According to the Goldbach Electronic Media Index (GEMI), advertising pressure in the electronic media remained at a record level of 377 index points in July, with no growth. TV was the only media category to record an increase of two index points to 388. Radio lost four index points and fell to 257. Teletext also suffered the same development of four minus points, reaching a low of 136 in July. Internet recorded a drop of six index points to 250, although Media Focus had to report that the July figures from two data providers were missing, which Goldbach Media believes explains the decline. The overall market of the media covered by Media Focus remains at 188 index points.

 Climate advocate Al Gore has announced a global competition for the best and most provocative commercial on climate change. "The way opinions are formed in modern societies has a lot more to do with mass advertising than many of us purists would like," said Al Gore in the New York Times. That is why a commercial is the right tool for a climate protection campaign. Governments are reacting far too slowly to the crisis of global warming, Gore emphasized. The competition was launched by the environmental protection organization Alliance for Climate Protection, which was founded by Gore. Gore is hoping for free advertising time on TV channels and large donations to finance broadcasts. The competition marks the start of a three- to five-year advertising campaign on television and the Internet, which aims to draw attention to the need for action on climate protection, such as the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gases.
There is a Toyota for the best spot.
Advertising agencies and private individuals who are not deterred by the conceptual weaknesses of the competition have until
September 12, 2007 to submit eco commercials of 15, 30 and 60 seconds in length.

 The paper trading companies Baumgartner Papier Mägenwil and Biber Papier are being merged in Regensdorf and will now operate under the name Inapa Switzerland. Three years ago, the companies Baumgartner, Biber and Rochat merged under the legal umbrella of Inapa Switzerland. As part of this merger, warehousing and logistics as well as all administrative areas of the company were centralized in Regensdorf. The graphic arts market in German-speaking Switzerland was served by two sales organizations: Baumgartner Papier from Mägenwil and Biber Papier from Regensdorf. The market presence in French-speaking Switzerland was achieved by merging the staff under the name Baumgartner Papier.
The final step in this merger is now taking place, according to a press release with a lock-up period until Tuesday. Baumgartner Papier and Biber Papier will become Inapa Switzerland. The sales teams of Baumgartner Mägenwil and Biber Regensdorf will be merged in Regensdorf under the umbrella of Inapa.

 Just over 30,000 copies of the new regional free weekly newspaper D'Region were published for the first time in Burgdorf on Tuesday. This will provide competition for Aemme-Zytig and Burgdorfer Tagblatt, which merged almost three years ago. The editorial team headed by Martin Rüfenacht has until the end of 2008 to establish the new product. The project was announced at the beginning of August (see: ). Although not the publisher, Haller und Jenzer Holding, publisher of the Anzeiger Burgdorf und Umgebung, is behind the new print product. The impetus for the launch came from the Anzeiger's customers, says D'Region publishing director Peter Schürch when asked by SDA. They wanted a press product that combined information and advertisements in the same way as the Burgdorfer Tagblatt, which belonged to Haller and Jenzer until 2004.
D'Region is now trying to differentiate itself from Aemme-Zytig, which merged with the Burgdorfer Tagblatt at the end of 2004, through its distribution and choice of topics. D'Region is not distributed to the borders of the city of Berne like its competitor, which also covers the Grauholz area. It is published in the Lützelflüh, Burgdorf and Fraubrunnen area and aims to focus on news from the town of Burgdorf
. 

Strategic planner Regula Fecker, art director Oliver Fennel and PR consultant David Schärer are setting up their own communications agency with immediate effect. Under the name Rod Kommunikation, they have already moved into their premises on Neugutstrasse in Zurich-Enge and started work. Rod aims to develop branded creative content concepts for clients with a media-neutral perspective: Creative products and communication solutions that arouse the interest and involvement of the target group. "We start with people and look for new ways to get them interested in a brand. The media and measures we use to do this are completely unbiased compared to the classic agency model," the founders explain their claim in a press release. Fecker, Fennel and Schärer have realized various projects together at Jung von Matt/Limmat over the last seven years. Regula Fecker joined Jung von Matt/Limmat as a strategic planner after returning from TBWA\CHIAT\DAY New York and TBWA\Berlin. Oliver Fennel was involved in setting up the Jung von Matt/Frontend web agency and as art director in numerous campaigns. After two years as Head of Media Relations and one year as a freelance PR consultant, David Schärer took over the management of Jung von Matt/Limmat's PR unit in 2005.
Rod starts work as a team of five and works in collaboration with various freelance creatives. The first projects will be realized in the coming weeks.
Caption from left to right: Oliver Fennel, David Schärer, Regula Fecker

 As of September 1, 2007, Rolf Hertzog will take over the sales management of the National Cinema division at Cinecom, according to a press release issued on Tuesday. He and his team will be responsible for the sale of screen advertising, the marketing of open-air cinemas, promotions, events and advertising screens in cinemas as well as for the print products Close-up and Teleclub magazine.The trained marketing planner and business economist was most recently Project Manager Corporate Communications at the tourism company Hapimag in Baar. Prior to that, he worked as Key Account Manager and Head of Marketing & New Media Services at the multimedia agency Bajka Media/Tronic-Group and as Project Manager Youth and Event Marketing & Sponsoring for the Generation and Campus products at UBS headquarters.
The previous incumbent, Roger Eckerlin, is leaving Cinecom at the end of September at his own request. Eckerlin joined the company six years ago as a TV customer consultant, where he later took over as Head of TV Sales. After five years in the TV division, he moved to the cinema division as National Sales Manager. Roger Eckerlin will be pulling up stakes in Switzerland and taking up a new challenge abroad.

With its sponsorship commitment, Swiss Life is supporting not only the established stars of the national football team but also the younger footballers who will be representing our country at the next European Championships. This commitment was promoted for the second time by the advertising agency Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett. To this end, Philippe Senderos, Tranquillo Barnetta, Johan Djourou and 9 other national team players were given an afternoon off training during their training camp in Magglingen. In return, however, the footballers had to give their best in front of the camera.
In the latest TV commercial, you can see the national team entering the changing room before a match. When changing, however, the players realize that their football kit and shoes are far too small. In the end, it becomes clear that the bags of the junior national team were in the changing room.
The commercial will run for the first time on Wednesday during the friendly match against the Netherlands and will then be used until next summer's European Championship.

 
Responsible at Swiss Life: Andreas Hildenbrand (Head of Group Communications), Corinne Pellerin (Head of Corporate Marketing), Nicole Geretti (Marketing Assistant).
Responsible at Spillmann/ Felser/Leo Burnett, Zurich: Martin Spillmann (CD), Martin Arnold (text), Sebahat Derdiyok (TV production), Matthias Städeli, Andrea Staub, Sarah Laukemann (consulting); responsible at Pumpkin Films (film production): Kaspar Wedenthal (director); Sonja Brand (producer); Alex Kirschner (music); responsible for Media (ZipMedia): Caroline Nünlist.

Pascal Schaub, Head of Strategic Planning at Publicis Zurich, is leaving the agency. Publicis CEO Fredy Collioud confirmed this information to Werbewoche on request. Schaub is leaving the agency after 14 years together because he wants to develop his career. Collioud explained that there had been no conflict with the chief strategist, who is also President of the Account Planning Group: "After 14 years, it can happen that a strategic planner changes jobs". Schaub's desire for a change had been known to Colliuod for six months; attempts had also been made to find him a position within the international network. The Publicis CEO did not want to reveal which company Schaub was moving to. However, he will remain in Switzerland.

Last weekend, an installation by New York photographer Spencer Tunick caused a stir when he photographed 600 volunteers on the Aletsch Glacier to raise awareness of global warming on behalf of Greenpeace. The event was made possible by Greenpeace and Euro RSCG Zurich. «The idea to approach Spencer Tunick came from us,» Frank Bodin, CEO of Euro RSCG Switzerland, told Werbewoche. It wasn’t exactly easy to get Tunick on board: «He’s constantly on the road, hard to reach, and not exactly easy to deal with—just like artists tend to be,» said Bodin. After several attempts, they managed to meet in New York. It helped that Euro RSCG Zurich had already been in contact with Tunick before. The agency served as an intermediary between art and commercial interests. The agency proposed the idea of photographing on the Aletsch Glacier, handled the basic logistics, and managed the contract negotiations. «We drafted 37 different versions before we were finally able to sign the contract with Tunick,» Bodin explained. The decisive factor was that the artist viewed the entire project as a meaningful cause he could get behind. He was also drawn to the idea of working at a location like the Aletsch Glacier. «This glacier is a very clear and compelling symbol of the issues surrounding climate protection,» Bodin explained.
During the campaign, the agency deliberately stayed in the background to give the artist and Greenpeace the space they needed. Bodin himself was not on site. Before last Sunday, however, his agency had its hands full: The campaign was prepared in just half a year. They couldn’t afford to take any more time, because the photographs had to be taken within a specific time frame. In a few weeks, it will already be too cold for the volunteers to pose naked on the glacier.
The campaign generated a huge media response. In Switzerland, the newspapers were full of it, and there was also extensive coverage worldwide. «The subject serves as a hook to spark conversation about climate protection,» said Bodin. He said he hadn’t received any negative reactions: «I believe that the image of naked people, combined with the fragility of nature, works very well to bring global warming to the forefront.».
The image will be used by Greenpeace worldwide. For example, it is planned to be used on the websites of the various chapters and in direct marketing campaigns. In addition, print materials such as posters and advertisements are planned; an exhibition is being considered, as well as an auction of original prints to benefit Greenpeace. The terms under which the images may be used are set forth in a contract.
Euro RSCG will oversee some of the upcoming measures, while Greenpeace will handle others on its own. For the Zurich-based agency, this was its first project for the environmental organization. It was not a purely pro bono project; Euro RSCG had a contractual relationship with Greenpeace, and the agency’s expenses were covered, «albeit with a certain goodwill discount,» as Bodin put it. Tunick also received a fee from Greenpeace. For Bodin, such assignments are appealing: «We handle these kinds of projects under the umbrella of ‚Creative Business Ideas,’ as we call this business unit.» The goal is to generate the widest possible media coverage with a limited budget and a big idea.
Carole Scheidegger

 If the Competition Commission (Weko) gives its approval, Coop will take over Carrefour's twelve wholesale outlets in Switzerland plus two projects in St. Gallen and Chur for a total of CHF 470 million, according to a press release issued on Tuesday. This means that the number one in European food retailing, the French Carrefour, is withdrawing completely from the Swiss market as a business and brand. It is thus implementing its global strategy of only continuing to operate in those countries where it can become number one or two - a difficult undertaking in Switzerland.Coop would double its wholesale outlets from 12 to 24 with this acquisition and would complement its Swiss network almost ideally in geographical terms. Coop spokesman Felix Wehrle told Werbewoche that he hoped that the Competition Commission would make a decision before the legal deadline of February 2008, perhaps even by Christmas as a gift. It is still too early to talk about advertising measures for the new 24 Coop megastores.

 The two local St. Gallen stations Radio aktuell and Radio Ri are to be merged without having to cut staff. Despite the merger, the two stations will broadcast their own window programs, such as separate information programs. A new name has not yet been announced. According to a report by the industry service Persoenlich.com, the two stations will in future broadcast under the joint name Hitradio Ostschweiz. However, this is only a working title, said André Moesch, Managing Director of Radio aktuell, when asked by the news agency SDA. The details of the future cooperation between the two radios after the reorganization of the radio reception areas as of 2008 have not yet been clarified either, said Moesch. There will be no staff cuts, at most a relocation of jobs. "We will need the same number of people for the joint editorial team as before," explained Moesch. The two studios in St. Gallen and Buchs will continue to operate.
The management of the St. Galler Tagblatt, which owns the majority of shares in the two local stations, is now waiting for the concession to be put out to tender in the fall. Further planning is dependent on the performance mandate from the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom). The new radio station will not receive any concession money.

 With the program Faces TV, ProSieben is launching the Swiss program window already announced in February 2007 (see "New TV short magazines"
). The 12-minute people and lifestyle magazine, which will be broadcast every Friday at 6 p.m. from August 31, will be hosted by Claudia Lässer. According to a press release issued on Tuesday, the station expects the Swiss program window to provide positive impetus overall. At the same time, ProSieben hopes to attract further advertisers in Switzerland with the program environment created especially for a Swiss audience. Similar to the print magazine Faces, the TV show also revolves around the topics of people, fashion, style and stories. According to Mike Gut, Managing Director of ProSieben Switzerland, presenter and co-producer Claudia Lässer has a wealth of experience in the conception and realization of TV shows: "Claudia Lässer is a very likeable personality and radiates the right amount of glamour for ProSieben." With the new program window, Gut is implementing the plans he already had when he took over as Managing Director (see
"Man without blinkers"
)The new program on ProSieben is produced by Fairlane Consulting GmbH, publisher of the magazine Faces, in close cooperation with Claudia Lässer. Faces Managing Director Stefan Berger is responsible for the production. The launch of the Swiss program window will be accompanied by a broad-based print, radio and online campaign. The first season of Faces TV comprises 20 episodes. Further formats for the weekdays Monday to Thursday are currently being evaluated.