Britain's young people are addicted to cell phones. At least a quarter of all cell phone users under the age of 25 claim to be "addicted", according to a recent study by the London School of Economics and mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse. Furthermore, no one in Europe sends as many text messages as the British. This is also confirmed by recent studies by the Universal McCann agency. The way in which users use their cell phones is also the most developed on the island. According to Pressetext, no other country in Europe uses high-tech functions as much as the UK. In the 25 to 30 age group, 20 percent still say they are addicted to their cell phones. The question now is when there will be 12-point plans for withdrawal from cell phone addiction and when the first clinics will offer expensive programs for the same purpose. At that point, we will certainly be able to see paparazzi photos of celebrities à la Lindsay Lohan and Keith Urban in the tabloids - as they attempt to overcome their addiction to cell phones by staying in a luxury rehab clinic.

Political advertising is omnipresent. There is not a bus stop in sight without a poster, new commercials appear on YouTube every day and portraits framed by party colors literally jump out at you when you open a newspaper. Switzerland has never experienced such a flood of advertising during national elections as this year. Advertising Week asked communication and advertising experts what they think. According to the experts, Swiss parties do not particularly shine when it comes to advertising. "From a professional perspective, there is only one party that has understood what advertising is. For the others, it's just advertising. The SVP is the only party that manages to get to the heart of issues," says Pius Walker from the "smallest agency in the world" of the same name.
Alfred Köcher, CEO of the communications agency Pleon C-Matrix Switzerland, is slightly nostalgic and reminisces about an FDP that really had something to say ten years ago: "I miss the content of the conservative parties and I don't like the SVP's campaign. I would like to be able to say that I think something is really good, but compared to other countries, we are at a modest level here in Switzerland in terms of advertising," he regrets.
Hermann Strittmatter, founder and head of the advertising agency GGK, is much more radical: "No matter what the parties do, their campaigns don't stand a chance against the media public. The only one that tries is the SVP. The more stupid their advertising is, the better it is. It really is just hilarious."
Irreversible cretinism, alibis and masturbation templates Instead of conveying messages, the election campaigns degenerate into meaningless justification exercises, according to the advertising experts. As Köcher says, "it's no use handing out packets of spaghetti to people. They know how to feed their families. What they are interested in is who is going to create more nursery places and how."
For Strittmatter, the election campaigns are hopeless: "Yesterday they were handing out apples at Stadelhofen station. That's irreversible cretinism!" he says and adds: "You simply have to have done something. The advertising materials are nothing but alibis and masturbation templates!"
Walker, on the other hand, has not yet given up hope of better election campaigns and believes the most important factor for success is the attitude of the parties: "A good campaign requires courage and consensus, not reservations. So far, only the SVP seems to have understood this. They are doing advertising that people will notice. I can only wish the other parties something like that at the moment."
For Köcher, being noticed is not the top and only priority in an election campaign: "I travel a lot and it affected me when I got hold of a newspaper in Germany and saw pictures of the riots in Bern on the front page. Switzerland has made a lot of headlines there recently, not least because of the SVP sheep. People asked me what was actually going on here, because normally very little is reported about the Swiss Confederation." The public affairs specialist misses clear positioning from the other parties. In his opinion, their vague election statements are causing a certain lack of orientation and uncertainty among the target groups.
Top performance: Migros leads the way Strittmatter is quite different. At the keyword election campaign, the advertiser cries out: "The elections are over!" and skillfully and theatrically rages against the journalist who has just disturbed him during the grape harvest on the vineyard. When asked whether he really didn't like anything about the political advertising, Strittmatter suddenly remembers that he has actually seen something pleasant for the first time today: "Do you know the new Migros posters?" he asks slightly mischievously. "Today I saw a huge poster of Markus Arnold's daughter in her underwear. I really liked it - aesthetically, of course, but also symbolically, because it was obviously not a rash move. After all, her father is president of the Zurich CVP and the little girl wants to be a member of the National Council herself. The poster shows that she is capable of ironizing the political class."
Well, if skimpy lingerie isn't enough to get you into the election campaign, you can always follow the tip that Walker has coaxed out of her: "It's simply important that the parties commit themselves and really stand up for what they stand for. The Greens, for example, have scientifically proven, clear and relevant messages at their disposal. Now they need to get them across simply and boldly."
 
Natalie Favre

  In future, the ÖKK Basel insurance group will serve the Swiss market on a segment-specific basis and will operate under the Sympany brand name from January 1, 2008. In recent years, ÖKK Basel, ÖKK Switzerland and Krankenkasse 57 have developed from a regional health insurance company into an insurance group operating throughout Switzerland. In future, the company intends to streamline its organization and operate under the Sympany umbrella brand. Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett will be in charge of Sympany's communication measures. The Zurich-based creative agency was awarded the contract following a competitive presentation. The first works can be seen in mid-November.

The McCann Erickson agency is launching a campaign to show that Swisscom now offers everything you need for a modern office. One Workplace is the name of this all-inclusive offer that Swisscom is now offering its business customers. The ads for it will appear in the fall in the financial and business journals.
Responsible at McCann Erickson Switzerland:
Peter Rettinghausen (CD), Tom Kees (AD), Susanne Jungbluth (Group Account Director), Adrian Zuber (Account Executive).

Just a few months after leaving Ringier, the "doctor of the nation" is launching a new free magazine called Sprechstunde mit Doktor Samuel Stutz, a quarterly publication that, according to 20 Minuten, covers just about every ailment that can make life difficult for Mr. and Mrs. Swiss. The first edition will be launched on Monday with 300,000 copies, which will be available in 1600 post offices. Stutz has written all the articles in the first edition himself. According to the doctor, he is bearing the financing and risk alone, but a quarter of the first issue already consists of advertisements. According to 20 Minuten, the media company Ringier, which publishes Gesundheit Sprechstunde, has taken note of the new competition.

The Walliseller advertising agency group Draftfcb/Lowe Group is in the running for gold at the London International Awards as a finalist with three entries. In the "Outdoor Billboard" category with the "BSW Street Safety Soccer" campaign and in the "Print" category with the two ads "Monster" and "Hiding" for Greenpeace.

The cigarette manufacturer Chesterfield is launching cigarillos on the market that are handmade in the Dominican Republic. The Wunderman Zurich agency has developed a campaign for the launch that emphasizes this fact and features a strong visual language. According to a press release, the image by photographer Steven Meisel expresses the uncompromising attitude, rebellion and intensity of life that is so characteristic of the Chesterfield connoisseurs. The colors and scenery are intended to accentuate the Caribbean origin of the cigarillos. Wunderman has developed posters, advertisements, mailings, folders, POS activities and promotions for the integrated above- and below-the-line campaign for Chesterfield cigarillos, which are being used with immediate effect. Responsible at Chesterfield:
Caroline Jelski (Brand Manager), Richard Williams (Brand Executive). Responsible at Wunderman Zurich: Sylvia Kohler (Consultant), Roger Rüegger (Creative Director), Claudia Arsuffi (Art Director), Franziska Imhof and Ivan Madeo (Text).

The annual Zug Trade Fair is once again having its entire advertising presence created and implemented by the Zug advertising agency Dynamite Advertising in 2007. With the wonderfully compact claim "Wow" and a bug-eyed female face, the Zug advertising agency Dynamite Advertising wants to make the Zug Trade Fair appealing to the viewer. According to the agency's press release, the campaign is intended to show how diverse, great and surprising the offerings of the largest trade fair in Central Switzerland are.

Far away, beyond the mountains of words, far from the lands of vowels and consonants, live the placeholder texts. Far away, beyond the mountains of words, far from the lands of vowels and consonants, live the placeholder texts. Attila Mihók, 31, will become General Manager of Ringier in Hungary, and his predecessor, Béla Papp, will serve as Head of Business Development for Ringier, according to a press release from the publisher.Attila Mihók, General Manager of Ringier Serbia, is taking over as head of Ringier’s publishing operations in Hungary, succeeding Béla Papp. At the same time, Mihók—who holds degrees in computer science and economics—will continue to lead Ringier’s operations in Serbia, a role he has held since January 1, 2004. Mihók, 31, has been with Ringier since 1998.
Béla Papp will assume the newly created position of Head of Business Development effective November 1. The 46-year-old will be responsible for developing new business areas and will report directly to Thomas Trüb, Head of the New Media Division. Béla Papp studied history and diplomacy at Georgetown University (USA) and worked for the Economist Group in Vienna from 1987 to 1996, including as the first editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine Business Central Europe. He then worked at ABN Amro Bank as CEE Marketing and Communications Director and, starting in 1999, served as Head of Business Press and Internet Divisions at Sanoma in Budapest.
During his nearly five years with Ringier in Hungary, Béla Papp oversaw the further development of Ringier’s Hungarian tabloid *Blikk* while also leading strategic growth in the areas of magazines, online, print, events, book publishing, and distribution. According to Ringier, revenue grew by 60 percent during this period, and profits nearly tripled. Béla Papp will continue to hold a position at the delivery service company Medialog.
 
Photo: Attila Mihók

Sandra Huber-Füglister has been appointed as the new advertising manager of the publisher Saisonküche. She succeeds Reto Feurer, who is now only responsible for Migros Magazin, as detailed in a press release. With the further development of the special edition Saisonelle into a women's magazine and Saisonküche, there are now two titles to manage. This has tipped the scales in favor of an independent sales team. Saisonelle will be launched in February 2008. Sandra Huber-Füglister came to Migros Magazin after holding various positions at the major publishing houses in German-speaking Switzerland, including six years at Tamedia. She worked there for three years as a key account manager for Migros Presse and has been in charge of Saisonelle since December 2006.

 The paper manufacturer Sappi has presented the 2007 "Sappi Print Media Efficiency Award" to the German car manufacturer Audi and the advertising agency Kempertrautmann. The award went to the campaign for the launch of the new Audi Q7 SUV, which included print media, television, Internet and customer relationship management to support the launch of the premium SUV on the German, Italian and Spanish markets in March 2006. The agency spent around 40 percent of the budget on print media. Primarily pan-European and national daily newspapers, automotive and business magazines were selected as print media. Sappi presented the award in Brussels as part of the Euro Effie Awards 2007.

The editorial team of the new commuter newspaper News, which will be launched by the three daily newspapers Basler Zeitung, Berner Zeitung and Tages-Anzeiger before the end of the year, is currently growing steadily. Tamedia named further names at the request of Werbewoche. Journalists from various titles are joining the latest commuter paper. Editor-in-chief Philippe Pfister, who has worked for the Sonntagszeitung, Blick and Luzern Neuste Nachrichten, among others, and was most recently a member of the editorial board of Facts, has recruited numerous journalists in recent weeks.
The 45-year-old Christian Maurer will take up the position of editor-in-chief and also act as deputy editor-in-chief. He began his journalistic career at the SDA. He then wrote for the now defunct free newspaper Metropol before moving to the Sonntagszeitung as deputy head of news in 2001. Mauerer has been working for the Tages-Anzeiger for a year as the editor of the Blauer Bund.
As was already known, Stefan Regez has been appointed Head of News. The 36-year-old was a member of the management of Gossweiler Media from 1999 to the end of 2006, including five years as editor-in-chief of the Jungfrau Zeitung. Prior to this, Stefan Regez worked as a freelance journalist and as a personal advisor to the Mayor of Thun, Hans-Ueli von Allmen. He has been working as a consultant for the Zurich communications agency Zenhäusern & Partner since the beginning of 2007.
Rolf Hürzeler is taking over the position of Head of Culture. After studying English, the 45-year-old worked as a freelance journalist in England before taking up the position of deputy editor-in-chief at the TV and cinema magazine Tele for six years. For the past eleven years, Rolf Hürzeler has worked as media and culture editor at the news magazine Facts.
Flavia Giorgetta will be working for News in the culture department and in production. During her studies in English and Film Studies, she worked as a freelance proofreader for 20 Minuten, which she headed for two years. After graduating, she worked as a research assistant at the University of the Arts in the film department and spent a year abroad. A year ago, the 34-year-old returned to the proofreading department at 20 Minuten.
Joël Widmer is taking up the position of political editor. The 30-year-old studied history at the University of Bern and completed a traineeship at the Sonntagszeitung newspaper over the past year and a half. The MAZ graduate also gained practical experience as a freelance journalist at the Bernese newspaper BZ.
The 26-year-old Dani Glaus completed his studies in business communication at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in the fall of 2007. He will be working for News as a domestic editor. Dani Glaus gained professional experience in internships at the Canal 3 radio station in Biel and at the Sonntagszeitung newspaper. Last year, he also worked as a freelancer for the market and business section of the Neue Luzerner Zeitung.
Sebastian Rieder has signed up as sports editor. The 27-year-old originally started his career as a banking apprentice at UBS, but then switched from the trainee programme to the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in Winterthur, where he graduated in journalism and organizational communication in 2006. During his studies, he completed an internship in the editorial department of Sport Aktuell on Swiss television. Since 2006, he has been working in Stäfa in the sports department of the local editorial office of the Tages-Anzeiger.
Alexandra Bröhm becomes culture editor at News. After graduating with a degree in history, she worked as a freelance journalist and translator. Bröhm then joined the Sonntagszeitung as a multimedia editor in 2000. Since 2004, Alexandra Bröhm has been working again as a freelance journalist for various media.
Claudia Schmid, the new people and culture editor, started her journalistic career at the youth newspaper Toaster. She then worked as a music editor and producer at Viva and wrote as a design editor for the architecture magazine Hochparterre. For the last two and a half years, she has worked as an editor for the Entertainment & News section of the Berner Zeitung.
Ruth Cipriani will be head of photography at the new commuter newspaper. For the past four years, she has worked in the photo editorial department of Facts, where she took over as head last year. The 45-year-old originally worked as a federal marketing planner in advertising before moving to Keystone as a photographer and becoming head of photography at the Sonntagszeitung. Ruth Cipriani will be supported at News by photo editor Jacqueline Lenherr, who is moving from the Cash photo editorial team to News.
Art director and head of the layout team will be the trained structural draughtsman and graphic designer Tobias Schär. After a brief stint in advertising, he started as Deputy Art Director at Sonntagsblick in 2001, before helping to shape the layout and concept of the children's newspaper as Art Director at Cracks for Kids in 2003. Since the beginning of 2004, the 33-year-old has been working as Deputy Art Director at Sonntagszeitung and also works for the trade union Unia and the labor newspaper Work.
Thomas Fritschi is taking up the position of infographic artist and will also work in layout. He trained as a scientific illustrator and has worked as an infographic artist for the news magazine Facts for the past seven years. The 37-year-old also works as an artist and musician.
Andrea Brändli and Samuel Bosshard, who has just completed his apprenticeship as a polygrapher at Tamedia, also work in the layout department.
Andrea Schuhmacher and Anton Rohr will be proofreading the new commuter newspaper.
The team is supported by editorial assistant Bea Pisciottano, who previously worked for Weltwoche.

The new commuter newspaper News is published under the titles News Basler Zeitung, News Berner Zeitung and News Tages-Anzeiger with a total circulation of around 330,000 copies. A total of 34 new jobs will be created, 26.5 in the independent editorial office in Zurich and 7.5 in the publishing house.