Egon Markus Ruf has been named Advertiser of the Year for the second time. A tribute while he is still alive. Markus Ruf, 42, was part of the last
A specialized class at the Zurich School of Applied Arts that still teaches the craft of
He trained as a typesetter. After completing his apprenticeship, he was unemployed because his
The job no longer existed. That didn't bother Ruf much, though, because he was
pushed into advertising.
So, even during his final year of apprenticeship, he began by
The campaigns they devised caught the attention of advertising agencies. And they were able to
In 1985, he immediately began working as a junior copywriter at what was then the creative agency Grendene
+ Started at Lanz. This was followed by major agencies such as Advico, GGK, and
Publicis. And one award after another: As early as 1989, Ruf won the
Art Directors Club Special Prize for an international
Swatch campaign; the first one was the cheeky Blick campaign in 1992
He now has 14 ADC Gold titles.
In 1993, he leveraged his strong reputation to become a creative consultant
to go into business for myself. Award-winning campaigns for Migros, the
Tagi-Magi, the Aargauer Zeitung, the Glatt shopping center, RTL, or
SSR Tours bore his hallmark during this period. In 2000, he was honored for this
was the first freelancer to be named Advertiser of the Year.
In July 2001, Ruf founded the company with Danielle Lanz, the Advertiser of the Year
1999, Ruf Lanz. The agency consistently prioritizes quality over quantity.
and has been wowing audiences and advertising juries for years with campaigns for
Clients such as Suva, VBZ, NZZ Folio, McKinsey, Bank Coop, Hotel Dolder
Waldhaus, the Mühlehalde Home for the Blind, and many others. Current
New additions to the collection include the Swiss library of the magazine and the
Energy Zurich music station.
Ruf Lanz continues to bring honor to the company on the international stage as well
Swiss advertising. In 2005, the agency won three Lions at the
Advertising World Cup in Cannes, three trophies at Eurobest, gold at the New York
Film festivals and Switzerland's only London Award. The
is also reflected in the 2005 Creativity Ranking, which Ruf Lanz achieved with great
Leads by a wide margin.
This success is all the more impressive given that Ruf Lanz has only just
consists of ten people. «We feel very much like David among the Goliaths
I suppose so. When you have a team as motivated as ours and the
»Even if the agency owner doesn't play golf, you can make a big difference with this size,",
"Call," he said.
By the way, *Schweizer Illustrierte* had a good nose for this, and
Markus Ruf and Danielle Lanz had already been elected to their
Special edition: «The 100 Most Important Swiss.» An honor that is otherwise
Reserved for tennis stars, TV hosts, or scientists
remains.
Andreas Panzeri
Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About Markus Ruf but Were Afraid to Ask
WW: Love life?
Markus Ruf: Four so far
important romantic relationships, all of which fell apart in the sixth year
ended. The last one was last October. Relationships with me are
It's not easy: I'm practically married to this job. (Laughs:) But
I'll try to do it a little more often with my next partner
cheat.
Success?
The palm reader in Vung Tau predicted to me in January in Vietnam: «2006
»Have a very good year. You're a lucky man, and I wish you every success." At least
That guy really hit the nail on the head for January.
Favorite creative person?
Danielle Lanz, because her female brain comes up with ideas that I
wouldn't come herself. And because she knew my usual poor
It's been putting up with Monday morning blues for almost five years now.
Favorite Creative Advertising Award?
Cannes Lions, because they're a rare breed in Switzerland.
What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you as an advertiser?
That was the 1998 ad for SSR Travel, featuring a prayer book
was pictured, along with the headline: Recommended travel reading for everyone,
who want to travel even more cheaply than with SSR. The ad appeared in the
Tagi-Magi, which has a long production lead time. While the magazine
had already been printed when a Swissair plane crashed near Halifax
...which suddenly made the ad very tasteless. One
even considered shutting down the magazine, but then decided to keep it going
in an editorial statement on the Tagi front page. I have
I'd already seen the *Blick* headline in front of me: «Scandal: Top Advertiser
»They're mocking the crash victims!" But I have to give the media credit:
They didn't tear us to shreds, but rather discussed the matter objectively
reported that the timing was unfortunate.
What do you hate most about advertising?
Show-offs, envious people, and know-it-all young creatives who, whenever there's a good
Criticizing the campaign: «But that already happened in Zimbabwe back in 1973!»
What's the best thing that's ever happened to you in advertising?
That we open the audience's eyes to the financial problems of the
were able to open the Mühlehalde residential home for the blind, which led to a massive increase in donations
increased—and were showered with awards in the process.
What is the best award you've ever received in advertising?
The Special Prize for Text that I received from the ADC in 1989 for a Swatch campaign. Simply because it was my very first award.
The Most Beautiful Trip?
«In the Footsteps of the Maharajas» through Udaipur, India. Even though the
Indians can really get on your nerves when they do something for the 100th time
I want to sell pashminas.
What comes to mind when you hear the word "Egon"?
Right now, of course, it's the «Advertiser of the Year» trophy. Funnily enough,
The name Egon actually comes from me. The esteemed Ruedi Wyler, for whom
Back when I was working regularly as a freelancer, that was the case
Advertising Week budget when the trophy was introduced. We got the
The task of giving this thing a name. I chose the name Egon
suggested because three-quarters of it is ego. And that is
which can sometimes be quite pronounced among advertisers.
What annoys you about your business partner?
The scented candles.
What ideas keep you up at night?
Those who just don't want to come.
What other talent would you like to have?
To be able to play the guitar like Eric Clapton. I can't even play like Reini Weber.
What are you reading in bed right now?
Jakob Arjouni, *Idiots*. A wonderfully laconic storyteller.
Which book isn't on your nightstand?
Corinne Hofmann, *The White Maasai*.
What title would you give your autobiography?
No one should write autobiographies unless they are of the caliber of Nelson Mandela.
When was the last time you went to the movies, and why?
«King Kong» with Vietnamese audio. Because on New Year's Eve, which I spent in
I spent in Saigon, a fellow German traveler came up with this crazy idea
had an idea. I guess we ate too many «drunken shrimp»:
Shrimp, flambéed with lychee schnapps.
What three qualities characterize a good advertiser?
The same as a good boxer: talent, stamina, and the ability to get back up quickly after being knocked down.
What do you think of jogging early in the morning?
I'm convinced that jogging in the morning lifts your spirits and puts you in a better mood when you go to work. I jog in the evening.
How much do you earn?
An advertiser who, in my opinion, does a pretty poor job of advertising, has
said to me years ago: «You have more awards; I have
»More Ferrari." That's still true today.
How would you rate the reputation of advertising?
Advertising certainly doesn't have a particularly good
Reputation. There are, after all, these surveys about the most popular jobs. Since
As advertisers, we regularly find ourselves somewhere between a traffic warden and an officer
and politicians again. This is also because the smartest and
the most entertaining campaigns are often created for small clients, who
the public is largely unaware of due to a lack of media influence. While the
large, high-profile campaigns often take place within group dynamics
be leveled to the point of being unrecognizable in decision-making processes. I
That's why I'm especially pleased when we get good publicity from major clients. They
are also, incidentally, the best advertisement for the reputation of advertising. I
I don't want to mention any of my own campaigns here: The pointed
SFLB's national insurance campaign is a wonderful example
or the witty "Bank Bear" campaign by Jung von Matt/Limmat. The
You can always keep an eye on the little hemp shop around the corner, after all.
What do you bring to a good brainstorming session?
I'm afraid I have to disappoint you: Ruf Lanz makes practically none
Brainstorming sessions. Sure, it looks trendy in ARD's early-evening TV series when the
This is meant to depict what it's like to work at an advertising agency. In reality
However, the vast majority of good ideas come from the mind of a single person
A person, alone and sweating in the quiet hermitage. We sit together
only once everyone has already come up with a few good ideas for the
to perfect the best of them.
How do you become Advertiser of the Year?
I've never thought about that before. You don't want to be named Advertiser of the Year, after all.
It is simply the result of passionate work and shows that,
that you're not the only one who likes them. I'm already
vain enough to be happy about it.
In which historical period could you imagine living?
In that legendary era of 17.65 percent.
Who would you like to meet?
In beauty pageants, Mother Teresa is still the go-to answer to that question
... I prefer living people: Quentin Tarantino or Michel
Houellebecq. Or people barely alive, like Keith Richards.
What opportunity did you miss?
Hopefully, nothing yet that I couldn't make up for later if it were really important to me.
What have you always wanted to end an interview with?
With a description of an illustration by the renowned artist Bernd
Parish. A man is sitting alone at a table, gesturing wildly with
in their hands. The text reads, in essence: «Five minutes after the
»After the interviewer had left, the most memorable answers came to mind."
Interview: Andreas Panzeri