Awards Lürzer's Archive publishes good advertising not only in its bi-monthly magazine, but also online at luerzersarchive.net. Every week, a winning work in the film and print category is selected there. The current title "Ad of the Week" goes to the Leica campaign "Zoom" by AY&R, which has already been successful at Epica and Eurobest. 

Paper
Paperworld, the premier international trade fair for the paper, office supplies, and stationery industry, will take place in Frankfurt am Main from January 23 to 27, 2008.Major brands such as Brunnen, Casio, Durable, Edding, Faber-Castell, Mondi Business Paper, Novus, Schwan-Stabilo, Sigel, Stora Enso, and Uhu will be exhibiting. They secured their spots at the world’s leading trade fair well in advance to showcase their new products in the areas of paper and stationery, office and school supplies, desk accessories, hobby and art supplies, as well as computer and printer supplies. Companies such as Smead, Staedtler, Läufer & Gutenberg, Martin Yale, and Pébéo—which did not exhibit at Paperworld last year—are also returning in 2008. Over five days, Paperworld 2008 will bring together the latest product innovations from all segments of the industry, uniting market leaders with innovative small businesses, offering inspiration, trends, and plenty of opportunities to exchange information.
Next year, the Paperworld Imaging section (Hall 4.0) will also focus more heavily on the topic of conferencing for the first time. It will feature products related to presentations, meetings, and professional development. In collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute, exhibitors« innovations will be showcased through product demonstrations in specially designed, state-of-the-art media rooms. Scientists and product specialists will provide insights into the current state and future development of this market.
Numerous award ceremonies will also take place at Paperworld 2008. For years, the British trade magazine OPI has chosen Paperworld as the venue for the European Office Product Awards. In 2008, it will once again recognize outstanding achievements within the office supplies industry.
www.paperworld.de

Christmas. It’s an Advent Sunday on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse. Vladimir and Olga are arguing loudly. Passersby are standing around them, looking completely confused. V: «Who is this gift for?»
O: «For my sister.»
W: «I have a different one for Anouschka.»
O: «Why?»
W: «She’ll get a cheaper one.»
O: «And who is that for?»
W: «For my father.»
O: «He’s getting the expensive designer bag.»
W: «Of course.»
O: «Your family always gets the very best.»
W: «Yes, because your family didn’t pay for the wedding.»
Bodyguard:
«We have to go. People are watching.»
Olga throws a gift at Vladimir.
W: «You bitch. That candlestick is one of a kind.»
O: «I don’t care. I paid for it anyway.»
W: «With what money, please? I’m the one paying for everything.»
O: «In your dreams. My family is richer. And my sister is getting this gift.»
W: «Why are these people standing around us?»
O: «They’re Swiss. We’re in Zurich. Don’t you know that?»
Bodyguard:
«The situation is too dangerous. We have to leave.»
W+O: «I love you.»
What reads here as a dispute between two newly wealthy Russians (short version) was actually a staged guerrilla marketing campaign two weeks ago. The message: eBay.ch makes pre-Christmas shopping completely stress-free. The concept was developed by the Basel-based agency Favo. As funny and entertaining as the stunt was, none of the passersby realized that eBay.ch was promoting itself. (cl)

Communication
Once a year, there’s a conference that delivers eight hours of adrenaline. Conveniently, the «Battle of Big Thinking» also provides a no-holds-barred update on our entire industry. London, fall 2007. Seven disciplines, three speakers each, 15-minute presentations: Afterward, the audience in the hall votes live to decide the winner. Representatives from all the agencies making waves right now are in the audience: BBDO, Wieden, Naked, BBH, Fallon, JWT, Saatchi, DDB, Mother. But an increasing number of attendees from companies like Google, Shell, and O2 are also at this second-annual debate. With or without a barrage of PowerPoint slides—the overarching critique from the strategists, market researchers, marketing professionals, and advertisers behind the lectern runs like a common thread through the packed day. Advertising is dead. The ad agency is dead. The idea is dead. Long live the brand. But how, exactly?
"Not necessarily an end to the idea itself, but for God’s sake, an end to the sectarian cult surrounding the idea," demanded David Golding of RKCR/Young & Rubicam. Are we all too submissive and obsessed with the compulsion to come up with a good idea? First, the idea is just one of many ways to build strong brand communication. And second, consumers simply don’t care. Even without an idea, colorful iPod posters delight, drumming gorilla commercials for Cadbury fascinate, and “food porn” videos lure female shoppers back to Marks & Spencer.
Richard Huntington, the planner at adliterate.com, offers a more radical reinterpretation of the classic role of advertising: Advertising is the new “below-the-line.” Used purely tactically, it has limited value. Otherwise, it’s vastly overrated for brand management, because a comprehensive brand experience can be staged much better and more completely online anyway. Audio. Video. Content. Entertainment. You can’t do without any of it. Today’s brand stories are simply too big for advertising.
From the marketing department came the bold suggestion that, in the future, brands should be managed using the “Gandhi approach” rather than the “Stalin approach.” Flu Hazlitt’s forceful statement turned out to be, in plain English, a familiar customer complaint: We should stop using negative advertising. The managing director of GCap Media, which markets England’s largest radio network, complained that negative advertising works only like sensational headlines in the media, which boost sales figures and ratings in the short term. Positive headlines, on the other hand, instill hope, inspiration, and desirability in a brand.  
The delusion of omnipotence when it comes to brand management was particularly glaring in the case of former campaign strategist Joel Levy, who has worked for both Clinton and Blair. The veteran strategist impressively explained how commercial communication simply needs to learn the right lessons from political campaigning: total focus on a single opponent. Define strengths, weaknesses, and messages on a single sheet of paper. Lock all decision-makers around a table in the war room. And now go all out against the so-called «swings»—the swing voters, or rather, swing buyers—because you can forget about the loyal ones anyway. The whole thing is understood as a chess game with scenarios. What is my next move, what will the competition do, and what, in turn, are my responses and options? It’s interesting how classic research is mutating into “pre-search” in this context. There’s no time for lab tests, and they wouldn’t be reliable anyway—only real-time counts. The strategy must constantly adapt in the form of rolling planning.
Less combative, but all the more compelling and striking, was the speech by designer Vicky Bullen. She made a case for the underestimated importance of «beauty.» «Beauty» has become such a maligned term, she said, that it’s really been dragged through the mud. Yet beauty offers a brand a great deal of power. It works much the same way as it does with people. Even our little ones react to it. When shown photos, the children surveyed assumed that the pretty-looking nanny was less likely to hit them. Beauty is a decisive factor in the choice of everyday consumer goods. Furthermore, it’s worth thinking about. Beauty is much more than just superficiality and aesthetics. Beauty also has an ethical and moral dimension. Green thinking and fair trade are part of that. In this way, true beauty can decisively set a brand apart in its category (see Dylon laundry detergent in England).
Unconditional Service Model: Fetch.com was another clear vision. A kind of butler service as a brand model. Fetch.com doesn’t exist, but it would organize everything—exactly when and exactly where I really need it. Jim Hytner from Barclays‘ Retail Banking Marketing presented the unconditional service model as an alternative to all the brands that constantly steal our time by denying us «instant response» and immediate interaction. «Instant gratification» is the only brand concept with a future in an ever-accelerating age. Ordering products immediately from TV commercials. Making friends instantly on Facebook. Replying to emails right away on a BlackBerry. Brands that fail to learn from this are a thing of the past.
But that’s just it. Painting everything in black and white wasn’t enough. Neither was sugarcoating it, nor complaining. Almost as a matter of course, it was the New Media category that produced the day’s winner. Simon Waterfall from Poke won over the audience with his charm and mischief. Instead of giving an answer, he wanted to pose 15 questions. Ironically, the «Biggest Thinker of them all»—as chosen by the audience—became the very victim of his own analysis of the rampant pace of change. In 15 minutes, he only made it to question 10. What should we do in an age when digitization is advancing as fast as dog years—at least seven times faster than human reality? What to do when MySpace, with its 400 million users, is already as big as the country of Brazil? Opening a new page on MySpace is roughly the same as sending a postcard to Brazil with only a first name on it. What to do when everything is getting more and more perfect: noonebelongsheremorethanyou.com? What to do when you want to keep a diary for yourself and for all your various online personas at the same time? What to do?
In the end, three short terms stuck with me that are easy to remember: 1. Visceral. 2. Point of view. 3. Facebook.
1. «Visceral» is the new buzzword for outstanding campaigns and brand experiences. “Visceral” literally means “relating to the viscera.” In other words, it can’t be strictly rationalized—it’s just good for no particular reason. Whether it’s the Orangina extravaganza, the wacky twins from 118 118 (1818 in Germany), or O2’s blue wonderland—somehow, you just find them brilliantly visceral.
2. A point of view—that’s what a brand absolutely needs to spark genuine engagement among consumers. To quote Huntington: «Nobody cares about your positioning; everyone cares only about your position.» This applies to people as well as brands. People only want to interact with someone they can connect with—someone who takes a clear stance. Examples of such a point of view include: Omo on stains (“Dirt is good”), Mastercard on money (“There are things more valuable”), and Dove on the body (“Every woman is beautiful”).
3. Facebook has become a must. If you’re not on it, you’re out of the loop. Sure, it’s often dismissed as the ‘McDonald’s” of social networks. But that’s exactly why Facebook is so popular—because it’s so simple. Even the CEO of British Rail or the CFO of Nagra can figure it out after work.
There was a slight lack of truly big ideas about how a brand story can succeed today. This may have had something to do with the fact that a crucial category was missing: «Big Brand Thinking.» Maybe next year?
Pascal Schaub, President of the Account Planning Group Switzerland

Advertising Week and Tele are looking for the "Advertising Campaign of the Year". You decide which of these twelve strong ideas will win the coveted title. Vote and win! 
 
List of candidates
and  

Column
On the evening before the "Day without Sarkozy", the President went on television: 19 million viewers - but already a little less approval.
"Sarkozy and the media" is a never-ending story. The president appears on television three times more often than his predecessors. Sequences that are not shown by French broadcasters - private and public - are circulating on the Internet. For example, his appearance at the G8 summit in Germany, where he appeared rather tipsy at the final press conference. Or when he somehow loses his nerve. Like in a conversation with journalist Lesley Stahl, who interviewed him for the "60 Minutes" program on CBS in the Elysée before his state visit to the United States. It was shortly before the divorce, and Lesley Stahl also asked him about his wife. Sarkozy stood up and left the room, his last remark "what a complete idiot" clearly audible. He is said to have been referring to his media advisor, who was not in control of the questionnaire or the reporter. "What's the problem?" she shouts after him in disbelief and can't believe it. Of course, CBS broadcast the sequence in full. And on YouTube or DailyMotion, millions of French people have also seen their unruly president. Sarko is a cult figure on the net - and this is a welcome correction to the cult of personality that the French media has staged around him. And directed by Sarkozy himself.
The media people have to follow his monkey pace. He changes his program every day, to the despair of the journalists accredited to him. Numerous media outlets have been forced to assign a second correspondent to Sarkozy. There is hardly any time left to think, research and delve deeper - and that is precisely Sakozy's strategy. Every day a scoop, a sensation, an appearance that makes the previous day's event appear to be a primeval story.
The news broadcasters, however, are jubilant: "He's in charge of the entire program," enthuses the head of LCI: "Thanks to Sarkozy, there's always something going on." And it's cheap. His colleague from rival broadcaster i-télé is just as enthusiastic: "He's always up to date." The chief correspondent at TF1 groans under the abundance of attractive images, which he can no longer fit into the daily news. Mitterrand, a Socialist, and Chirac, a Newaullist, were very different people and presidents. But, surprisingly, they had the same media advisor. The latter preached moderation, scarcity - it was certainly a guarantee of their astonishing longevity. The process of wear and tear was slowed down.
Sarkozy, on the other hand, practices permanent presence. Despite occasional bouts of nausea, from which media consumers have not been spared, he has not yet had to worry that his omnipresence could lead to oversaturation. Perhaps not yet. But perhaps under Sarkozy, even this iron media law simply no longer applies.
Back in the summer, a group of media ecologists launched the idea of a "day without Sarkozy" in the media - also a bit of a joke. They agreed on November 30 because Sarkozy had announced his candidacy on this day a year ago. The evening before, the President brought TF1 and France 2 to the Elysée - 19 million viewers. No one knows whether the President was playing a little joke on his critics. It was the first time he had addressed the nation since the strikes. The "day without Sarkozy" became the day on which his presence reached a peak. No newspaper, no audiovisual institution respected the call.
But it was discussed. There were reports about the initiators. Journalists and the media began to reflect on their role.
And apparently the French have also become a little more critical. During the broadcast, the degree of approval or disapproval was measured across all topics: Sarkozy's speech and gestures are viewed more skeptically. It is undoubtedly too early for a massive backlash. But the title under which Le Monde reported on this survey speaks volumes. And suggests that the critical self-reflection of media professionals may not have been without consequences: "Is Sarkozy less well received on television?" asked the newspaper. And almost couldn't believe it. In any case, Sarkozy himself has not changed. Perhaps his advisors will now order him to take a break from broadcasting after all - until the media show signs of deficiency.
 Jürg Altwegg is a correspondent for the Frankfurter Allgemeine in Geneva.
 

Creative Ranking
Walker has taken the top spot in the 2007 rankings. Background and changes for 2008. The most striking shift in *Werbewoche*«s creative rankings has occurred at the top. Pius Walker has risen from 6th place to number 1. Publicis has been demoted from the top spot back to second place, as it was in 2005. It will be interesting to see what upheaval in the rankings Markus Gut and Philipp Skrabal—the two creative directors leaving Publicis at the end of the year—might trigger with their new Y&R Group Switzerland. Advico Young & Rubicam is in 4th place this year. In 2006 and 2005, it was still in 5th place. Ruf Lanz, which topped the list in 2005, has now held onto the bronze medal for the second time. Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett has dropped from 2nd to 6th. Jung von Matt/Limmat has slipped from 4th to 5th. »We’ve been a bit more selective with our submissions” in light of the ever-increasing number of competitions, says Creative Director Alexander Jaggy. This is an issue that is also sparking significant discussions at other agencies. Werbewoche is in close contact with ADC representatives regarding this matter. They intend to adjust the calculations. It should be noted that Euro RSCG’s Audience Award at the Swiss DM Awards was not included in the current ranking. The same applies to the press award for Ruf Lanz at the Golden Ear. Eurobest is included only for 2007 and not for 2006. The category “New York Festivals” also includes the Midas Awards, The Global Awards, and the AME Awards.
Next year, there will be a new scoring system. Points for Cannes, Clio, D&AD, The One Show, and The Cup will each be multiplied by a factor of 7. A factor of 5 applies to ADC Switzerland, and a factor of 6 to ADC of Europe, ADC New York, and Eurobest. The Effie awards triple points. The Swiss Poster Award, Das Goldene Ohr, DM Prize, and Crossmedia Award will be counted as is. The ADC no longer intends to count the Edi, as only purely Swiss productions are eligible for this award. The London Festival, New York Festival, Epica, and Klappe will also be excluded. Otherwise, the official scoring system (entries or campaigns) of the individual competitions will be adopted.
Andreas Panzeri
 
 
Take a look at
the top ten Swiss creative agencies of 2007. 

 Christophe Waeber has been Managing Partner of the two agencies, Vogel Szenenmarketing and Eye Media—both part of the Compresso communications network—since December 1. Vogel Szenenmarketing specializes in communications and scene marketing, while Eye Media focuses on digital communications. Prior to this, Waeber served as Managing Director at Saatchi & Saatchi, Carat, and OMD, among other roles. The 39-year-old holds a degree in marketing and business administration from the University of Basel. In a press release, he expressed his conviction in the power of integrated communication: «I believe with all my heart that holistic, interconnected strategies and concepts—with a strong emphasis on digital communication—achieve the best results.».

 Bertrand Eveno, the former head of the French news agency AFP, and Parisian businessman Vincent Bolloré plan to jointly acquire the French subsidiary of the U.S. news agency AP. Eveno confirmed reports to that effect in the Parisian newspaper *Le Canard enchaîné*. His future partner, Bolloré, is currently building a veritable media empire: he holds significant stakes in the advertising agency Havas, the marketing agency Aegis, the polling institute CSA, the free newspapers Direct Soir and Matin plus, and the TV station Direct8.
According to *Le Canard enchaîné*, his latest acquisition, the Associated Press (AP), is suffering from an acute lack of clients and financial problems: The agency is reporting a loss of 1.4 million euros on revenue of six million euros. The acquisition is therefore unlikely to cost Eveno and Bolloré very much. According to French media, Eveno stated that the project still needs to be approved. He intends to acquire 60 percent of AP France, with Bolloré taking the remaining 40 percent.
Incidentally, Bolloré is a good friend of Nicolas Sarkozy. In fact, he made his private yacht available to the French president after his election victory.

 Wednesday's Federal Council election is now officially a "thriller" in media parlance. But while in "Tatort" and the like it is always clear that the investigators will triumph in the end, everything remained open in the casting for the seventh seat in the national government. During Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf's long journey from Chur to Bern, Reto Brennwald got carried away with a desperate "call for witnesses" on SF. Meanwhile, the editors of 20minuten.ch were able to prove that even in the heat of the moment they can get the superlative "most wanted" correct. After the Blocher conqueror finally, finally arrived in Berne, she turned the country into a gigantic waiting room with the required cooling-off period - and made life difficult for the scribblers of the printed press. The editors-in-chief of the daily newspapers really didn't have an easy job on Wednesday. Whatever they had written in their papers was a waste of time shortly after eight o'clock on Thursday morning: when the elected-but-not-sworn-in Federal Councillor finally says yes or no, even the most profound commentary in the papers is not what readers want to see. Instead, the online media and the evening newspaper Heute will once again have their say. The latter was only just able to get the cooling-off period announcement into the paper. The Ringier paper is to be congratulated on being able to strike again on Thursday - if a chief writer from the paid press doesn't suddenly come up with the idea of digging up the old tradition of the Extrablatt.

Feature Films The world of cinema is Star TV’s world, ever since the channel—dedicated to film, lifestyle, and entertainment—launched in 1995 as Switzerland’s first private broadcaster. Now, this core strength is being expanded even further. Not just as a Christmas gift, but starting in January 2008, Star TV will air a feature film every day during primetime. «We’ve succeeded in acquiring a very attractive package of 200 of the best feature films,» says CEO Paul Grau, proud of his latest coup. This treasure trove includes, among others, legendary works of film history by Spielberg, Polanski, and Hitchcock. Classics such as «Chinatown» with Jack Nicholson (Saturday, Dec. 29), «The Hot One» with Jerry Lewis (Monday, Dec. 31), and Hitchcock’s «The 39 Steps» (Thursday, Jan. 3) will already be shown over the holidays. The feature films are scheduled daily at 8:00 p.m., and on Saturday at 10:00 p.m. at the special request of viewers. «With this new programming concept and these popular feature films, we want to cater to changing viewing habits. The audience wants to see good entertainment during primetime,» explains Grau. A detailed schedule with the new lineup can be found at www.startv.ch.

Lampen Snap Film, in collaboration with the Winterthur-based agency K.M. Marketing, produced a new Osram commercial featuring the well-known comedy duo Lapsus. Lapsus were on tour with Circus Knie this year. They are currently hosting the TV recordings for the Arosa Humor Festival. After Snap Film had already produced commercials this year featuring the cabaret artist Gögi for Incarom, as well as many other entertaining films, Michael Kindermann once again demonstrates his professional expertise in comedy with his new work for Osram. The commercial was directed by rising star Tolga Dilsiz.