The integration of the Swiss travel company into the larger TUI Group means that the traditional brand is now almost completely disappearing. TUI Suisse is fully integrating the Imholz brand into the World of TUI. According to a press release, this step marks the completion of a transformation process that has lasted around four years. The rapidly growing awareness of TUI in Switzerland and the brand's high level of popularity among customers are further reasons for the brand change, TUI Suisse continues. "The name change will make the World of TUI more visible to our customers. Thanks to our good network and global presence, we offer our customers not only high quality, but also optimum support," Martin Wittwer, CEO of TUI Suisse, is quoted as saying in the press release. The Imholz product range is already largely identical to that of TUI. The content of the catalogs will not change, only the name will change from next winter. The travel agencies will be renamed TUI ReiseCenter. However, the Imholz brand will not be completely abandoned, but will remain for special trips.

The deadline for the Kindernothilfe Foundation's "Children's Rights in One World" media prize is May 31. Authors and photographers can still submit their work until then. The prize is awarded in the categories of print, radio, TV and photography. Entries must have been published in 2005. Journalists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland can take part. The aid organization awards the prize to work that draws attention to children's rights and their violations in a special way. The prizes, each worth 2,500 euros, will be awarded in Berlin on November 10.

NDR is investigating whether surreptitious advertising was carried out for the computer company Apple at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. This was reported by Der Spiegel and 20 Minuten. Some viewers noticed that a short sequence from the film about the host country Greece resembled Apple's iPod advertisement. Any kind of surreptitious advertising is prohibited at the European Song Contest, and the films between the song and show contributions must also be free of it. The responsible European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has now asked Greek television, which produced the program, for clarification.

The "Committee for a genuine election to the Federal Council", which is based around the TV show "Café Bâle", wants to put forward a second candidate for the Federal Council seat vacated by Joseph Deiss: Rinalda Caduff, known as the scatterbrained Désirée from the SF comedy show. "When politics drives satire, satire has to drive politics," explained Klaus Vieli, committee president and managing director of Allcomm, the Allschwil-based company that produces "Café Bâle". Vieli expressed his indignation to Werbewoche about the fact that only one politician, Doris Leuthard, is being put forward for election to the united Federal Assembly: "This is reminiscent of the GDR before the fall of the Berlin Wall!".
At a press conference at the beginning of June, it will be made clear to the media that Rinalda Caduff is the more suitable Federal Councillor - without making any negative comments about Doris Leuthard. However, the figure of Désirée has so far stood out more for her fashion obsession than for her solid dossier expertise. She likes to confuse the cohesion billion with the collision billion. But she makes up for this with other qualities, says Vieli. Besides, federal councillors also have their advisors. He admits that time is short to launch a new candidate. But at least it is enough to set an example.
Rinalda Caduff is running without a party: "She is running for the whole of Switzerland," says Vieli. Her nomination should bring a glimmer of hope to the country. Or perhaps above all attention for "Café Bâle"? If that is a by-product of the campaign, he has nothing against it, says Vieli. But it is much more urgent to do something when politics becomes a smear campaign. All we can do now is wish Ms. Caduff a good luck for the election on June 14, 2006.Carole Scheidegger

The Associated Press (AP) news agency launched its service in Switzerland 25 years ago. On May 25, 1981, the first AP Switzerland report went on the wire. Five editors were employed by the agency at the time. Today, 22 journalists work for AP Switzerland, according to a press release. On average, 60 reports are produced daily in German and 20 in French. In addition to the central editorial office in Bern, the news agency also has field offices in the parliament building and in Zurich, as well as a correspondent office in Lausanne. News from all over the world is processed in the foreign editorial offices in Frankfurt and Paris. The range of news on Swiss topics includes all news of national interest and covers all departments with the exception of sport. According to AP Switzerland, its news reaches 85% of the total circulation of the daily and Sunday press. SRG, private radio and television broadcasters, online services, the Federal Administration and a major bank are also among its customers. According to the press release, AP Switzerland has seen itself as a secondary agency from the outset and accepts the market leadership of the Swiss Press Agency. It aims to provide journalistic competition for news of interest to the whole of Switzerland, but does not offer regional services.

British newspaper The Guardian and Leo Burnett Canada have each won one of the coveted Black Pencils at this year's D&AD Awards. For the first time, entries in the Online and Magazine & Newspaper Design categories were honored with this top prize. The Guardian received the award for Newspaper Redesign, Leo Burnett for Outstanding Creative Achievement for its website. The D&AD Awards, which are often referred to as the "Oscars of the creative industry" and were held for the 44th time, also presented 54 Yellow Pencils. Leo Burnett London won the largest collection of yellow pencils with awards in the Viral, Direct and Digital Crafts categories. The very first Yellow Pencils in the Gaming category went to Cake for Nintendo's "NintenDogs" and Capcom for the game "Resident Evil 4". Apple Computer won two awards in the Product Design category for the iPod Video and Nano, among others.

Over 24,500 entries from 61 countries were submitted for the D&AD Awards 2006. 125 entries were nominated. There were no winners from Switzerland.

This fall, the knowledge magazine Geo from Gruner + Jahr is presenting an encyclopedia edition in cooperation with the publishing house Bibliographisches Institut & F.A. Brockhaus AG. As Werben & Verkaufen reports, the thematic encyclopedia consists of 20 volumes and comprises 480 to 544 pages per volume. The eight different subject areas include "Our Earth", "Astronomy", "Medicine and Health" and "Philosophy". In addition to an encyclopedia section, each volume contains a "Geo Dossier" with reports and articles specially compiled for the respective field of knowledge. The volumes are sold in bookshops, selected magazine stores and via the Geo webshop at a unit price of 17.90 euros. The total price for all volumes is 299 euros.

Philippe Starck was honored last Wednesday with the D&AD President's Award for his achievements in the creative world. Starck's achievements range from his expressionist architecture to the design of a lemon squeezer, the award organizers announced. Dick Powell, President of D&AD, emphasized Starck's uncompromising approach to design. He always polarizes with his work and has already become a part of history.

The two US companies Apple and Nike become partners. The first product of the collaboration is the Nike+iPod Sport Kit, a wireless system that connects Nike sports shoes with the iPod nano. At the same time, the sporting goods manufacturer is developing its new 'Nike+Air Zoom Moire' shoe, which will also communicate with the iPod, as reported by Werben und Verkaufen. Interested athletes can also download the right music for their running style at www.itunes.com or at www.nikeplus.com. A Nike collection with jackets, tops, shorts and an iPod nano wristband specially tailored to the new range is to follow in the coming months.

The Futurecom agency has won three seals of approval at the Best of Swiss Web Award 2006. The award went to the multi-stage cross-media campaign realized for Sunrise Webphone, which aimed to set a new record for long-term phone calls. The campaign was managed jointly by Futurecom interactive and its sister agency Wunderman and won a seal of approval in each of the categories "Online & Mobile Campaigns" and "Online Marketing", as Futurecom announced. The Christmas campaign was also recognized in its own right: www.wake-up-santa.ch received a seal of approval in the "Creation" category.

Advertising has now also found its way into the theater. At New York's Orpheum Theatre, the audience was told before the start of the percussion performance Stomp that advertising would now be shown. This was reported by Pressetext.ch with reference to the New York Times. After the live advertisement was announced on the New York stage, cell phones rang in the audience. An actress is then on the phone to her daughter, who appears to be in London at the time. This advertisement is also said to have been played in Hamburg. It was commissioned by the travel agency Visit London. Its head of communications, Ken Kelling, told the press release: "Theatergoers are a captive audience - they can't switch or walk out." The travel agency has no plans to continue the advertising campaign in theaters. According to Richard Frankel, one of the Stomp producers, Visit London paid nothing for this "live spot".

Räber Information Management won the title "Master of Swiss Web 2006" for its Immo.search.ch project at the "Best of Swiss Web Award Night" on Wednesday. The real estate search portal beat off competition from eight other nominees. The expert jury voted Immo.search.ch the category winner in the Technology Innovation category, and the project also received a seal of approval in the Usability and Technology Quality categories. The sister site Search.ch had already won the "Master of Swiss Web" award in 2005.
The jury of around 60 judges assessed a total of 221 projects in eight categories. The category winners are: www.lovelife.ch (Creation), www.hilti.ch (Business Efficiency), www.lovelife.ch (Online Marketing), www.sunrise-7seconds.ch (Online & Mobile Campaigns), www.meteoschweiz.ch (Public Affairs), www.immo.search.ch (Technology Innovation), www.dcswiss.ch/de/produkte/default.htm (Technology Quality) and www.hilti.ch (Usability). 32 projects received the "Best of Swiss Web Seal of Approval 2006". This year's award ceremony focused on quality and professionalism.