E-advertising is collaborating with the creative minds at Matter & Gretener for Switzerland's first SMS low-price auction. The first works can be seen in January.  
E-advertising is part of the Affichage Group and specializes in advertising via electronic media. E-advertising has decided to rely on Matter & Gretener to publicize the first low-price SMS auction in Switzerland. The auction, which is taking place as part of Affichage's current innovation projects, will run from January 22 to February 18, 2007 and will use the almost 60m2 eBoard at Zurich main station as its main medium.

In the West, the slogan is "Anything Goes". Meanwhile, China is expanding its censorship measures on the internet. The authorities want to subject the online music industry and the internet gaming scene to stricter controls in future. All imported products are to be submitted to the relevant control bodies for inspection.  
Foreign products may only be sold after official approval. In this way, the authorities want to protect domestic companies from competition and prevent the distribution of politically sensitive, violent and sexual content, reports Pressetext.at. According to the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the aim is to promote a civilized and healthy Internet. The focus is on the protection of minors: Video games made it easier for children to access violent and pornographic content and encouraged them to waste their time uselessly instead of doing homework, according to the authorities.
 
The latest control measures are to apply to websites and mobile phone providers that distribute music via the internet. Distributors of Chinese music must register, but do not have to submit their content for review. In future, companies that distribute online games will have to apply for permission for each foreign title and submit monthly reports proving that no prohibited content has been included in the offer. The country currently has around 23 million online gamers. For this year, the turnover generated from this is estimated at 850 million dollars.

A survey in Germany has shown that the festive shopping mood only kicks in in the last few days before Christmas. But then it really kicks in: on average, everyone gives presents to five people and spends up to 500 euros.  
If you've always felt guilty about rushing to the stores just before the festive season, you can now rest assured: 40 percent of your peers feel the same way, according to a survey conducted by Könlner POS specialists Die Gefährten in collaboration with Media & Marketing. And speaking of spontaneity: a majority, namely 58 percent of those surveyed, stated that they spontaneously decide to buy gifts at the POS. According to the survey, 42% find out about possible gifts through traditional measures such as advertisements or TV commercials. Anyone hoping for good sales is therefore best advised to use targeted POS measures. The top sellers for this year's Christmas business are hardly surprising. CDs and music accessories such as MP3 players (42%), cosmetics (33.5%), books (28%) and games consoles (26%) are once again very popular this year.

Finally a new ski suit for Prince Charles? Ruf Lanz recommends the Airport Outlet at Zurich Airport to the heir to the throne, where even thrifty shoppers can find top brands.  
The annual pictures of the royal vacations in Klosters have an impact: the fact that the heir to the British throne is perhaps the most famous Swiss holidaymaker has probably not escaped anyone's notice. However, the fact that Charles has been skiing down the slopes in the same mousy gray ski suit since 1987 is not yet common knowledge. The campaign with F12 posters for Ruf Lanz's Airport Outlet should change this.

New sponsoring partners, a special supplement in Schweizer Illustrierte and a redesign of the homepage: The Mister Switzerland election is evolving from a once ridiculed sideshow into a top event. As the Mister Switzerland organization reports, marketer Marquart Event Promotion has been able to attract new sponsors. With Ochsner Shoes, PKZ Herrenmode and Asics, three well-known companies are now involved in the election of the most beautiful Swiss. Previous partners have been Davidoff, Power-Plate, Rhomberg Schmuck and Schwarkopf. Negotiations with other potential sponsors are about to be concluded.
The increased public interest is also reflected in the print sector: for the first time, a Mister Switzerland magazine is to be published in April 2007 as a special supplement to Schweizer Illustrierte (SI). According to Urs Heller, Publishing Director of SI, the Mister contest now interests the millions of readers of the magazine just as much as the Miss contest. A special supplement like the one published for the Miss Switzerland contest is therefore being planned. The organization's online presence has already been revised. With new features and a new design, the site now welcomes interested parties with lots of pictures and information about applying as a candidate. Attention beautiful men: you can still apply until December 31 of this year.
The election will take place on April 14 at the Arena in Geneva and will be broadcast live on SF, TSR and TSI.

At the end of March 2007, the Keystone photo agency publishes the first issue of Bestpicture magazine. The 84-page magazine, which contains 80 percent of the images, presents the best Keystone images from around the world four times a year.  
The pictures are presented in eight to ten-page sections in the sections Politics, Business, Sport, Culture, Nature, Animals, People and Moments. For Keystone, Bestpicture is the tool par excellence for providing the public with an insight into the unique world of images, as the photo agency writes in a press release.
 
The magazine is aimed at the media, advertising agencies and companies. However, Bestpicture is also aimed at the general public and will therefore be sold at newsstands. The initial print run is 15,000 copies. Bestpicture is published quarterly in the standard 210 x 297 mm format, and at the end of the year in XL format on glossy paper. The maximum of 15 display pages do not interrupt any photo spreads, allowing the photos to have their full impact. The publisher is Rainer Kuppler, editor-in-chief Marc Bodmer. Layout and printing are realized by Tamedia, advertising sales are handled by Blueorange Media.

Federal Councillor Pascal Couchepin does not seem to be fully occupied with his magisterial job: The head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs has apparently converted from a lawyer to an etymologist and is now explaining old idioms in the tabloid Blick. In the first article, published on Thursday, the Minister of Culture explains the saying "Sold for a lentil dish". A total of around ten articles are planned.  
In response to possible criticism as to whether he had nothing better to do, Couchepin said in an interview with Blick on Thursday: "This is time very well spent." His aim was to communicate with the population. A member of the Federal Council cannot be denied this, said Federal Council spokesman Oswald Sigg when asked by SDA. On the contrary: it is even highly desirable.
 
Couchepin waives his fee. In agreement with him, Blick will transfer the amounts to charitable organizations. For the first contribution, the money goes to Pro Juventute. So the campaign is probably not entirely for the foxes - incidentally, the Werbewoche editorial team would also be interested in an explanation of this expression.

The search and information service Search.ch is launching a new look on the night of Friday, December 15, 2006. According to a press release, the focus of the redesign is on the user. In addition to a clear subdivision of the navigation, Search.ch offers personalization options. Users can customize the homepage according to their needs. Various services such as a calculator, a field for personal notes or the daily horoscope can be integrated with a single click. The site can now also be stylistically adapted to the user's wishes. Backgrounds in various colors and designs are available. The barrier-free version of all services, which is especially suitable for the disabled, will remain in place even with the new look.

On December 21, the entertainment portal Bild.T-Online will launch its own newspaper in the virtual world of «Second Life.» The English-language publication, titled *The AvaStar*, will be published weekly for 150 Linden dollars (42 cents) and will feature advertisements from very real companies. The editorial content, on the other hand, will focus on events taking place in the virtual environment of «Second Life» (see «Real Investments in the Virtual World»
). The AvaStar is intended to serve as a guide for readers and, above all, to help newcomers find their way. According to a press release from Axel Springer, the majority of the readership consists of well-educated, younger men and women with an average age of 32. To mark the launch, the marketing team at Bild.T-Online is offering discounts to first-time subscribers. The newspaper is distributed via virtual street vendors, vending kiosks, and the website www.the-avastar.com. Promotional teams are also out and about to kick off the launch. According to Gregor Stemmle, CEO of Bild.T-Online, The AvaStar is the first mass media outlet in «Second Life» to be produced with a professional background.

Roland Tiemann has been working as a consultant at the Neue Lgk agency since November 1. He previously worked at Sulzer, Sutter for over four years, during which time he looked after BMW Switzerland. Other positions include Lowe, Smart Communications Factory and Favo. Since December 1, Tiemann has been supported by Claudia Chryselius from Berlin, who has been living in Switzerland since the middle of the year. Chryselius previously worked for FCB Berlin, Scholz & Friends Berlin and Contexta Bern.
The photo shows Claudia Chryselius and Roland Tiemann.

At the Swiss Advertising Association’s Parliamentary Talk, Zurich law professor Andreas Kley spoke about advertising bans and freedom of expression. He analyzed the rampant trend toward «clean» advertising and posed the provocative question of whether political advertising, too, might face a ban. “Opinions of any kind exert influence; in political terms, opinion and its dissemination mean power,” Kley is quoted as saying in a press release from Swiss Advertising. In this respect, advertising is also a tool for exerting influence, albeit a purely economic one.  
A Wave of Purity While censorship was still taboo in our country until recently and freedom of speech has been guaranteed since the 19th century, a countertrend is currently taking hold with the increasing number of advertising bans. The cantons have been swept up in a veritable wave of bans. This is an expression of a trend centered on the shift from «political correctness» to «advertising correctness.» Andreas Kley comments: «It is no coincidence that more and more advertising bans are being enacted. It is, however, surprising that the use of the advertised products (e.g., alcohol, tobacco) is not being banned.» Enforcing prohibition is realistically considered impossible. “But if the evil itself cannot be eradicated, then at least the advertising—and thus the visibility of this evil—should be banned,” concluded the legal scholar. In essence, the advertising bans would create a dual reality. On the surface, the world would appear clean because advertising for the product is banned. In real life, however, the product would remain on the market and continue to be used. “This division of the world is linked to a peculiar development in politics: Politics is increasingly shying away from substantive issues because it is difficult to reach a consensus—let alone achieve success—in these areas. Instead, it takes refuge in self-promotion as ‘active politics,’” said Kley.
Will political advertising be banned? Kley drew parallels between commercial and political advertising: «Isn’t politics also something dangerous?» he asked. «Political fanaticism is nothing more than the addiction of a chain smoker—only not to tobacco, but to an idealized world.» Kley concluded that there were certainly valid reasons to ban advertising for political parties and politics.
Society has been swept up in a wave of political correctness that is spreading to more and more areas and could become a threat to freedom of expression and to liberal society itself. In conclusion, Kley stated: «What is not taken into account in the crusade against commercial advertising is that the manipulation of opinion—not to say censorship—can, for reasonable grounds, extend to any opinion. After all, political advertising is often intertwined with economic interests and is, in fact, also a form of commercial advertising. Advertising bans are particularly ripe for political manipulation, since political power is based on public opinion.»

Lis Borner will take over the management of the planned DRS News program in spring 2007. She will also become a member of the editorial board of Schweizer Radio DRS. Borner is currently head of "Rendez-vous" and "Info 3". As head of the news program, she will take over from Charles Liebherr, who will move to the business editorial department after completing his project work. At the end of October, SRG submitted an application to the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) for the broadcasting of two radio programs distributed via digital technology (DAB). One of these is the DRS News program for German-speaking Switzerland. The concept includes a 24-hour program for all those interested in news. The launch is planned for fall 2007.