Tele2 is advertising a new cell phone subscription with a devil as an anti-hero and wants to move away from promotional advertising. The telecom company timed the teaser campaign to coincide with the schedules of cell phone retailers. The campaign came from the kitchen of new lead agency Euro RSCG. The "devil campaign" caused a sensation, but it was dissolved prematurely by a glitch at the post office. The advertising campaign had come under criticism in Christian circles because of its religious implications. The resolution now shows that Tele2 is not advertising with the devil, but rather making him look like an anti-hero offering consumers bad deals. "The devil stands there as a loser," Tele2 marketing boss Christian Bärlocher told Werbewoche. The message the telecom company wants to get across is that if you want to cheat Satan, choose its new offer, which lets you make calls to all networks for 39 centimes an hour. The campaign is the first that Euro RSCG had realized for Tele2. Bärlocher was very satisfied with the agency. "We had conducted a big pitch and were very convinced by the agency's ideas. It came up with a whole package of measures in a short time." The new campaign includes advertisements, posters, TV and radio spots, and online placements.
More mobile, fewer promotions At the same time, the telecom company is turning away from the promotion-heavy advertising it has cultivated until now, because it is strategically focusing more on mobile communications instead of fixed networks and the Internet. "When it comes to mobile subscriptions, most consumers get their information at the POS," Bärlocher explained. "So it makes little sense to rely on street promotions or telephone sales."
Tele2 chose a teaser campaign because they wanted to communicate the new offer as quickly as possible. "The channels to communicate such offer are open only once a month, for example, the inserts of the relevant retailers in the daily press. We didn't want to wait until the beginning of May," the marketing chief continued. Because all these channels were simply not ready by the beginning of last week, they first launched a teaser campaign. "Besides, we wanted to play a different card than purely price-oriented advertising."
Critics are taken seriously The timing of the retailer channels also resulted in the launch date of the appearance. However, this was met with criticism from some quarters: Christian circles found it offensive that the satanic appearance was launched in the Sunday press on Easter of all days. "We had not chosen this time consciously; it resulted from the timetable of the Retailer", so Bärlocher. The reactions from the Christian environment are taken very seriously: "I answer corresponding complaints personally by phone or e-mail," said the marketing manager. Of course, the company has weighed up in advance what reactions such an advertising campaign might trigger. But Tele2 is convinced that the resolution puts the campaign in the right light: "After all, we're not giving the devil a platform, we're portraying him as an anti-hero".
With the campaign, the company wants to appeal to a young target group that is always on the lookout for the best deal. The teaser was inadvertently dissolved because corresponding brochures were already available at the post office, which the Abendzeitung Heute discovered. How can such a mishap happen? "If I only knew! But with an appearance of this magnitude, so many companies are involved that an error can simply happen - where people work, mistakes sometimes happen," explained Bärlocher. This does not significantly overshadow the success of the campaign: "I was still able to sleep peacefully over the weekend," the marketing manager smiled.
The company is also not impressed by the prophecies of doom in the Sunday press that the new offer is not profitable for Tele 2. It has clarified exactly what consumers want. The offer is based on a mixed calculation that also includes services such as SMS or MMS, CEO Mats Tilly explained to Werbewoche. This makes the subscription profitable for Tele2, and it is also expected to attract many new customers. Tele2 will continue to have a broad advertising presence, Bärlocher announced. With a good dose of humor, the devil will also make an appearance again.

Responsible at Tele2:

Christian Bärlocher (Head of Marketing/Sales Switzerland), Ursina Jeuch (Communication Manager). Responsible at Euro RSCG Zurich: Frank Bodin (overall responsibility), Axel Eckstein (Creative Director), Michael Rüegg, Alexander Fuerer, Gregor Juritz, Alain Picard (Copywriter/Concept Designer), Chris Eggli, Martin Stauch, Roli Hofer, Claude Schaub (Art Direction), Isabelle Buehler (Graphics), Peter Schäfer (Planning Director), Andreas Sedmak (Group Account Director), Dominic Hoegger (Account Director), Sarah Gianesi, Desiree Guzman (Consulting), Caroline Webb (Head of Art Buying). Responsible at Pumpkin Film AG: Sonja Brand, Claudia Brand (Producer), Martin Werner (Director), Peter Brandt, Sascha Haber, Martin Gardeler (Post Production), Varhan Bauer, Lars Daniel Terkelsen (Music). Sound studios: Hastings AG, NJP Tonstudio AG: Daniel Wuethrich, Nadin Hadorn, Thomas Pfeiffer, Leos Gerteis (sound engineers). Photo production: Tina Aich, Serge Hoeltschi (photographer), Patrik Rohner (retouching). Text: Carole Scheidegger

 
Matter & Gretener is delighted to have a new client. Following an agency evaluation, Autogrill Switzerland has decided to work with the Zurich agency. The catering company with 1300 employees specializes in catering on freeways, in airports, railroad stations, shopping centers and city centers. The first works will soon be on display. 

 
The French-speaking Swiss beer brand Cardinal has come up with something very special for the football festival of the year: football fans who didn't get a ticket for the European Championships should be able to take the European Championships home with them as a consolation. At the center is the key visual with the campaign claim "The stadium is with you", which shows fans on a sofa. The main prize is an all-round service for five football parties. Cardinal will supply the winner with catering, fan chairs, fan shirts and fan scarves. The Zurich agency Startbahnwest is implementing the promotional measures for Cardinal, which include below-the-line, POS, packaging and Internet for the catering and retail sectors. The new media house mitLinks has graphically implemented and programmed the promotional website.
Responsible at Feldschlösschen:
Philipp Wetzel (Marketing Manager), Chantal Weibel (Senior Brand Manager), Jérôme Rueff (Brand Manager). Responsible at Startbahnwest: Hartmut Vetter (Strategic Planning), Zoe Maritz, Yves Burgener (Consulting), Rüdiger Flothmann (CD), Christine Manger (AD), Natasa Maricic (Text), Gesine Dittrich, Anita Lutz (Graphics). Responsible at mitLinks: Patrizia Lehmann (project management), Watezz Bleuer (design & flash programming), Pius Kraushaar (design & flash programming).

 
In 1958, the commercial art section of the Association of Visual Artists in Germany (VBKD) called on all graphic artists in the GDR to design posters for peace. The reproductions were then exhibited under the title "Peace of the World" at Alexanderplatz subway station in Berlin, on the U2 line between East and West. This was the birth of an exhibition project that lasted almost 50 years and turned the U2-Alexanderplatz station into a permanent advertising-free, art-determined zone, in which a few hundred artists took part - including Pablo Picasso. After the fall of the Wall, the project was continued by a new artistic project group under the name "Art instead of advertising" - and sponsored by the city of Berlin. According to a report in the TAZ newspaper, the Berliners (probably the Ossis) clearly enjoyed not being grinned at by happily consuming beings who all seemed to come from another planet. Free space had been marked out here. Mr. Kuno from Vereinigte Verkehrs-Reklame probably had a more sober view. He probably felt that the 130,000 marks in rental income that had fallen victim to art was a painful sacrifice.
In 2007, the city of Berlin must have felt that this was a painful renunciation (as we all know, it is completely broke). It sold the advertising company responsible for Berlin's train stations to JCDecaux - and with it the control. The billboard company and the project group were subsequently unable to reach an agreement. In February 2008, the globally unique and internationally renowned exhibition project came to an end. In its obituary, the project group wrote that urban planning and politics around the world were now reacting to the precarious imbalance between advertising, architecture and public space. A city like Berlin, on the other hand, which is advertised as a cultural metropolis and has become a magnet for artists and art lovers, is losing a considerable asset here.
On the other hand, the new tenant of the advertising space at the U2-Alexanderplatz station has gained a very special asset. After all, not every poster company can claim to be able to rent out advertising space on a former Picasso. But there is also something dubious about having this reputation.

 The 14-year-old nude picture of the current Madame Sarkozy caused a huge stir last week. British tabloids printed it in large print in time for the island visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his sweetheart Carla Bruni. The nude picture, shot by star photographer Michel Comte as a safer sex campaign, is now to go under the hammer - but the proceeds will not go to Beat Richner's Cambodian children's hospital Kantha Bopha, as reported by Die Bunte and the Sonntag newspaper. Richner did confirm to SDA that he had received a corresponding offer. However, he declined "out of respect for the French and Cambodian governments". There would probably have been a lot to be gained: Comte expects a six-figure sum to be realized for his painting. However, Richner, whose hospital is in great need of donations, does not want to be associated with this particular photo. If he were to accept money from the proceeds of a photo of the naked French president's wife, it would degrade his institution. Note that Richner is a pediatrician, not a veterinarian. But he's certainly smart enough to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 The Tamedia classifieds market Piazza has entrusted the complete search engine marketing mandate to the agency Angelink yourposition. The Zurich-based search engine experts are thus responsible for all measures relating to the search engine presence of the Tamedia subsidiary, as the agency announced. This includes search engine optimization, campaign management with Google Adwords, web analytics services and ROI analyses.

  The staff of Radio Suisse Romande (RSR) are threatening to go on strike. They are demanding that a computer scientist who denounced a case of child pornography be reinstated. The computer scientist discovered the images in 2005 at the home of a member of management and made the case public at the beginning of March, whereupon the investigating magistrate's office intervened. The computer scientist was subsequently dismissed and the management member in question was suspended until the proceedings were concluded (see
). At a staff meeting on Monday, those present declared that the reinstatement of the IT specialist was interpreted as the "only credible sign" that the management had the will to change management methods. 165 of around 600 employees were present at the meeting. They gave the management an ultimatum until 5 p.m. on Friday, April 4. If the re-employment of the IT specialist is not officially communicated by then, another staff meeting will be organized next Monday with the aim of organizing strike action during the week.

 
The Ruf Lanz advertising agency has been promoting Airport Outlet in Rümlang since 2001. This time, the agency moved quickly: The latest store poster refers to the 0:4 debacle of the Swiss national football team against Germany. The picture of a dismayed Köbi Kuhn is accompanied by the mocking note: "Would you like to go where nobody knows you? The Airport Outlet offers trekking shoes and outdoor fashion from top brands at factory prices." Creative Director Markus Ruf comments: "We know from many interviews that Köbi Kuhn likes to retreat to Mount Rigi to escape the media hype. Perhaps this time he feels the need to go a little further afield...."
Responsible at Airport Outlet: Peter Wider (overall responsibility). Responsible at Ruf Lanz: Markus Ruf and Danielle Lanz (CD), Torsten Maas (text), Grit Wolany (AD) and Michèle Leibacher (consulting).

 
Following the defeat against Germany, there is now also the threat of a slump on the money front: according to a report in the Sonntagszeitung, the 14 main Swiss Euro sponsors are not fulfilling their obligations adequately. According to their contract with Uefa, in addition to their official commitment they also have to support the fan zones in the host cities of Bern, Basel, Geneva and Zurich. So far, however, the Euro officials are not enthusiastic. "Below expectations", they say from Basel and Zurich. Bern and Geneva are "disappointed". Only UBS is committed everywhere in line with expectations. According to the Sonntagszeitung, the arrangement should have generated around one million francs per city. The problem for the cities is that, despite their inactivity, the sponsors have exclusive rights that prevent other companies from similar sectors from sponsoring.

 
Telebasel, the regional television station for north-western Switzerland, is appointing 32-year-old Dominik Prétôt from Basel as its new managing director as of April 1, 2008. Together with the expansion process that began in October 2007, the station wants to prepare itself for operation with a license. Telebasel is the only broadcaster to have applied for a TV license for north-western Switzerland (see: )
Prétòt has been a regular recording manager for various programs at Telebasel since 2002. He worked as a cinema operator at East Cinémas and for Helvetia Versicherungen, Messe Schweiz (Art Basel) and the Baselland Chamber of Commerce. His predecessor Willy Surbeck will concentrate on journalistic matters, according to the press release issued on Sunday.
The strengthening of the management team also takes place in view of the separation of programming and advertising prescribed by the Federal Council. While Pia Bossert, who has been Head of Finance for many years, is retiring, Diana Bevilacqua will join the management team for sponsorship and marketing and Linus Pauls for in-house production.
For the expansion of the program, as described in the license application, 18 additional 100 percent positions for program creators are required. Telebasel currently employs 73 people, almost half of them full-time. The necessary expansion already began in October 2007 with the move to a larger studio.
In the application to the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) for a TV license in Northwestern Switzerland, a full program of two hours per day from Monday to Friday from 6 p.m. was announced. Every Saturday, a regional live recording from the fields of music, theater, cabaret or gala events is broadcast. The principle of continuous repeats will be abolished. However, the 7vor7 program will remain in the program in the proven hourly loop from 8.00 pm.

 After weeks of discussions, Zurich's public transport authority (VBZ) has rejected a request from fashion company Tally Weijl for an advertising streetcar during the European Football Championship. In a report in the Sonntagszeitung newspaper, Renata Huber from the city's Department of Industrial Operations said that the streetcar would have been "too indecent". "We would not have been able to justify it." The vehicle would have featured a scantily clad model in Tally Weijl clothing, as well as silhouettes of female football fans who would have made unambiguous offers to footballers on speech bubbles: "Be my lover, Michael", or: "Marek, I want a child with you." "Clearly sexist", said Dore Heim, head of the Zurich Equal Opportunities Office, according to the Sonntagszeitung newspaper; the streetcar conveyed an "absolutely stereotypical gender image". In Basel, the same streetcar has already been running on lines 10 and 11 for two weeks.

In the new campaign by Sulzer, Sutter for the furniture store Mobitare, the special feature of each individual piece of Mobitare furniture or accessory is to be emphasized. The furnishings take center stage precisely because of their absence. According to the agency, anyone who has one or more Mobitare pieces in their home should not be surprised if guests have no eyes for anything else. The new campaign can now be seen on posters in the Zurich area for two weeks.
Responsible at Mobitare:
Christine Roth (Head of Communications), Mathias Faerber (Category Manager Mobitare). Responsible at Sulzer, Sutter: Michael Kathe (Creative Direction), Florian Bachofen, Sandro Nicotera (Art Direction), Sini Oh (Graphics), Sven Oeschger (Strategy), Manuela Gualeni, Roland Sutter (Consulting), Toni Leimer (Photography).