs, developed by Jung von Matt
- the "Putin" motif by AY&R for the Sunday newspaper
- the "Hay Bayle" poster for Jobwinner by Wirz
- the motifs "Zap Me" and "Skip Me" by Bircher Rabl for Gewista
- the motifs "Vladimir" and "Mahmoud" of the Reporters Sans Frontières campaign by McCann Erickson
- the "Heart" campaign by Walker for Fleurop
- the theming of the Mercedes-Benz blindspot assistant by Jung von Matt
- in the "Special Build" category: The "Giant Bowl" work by Ruf Lanz for the Hiltl restaurant cooking school.
- Euro RSCG's "Pin Art" campaign for Riposa mattresses

 Euro 08 is in full swing, but the Branded Entertainment Circle is already thinking ahead and wants to take stock in July of what will remain for brands from the major event. For brands, the challenge of attracting the attention of their target audience has never been greater. This is particularly true in the context of the Euro 08 advertising event. Does traditional advertising still work? Or have brands that have created their own entertainment formats prevailed? How important is branded entertainment for a brand like Migros, McDonald's or UBS? How can the effect of these initiatives be assessed? Two weeks after the grand finale in Vienna, a panel of experts will address these questions. They will discuss the topic of branded entertainment in the current context of the European Championships. The speakers are Pit Gottschalk (Sport Bild), Christof Marti (UBS), Marion Marxer (Publicis), Christof Kaufmann (OMD), Thomas Truttmann (McDonald's Switzerland) and Markus Wanner (Migros). The event will take place on Wednesday, July 9, 2008, from 5.30 to 8 p.m. at the Hotel Widder, Augustinergasse, 8001 Zurich. Further information and registration at Branded-entertainment-circle.ch.

René Eugster, founder of the agency at the airport, served on the jury in Cannes in the «Direct» category. Over the course of three days, he evaluated a total of about 450 entries. He spoke to *Werbewoche* about his experiences on the jury. «The quality varies widely,» says Eugster. «There were entries that wouldn’t even be submitted here because we know they don’t stand a chance. I came here thinking I’d see the best advertising in the world. I did see some of that, but not only that. On the other hand, I came across some incredibly beautiful entries that left me speechless—all I could say was ‚Wow.’» The submissions varied greatly from a cultural perspective. Those from English-speaking countries dominated, particularly from New Zealand and Australia.
What makes a campaign successful in Cannes? «It’s simple: a great idea,» explains Eugster. «The idea is what makes the difference. What also counts is strong execution that doesn’t water down the idea. And you need a client who’s willing to back bold work.» By contrast, how effective a campaign was is traditionally less of a deciding factor in Cannes.
The Swiss Need to Step Up Their Game When It Comes to Submissions «The Swiss certainly had nothing to be ashamed of with their entries,» Eugster continues. «But we still need to step up our game when it comes to submissions: How a piece is submitted makes a huge difference. The jury president can emphasize all he wants that we shouldn’t be swayed by elaborate submission videos—but the presentation does have an impact somewhere.» However, presenting oneself in the best light during the submission process might not be in keeping with Swiss understatement. Besides, it’s likely also a budget issue, especially for small agencies: “We don’t have the resources to make a cinematic-quality film for the submission; it’s just not feasible.”
The head of the agency at the airport goes on to say that the Swiss sometimes lack a strong lobby to back them up during the judging process. «However, all European countries face this problem.» Another obstacle to Swiss entries winning a Lion is that the artwork doesn’t always align with the tastes of Anglo-Saxon countries: «We have a very clean, minimalist design style. That doesn’t always go over well with Americans, who want everything to be ’colorful.»« Another disadvantage for Switzerland is that it is a small country fragmented by its linguistic regions: »Some big stories simply can’t be told here.”
After three grueling days of judging, Eugster was satisfied with the results. However, he also notes that Cannes has become a massive industry. One downside for him is that there was no shortage of fakes: «With some of the entries, I was certain that hardly any consumer had ever seen them.» But the truly great ideas more than make up for that: «We judged some incredible work on the jury. This opens up a whole new dimension of advertising,» the juror concludes.
Carole Scheidegger

 The German sporting goods manufacturers Adidas and Puma are already drawing a positive balance from Euro 08. Thanks to the tournament, the two companies are reporting excellent business performance. In recent weeks, market research studies have cast doubt on the effectiveness of European Championship sponsorship (see ) Adidas, one of the main sponsors of the Uefa event, has seen sales increase by over 50 percent compared to the 2004 European Championship year. All regions and product categories have contributed to this, the company announced on Monday. Compared to the 2006 World Cup year in the home market of Germany, sales would be over ten percent higher. "This means that - in sporting terms - we are not only one round further, but already winners of the European Championships," said CEO Herbert Hainer to the press in Vienna. Adidas is kitting out the teams of Germany, France, Spain, Romania and Greece for the European Championships. The company is also outfitting all the officials, referees, volunteers and ball boys.
Adidas aims to generate at least 1.2 billion euros this year with football products such as the European Championship ball and jerseys for the German national team. This would mean that almost a fifth of the Adidas core brand's sales this year would come from this area.
And competitor Puma is also in the black: Sales in the football business so far this year are more than ten percent above the level a year ago, said Puma football boss FilipTrulsson in an interview published on Monday. The third-placed company in the industry after Nike and Adidas had already recorded double-digit growth in the first quarter. Puma equips the teams of world champions Italy, Austria and Switzerland, among others. The company has recently concentrated its marketing efforts on these three countries. The "home advantage" in Austria and Switzerland was clearly noticeable, said Trulsson.

 Brüngger Bachmann Dialog is promoting the new Saab 9-5 Turbo Edition with a multi-stage integrated dialog campaign. The features of the special model are dramatized by comparing a simple shell with a rather complex Hummer. First, a personalized teaser is sent out without a sender, showing a shell and asking the question: "Why settle for the simple when the special is tempting?" This merely announces that the mail will be delivered in the next few days. For the impatient, there is a link to the Saab 9-5 Turbo Edition landing page. The main mailing follows in an envelope printed with the shell to ensure recognition. Only now does Saab reveal itself. A letter welcomes the reader, a talon with the Hummer offers options for a test drive. As a bonus, three trips for two people to a Hummer safari in Sweden are raffled off. The brochure enclosed with the main mailing is intended to break up the dramatization. The front page presents the Hummer and the headline reads: "The difference is called equipment". When the brochure is unfolded, the richly equipped Saab Turbo Edition is revealed in full size.
The database is expanded for the campaign. The anonymous teaser is only sent to half of the defined mailing addresses. It is tested whether the mailing works better with or without the teaser. Follow-up telephone calls are made to gain insights for future campaigns.

Responsible at Saab Automobile Switzerland: Nathalie Busslinger (Advertising Manager), Mario Klaus (Marketing Manager) and Melanie Brunner (CRM/Internet).
Brüngger Bachmann Dialog: Remo Bachmann (CD), Manuela Eigenmann (AD), Jakob Schmid (text), Daniel Brüngger (concept/consulting), Liv Bianchet (consulting/realization), Peter Epple (production). Online: Eyemedia, Boris Manhart. Litho: Bjyld, Bruno Gossweiler.

 The following Swiss agency work was nominated in the press category: - "Strong Hair" by Euro RSCG for En Vogue
- five different motifs from the Voltaren advertisement for Novartis by Saatchi & Saatchi Simko
- the campaign called "Lath" for the VW Golf Variant on behalf of AMAG. Created by the Zurich agency Krieg Schlupp Bürge/Springer & Jacoby
- three motifs from the advertising campaign for bed manufacturer Finetra, also by Krieg Schlupp Bürge/Springer & Jacoby
 
- the advertising measures for Ricardo.ch by Ruf Lanz
- the "Cow" campaign for the parents' magazine Fritz&Fränzi, developed by Jung von Matt
- four times AY&R for their campaign for the Sunday newspaper
- the "Day" campaign by Scholz & Friends for the Foundation against Domestic Violence