Three Swiss entries were honored at the tenth edition of the Cresta Awards, an international creative competition. Among the 23 winners in the print category are a series of posters by Publicis, Zurich, for Die Mobiliar, and an ad by Euro RSCG, Zurich, for Switzerland–Tibet on the occasion of the «China Games.» Once again, Publicis was the only Swiss entry to make it among the 26 winners in the TV/Cinema category, with TV spots for the Yellow Pages. This means that all finalists from both agencies were honored with awards by the juries. Advico Young & Rubicam, on the other hand, had no such luck: The Gockhausen-based agency had seven entries on the shortlist but did not receive a single award. «Switzerland: A Cliché.» Images of Switzerland from a foreign perspective. Impressions and reflections on the topic of Switzerland—from people living abroad. This is the theme of an exhibition at Plattform 22, TBWA’s cultural gallery at Freihofstrasse 22 in Zurich. In the exhibition and book project by Urs Stampfli and Alexander Gächter, 100 people in 36 countries were asked the question: “Keyword Switzerland: What comes to mind right away?” The responses were submitted via disposable cameras and questionnaires. The exhibition opening will take place on October 16 at 6 p.m.
Aida Offline. While at Zurich’s Schauspielhaus some rats seem to be abandoning the sinking ship, mice have recently found their stage at the Opera House for their big debut. www.opernhaus.ch is the name of the platform from which one of Switzerland’s oldest cultural institutions aims to launch itself fortissimo into the future. The newly designed website now offers opera fans worldwide the opportunity to «learn everything they’ve always wanted to know about the Zurich Opera,» as Lowe reports. The Zurich-based agency designed the accompanying ad. The curious mouse in front of the stage curtain will appear in the opera house’s own publications as well as in various daily newspapers and national magazines.
Roger, forever. He no longer has a business card. Instead, he’s written another book. At booth A 132 in Hall 3.0 at the Frankfurt Book Fair, it will be placed on the brightly lit shelves. Roger Schawinski’s *TV Monopoly. The Insider Story« aims to recount, »in plain language« and with many previously unknown details, the media pioneer’s behind-the-scenes adventures surrounding the rise and fall of the first private television station. The book is being published by Orell Füssli. Schawinski was told there that they »publish for eternity« when, during a visit to the publishing house, he marveled at the folios by Erasmus of Rotterdam, which are also published there. Schawi’s »eternity« continues with the release of »TV-Monopoly” on November 4.
Swiss Music Radio Calls for FM for Everyone. The niche station Swiss Music Radio (SMR), which broadcasts exclusively Swiss rock and pop music, can now be received in about 80 percent of cable households in German-speaking Switzerland after six months of operation. However, SMR would also like to broadcast terrestrially. It is applying for the new frequency allocated for a Zurich-based youth radio station, which the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) has announced (see also page 24). SMR, however, believes that a new frequency is not enough «to meet the unmet radio needs.» In a press release, the station demands that the new Radio and Television Act ensure that Radio 105, Radio Eviva, and SMR will also be able to broadcast their programs wirelessly via FM in the future.
Girl Power. A mailing campaign by Ana Marketing & Kommunikation resulted in a sales increase of «a whopping 90 percent.» Under the headline «Some Like It Hot,» the Lucerne-based agency sent out a cool mailing designed to promote the benefits of a hormone-free product for menopausal symptoms. Attached to the order form for Klimaktoplant, a homeopathic remedy for hot flashes, was a plastic bag for making ice cubes. The 6,000 mailings brought the manufacturer, Omida, over
Almost 20 order forms arrive at her home every day for a month. Ana is an all-women agency and has been successful in the market for more than three years. In addition to menopause medications, this «non-feminist agency» also manages accounts in the construction industry as well as in sectors such as the restaurant industry, environmental protection, and trust services, explains Managing Director Andrea Bussmann.
The Cannes Festival Does Not Want German Jurors. The Cannes International Advertising Festival is barring German jurors from participating in its next competition in June 2003. Festival organizers cite the undemocratic practices of the so-called Creative Index as the reason for the exclusion. Through this index, eleven leading German advertising agencies limited their participation in competitions in order to save on fees.
German marketing partner for NZZ Online. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) has entrusted Quality Channel with the marketing of its website in Germany. Quality Channel is the marketing consortium of Spiegel Verlag. In addition to the news magazine’s online presence, the company also manages those of Financial Times Deutschland, Manager-Magazin, the Süddeutsche Zeitung, and the men’s magazine GQ, as well as the computer platform Heise Online. «NZZ Online stands for high-quality content for sophisticated target audiences,» Kurt Busslinger, Head of New Media Marketing at NZZ, is quoted as saying in a press release.
A living example. Vegetarian instead of cannibalistic: To vividly demonstrate the secret to Zurich’s Hiltl’s success to guests, Wirz Advertising has now created an educational T-shirt for the service staff. Once people are shown in no uncertain terms where the ribs, legs, and hindquarters are located on a living creature, they can then bite into crisp vegetables with an even clearer conscience. Thomas Kurzmeyer, the copywriter, wrote the text for the T-shirts. Barbara Hartmann, the art director, contributed her detailed knowledge of anatomy.
20 Minuten and Blick are weighing their options. After the commuter newspaper 20 Minuten gave Tamedia’s advances the cold shoulder, rumors are swirling about other potential partners. The most credible suggestion so far: an advertising partnership with Blick. Bruno Blaser, publishing director of Blick, struck a diplomatic tone in an interview with WerbeWoche: «These days, you always have to explore all options.» However, he said there’s nothing of the sort in the works. Rolf Bollmann, publishing director of 20 Minuten, echoed this sentiment: «Every day, we mull over which partnerships would be good for us.» However, they haven’t discussed this with Blick yet. «It would make sense, of course,» Bollmann added, noting that the recent launch of Mach Basic shows that the two readerships have little overlap.