Euro RSCG launches traditional watch Carl F. Bucherer with a brand worldBy Luca Aloisi Brand philosophy instead of product marketing - this is the strategy with which the Bucherer Group wants to lead its "new" watch brand Carl F. Bucherer to international success. The Zurich agencies Euro RSCG and Pi Ar are responsible for the coordinated integrated communication.
As the rate at which companies are founded is dependent on the economy, the birth of a new Swiss watch brand in the current slump is tantamount to a pioneering act, even in the stronghold of the luxury watchmaker. However, given the general conditions for the launch of the two types of watches - modern classics and jewelry watches from CHF 1,000 and CHF 5,000 in the core segments - with the Carl F. Bucherer brand, the economic conditions are not so significant.
On the one hand, the watch and jewelry specialist Bucherer has a financial cushion for a proper brand development, and on the other hand, Marcel Hossli, Executive Marketing Manager, has been forging a consistent business plan for almost two and a half years. In addition, the steady increase in exports of the company's own watch collections since 1994 provides sound prospects for the future.
Establishing new watch brands is becoming more difficult
The main aim of the new watch brand is to establish a second strategic sales pillar for the Bucherer Group alongside the retail trade. Two and a half years ago, this intention and the little-known watchmaking expertise gave rise to the desire firstly to make better use of this over eighty years of expertise and secondly to position an internationally renowned watch brand with the resources of the Bucherer Group.
"We are taking advantage of the increased brand awareness in the nineties. We see this as an opportunity because customers are looking for security and identification when they buy branded items. In other words, what we want to offer in our watch brand," says Hossli. Even with these premises, it is difficult today to establish a new brand sustainably in the highly competitive watch sector.
In addition, a large number of high-end watch brands entered the market in the past decade in particular, which quickly found their niches and a sufficiently large customer base thanks to the strong economy. However, while the expanded potential customer base at the time is shrinking in the global economic downturn, the competition for buyers and distribution channels is intensifying with increasing concentration in luxury goods groups.
And although the Swiss watch industry is still in a better position this year compared to the same period last year (up 6.7 percent), the decline in sales over the past three months is likely to affect brands in the upper mid-range in particular. In other words, the spectrum in which Carl F. Bucherer's model families are located.
Claims + attitude to life = brand philosophy
As there are hardly any opportunities to generate a USP for the watch product, those responsible have decided to highlight this in their communication. "In our opinion, the watch industry is still very conservative, especially in the important area of communication," says Hossli, who only knows of a few brands, such as IWC, Rolex or Patek Philippe, that not only differentiate the product through their independent presence, but also communicate their values to the customer.
Most manufacturers engage in celebrity endorsement or product marketing, which conveys a lot of design and quality claims, but can hardly reflect a brand experience.
What established brands such as Cartier can take to extremes thanks to the "brand magic" they have achieved over decades offers hardly any differentiation potential for the development of a new watch brand in a mature market with over 120 brands. That is why those responsible for the watch of the independent Bucherer business unit want to create a consistently new and enduring watch brand world as a differentiator. "If you want to be successful as a young brand, you have to take a stand on what the brand stands for," says Hossli, explaining the starting point and pointing to the values that Carl F. Bucherer embodies.
With the personalized brand, the jewelry and watch company pays tribute to the pioneering achievements of the founder of the same name and implies brand values such as success, value awareness and innovative spirit. The brand identity, which aims to be unusual in the industry in its implementation, was designed to emphasize this special feature.
Carl F. Bucherer does not simply want to offer its target group a collection but, according to the company, "a consistent brand philosophy developed from their requirements that fully reflects their attitude to life". It goes without saying that the retailer benefits from its many years of international activity for a well-founded feel for market developments.
More complex than such formulations were the generation of an experience concept idea and the derivation of a key image. The core target group was narrowly defined: In line with the importance of the jewelry watch collection, this consists of 60 percent women. They are value- and goal-conscious, realistic people with high purchasing power between the ages of 30 and 50 who are open to new ideas. "Women and men who follow their own values and visions," says Claudia-Regina Flores, media spokesperson, outlining the broad contours of the target group. And: "The wearers of a Carl F. Bucherer watch are very socially integrated, enjoy life and give space to their own feelings."
Clear positioning with a clear world of experience
Euro RSCG should express this attitude to life in its international advertising presence. The initial focus is on Switzerland, the Benelux countries, Spain and Portugal as well as the Far East export markets with the exception of Japan. Establishment in Japan and the USA is being pursued as a long-term goal. The intention is to achieve a "significant" increase in sales in the targeted markets.
The fact that a portion of self-confidence is involved in the introduction can also be seen from the fact that the PKS was not used for target positioning in the competitive environment. "We have our own definitions of customer groups," explains Hossli. In terms of price, Carl F. Bucherer will be in the segment between Longines and Ebel. In terms of style, the brand focuses on elegant design. Managing Director Urs Tobler is not very specific about the qualitative and quantitative goals: "In terms of quality, we want to offer good value for money. We also envisage selective international distribution, whereby we want to be positioned at selected retailers in good and prime locations."
Thanks to this and its core competencies, the new watch brand can offer its distribution partners the now rare advantages of an independent Swiss watch manufacturer. In addition to the internationally marketed Carl F. Bucherer brand, there will continue to be a clearly defined Bucherer line on a very limited level.
Emotional branding concept - Magic Gardens
In the advertising campaign of Zurich-based Euro RSCG, which had won the mandate in a pitch before Frank Bodin's time, the team led by CD Jeremy Rawle created a high-quality lifestyle look on the emotional platform. During the long development period of experience concepts, which were deliberately not developed according to the rules of product marketing, the garden increasingly emerged as the ideal key image.
The oasis, understood both in terms of location and time, is well suited for long-term positioning with its positive associations, offers sufficient possibilities for variations in implementation and attempts to appeal to emotions relevant to the customer, especially in the TV commercial.
"The visualized brand world encompasses several types of consumers and, above all, the Realos. Although the garden could be interpreted as a quiet, remote place, it is not. The headlines and the action of the protagonists cancel out this impression," summarizes the English CD Rawle, who previously worked creatively for Tag and Rolex, in his content analysis.
The people in the urban oases have both feet on the ground, have exciting careers and visions. In the magical garden, however, they pause for a very personal moment to enjoy this valuable break for themselves or in company. The international nature of the world of experience was also taken into account in the linguistic and visual realization, which is why several different strong personalities appear in the commercial.
What was deliberately used as a bracket for the complex and broad target group of the watch brand and for the longevity of the commercial has the flaw of overload. The individual characters and stories, which are enriched with cut-aways, compete with each other in the short strip and require a great deal of attention. Nevertheless, tracking shots and fast cuts prevent the magical gardens from descending into the esoteric.
The print motifs, which are based on the commercial, support the comprehensibility of the commercial and vice versa. Brandworld is brought to life at the POS. Carl F. Bucherer has already achieved its first success: The Patravi Chronograph GMT is among the 39 finalists for the "Watch of the Year 2001" award. And if the positive reactions at the Basel watch fair are a good omen, the launch in China in November should not disappoint expectations either.

Ads and commercials after September 11 are also tastelessBy Thérèse Balduzzi Since the terrorist attacks on America, the country has experienced the biggest wave of patriotic expressions of solidarity since the Second World War. These messages are also increasingly being incorporated into campaigns. The suspicion of opportunism and exploitation is all too obvious.
Immediately after the attacks on America, countless companies expressed their condolences in special advertisements and used posters and billboards to say "In God we trust. United we stand" or "God bless America" (WW 35/01). While these spontaneous expressions of solidarity seemed appropriate and were sometimes touchingly emotional, the omnipresent patriotic tone that all too many ads have now adopted can come across as hollow or even opportunistic.
In New York, AT&T Wireless is advertising with posters showing an apple - the symbol of New York - dipped in the colors of the American flag. Underneath it is written "You do us proud New York, New York", a compliment to New Yorkers. A corresponding TV commercial for AT&T addresses the situation after the attack without advertising a product or service and is accompanied by atmospheric music. Both were designed by Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide in New York.
The advertising agency also demonstrated its taste in a commercial for American Express, in which a tour of stores in downtown Manhattan is undertaken. "Their electricity has come back", says an off-screen voice, "Their phone service has come back. Now it's your turn". Despite the obvious self-interest that American Express associates with this invitation to consume in downtown Manhattan, the commercial focuses on the retailers who suffered great damage as a result of the tragedy.
However, the majority of ads and commercials fail to walk the tightrope. The New York fitness club chain New York Sports Club, for example, used the inappropriate slogan "Keep America strong" for its annual fall discount campaign. The shoe store Kenneth Cole, known for its cheeky advertising, is promoting the opening of a new branch with a fist-waving Statue of Liberty, the title "Reaction" and the statement "We're moving forward, like true New Yorkers".
The 6000 dead are also used for "Sale-a-Bration"
Worse, however, is the ad by McCann-Erickson from Troy (Michigan) for General Motors with the tagline "Keep America rolling": "The American dream. We refuse to let anyone take it away," it says. In the corresponding print ad, the advertising text refers directly to the "most terrible crisis" the country has ever experienced and calls for unity.
Although the US car industry plays an important role in the country's economy, the discount campaign staged as selfless patriotism is beyond all good taste. "Ah, yes. The fabulous October 6000-Dead Sale-a-Bration," commented Bob Garfield, advertising critic at Advertising Age.

Sonja Sigg wants to put her connections back on the front line with her management selectionHead of the week "A successful placement is a long-term placement"
Ruppert the dog knows every rumor and almost every secret from the executive floors of the Swiss and European communications, advertising and marketing industry. Since the beginning in October 1984, the discreet animal has been sitting in Sonja Sigg's office every day when the personnel consultant conducts her confidential interviews with executives looking for a change, agency bosses in need of staff or career-minded creatives. In the last three years, Ruppert has also come to romp around the Lindenhof a little more than before, after Sonja Sigg decided in May 1998 to "set off for new shores".
For personal reasons, she wanted to put her management selection work on the back burner for a while. However, she never completely gave up her office at Lindenhofstrasse 15 in Zurich. "I was no longer particularly aggressive on the market. But I've always held my ground," she says today, explaining why she only withdrew halfway, because "a few good clients simply wanted to stay on".
There have also been offers to sell the well-known and highly regarded recruitment agency. "However, executive search is a very specialized business and relies heavily on one person and the network of relationships they have built up over many years," says Sonja Sigg. Because she doesn't want to let this expertise lie fallow any longer, the sole proprietor has now decided to actively revitalize her business for the future.
In these times, when it is difficult to assess the development of the economy everywhere, a rather wait-and-see attitude can also be observed on the job market. However, in the management sector, in which the headhunter operates, people are still thinking long-term. Placements, where Sonja Sigg wants to bring her strengths such as personal intuition and psychological intuition to bear, are not part of her day-to-day business.
"A successful placement is a long-term placement," is her credo. She developed this philosophy in the course of a career that took her from Sawi to Jelmoli SA to Migros as an advertising consultant, before she founded the first executive placement agency for communication, advertising and marketing in Switzerland instead of her own advertising agency.
In addition to her dog and cultivating private and business relationships, her main hobby is reading. Musil's "Man without Qualities" is currently lying next to her sofa. A title that could not be more challenging for a recruiter. Andreas Panzeri

In addition, Beat Lauber, Ringier’s former head of New Media, is moving to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). Lauber has been appointed head of the NZZ Group’s Regional Newspapers division, succeeding Willy Schib.
Maya Ziegler, advertising director for Meyer’s and d’Chuchi magazines, is leaving Verlag Meyer AG at the end of January 2002 and will take on a new position in the publishing industry in early March.
Media expert Pierre C. Meier will assume the role of editor-in-chief of Media Trend Journal on a contract basis effective January 1, 2002.
To further professionalize its communication with all relevant stakeholders on financial matters, the Zurich-based media group Tamedia has created a new position of Head of Investor Relations. Regula Tschopp has held this position since the beginning of October.
Bruno Bötschi, the former publishing director of Salz & Pfeffer, currently works for various clients in the restaurant and hotel industries and oversees communications for the Kunst-Supermarkt in Solothurn.
Effective November 1, Roland Winkler will assume the newly created position of Head of Production for Ringier’s German-speaking Swiss magazine publishing divisions. Effective the same date, Sandra Bär will become Head of Magazine Advertising and Projects.

The Zurich-based creative agency Fünf Freunde has welcomed new members: Patrick Knaus is in charge of building a consulting team, and Marietta Schibler has joined the agency as an advertising assistant.

Aside from my erotic fantasies, I’m having a hard time finding an explanation for these two subjects this week as well. Because I’m certainly wrong in assuming that Liberty has recently launched a portable dog toilet—one that comes in a wide variety of colors and fabrics. And it’s hardly the case that the four-legged friend pictured is a disabled dog being taken for a walk in a so-called padded dog wheelchair. A more accurate conclusion would surely be that it doesn’t matter at all which animal is pictured next to her. After all, even an elephant would do. Just like the female Mowgli in her Ibiza-style outfit, this elephant is advertising modular lighting systems. All clear? As the saying goes: Better a dog in a sack than an elephant in bed… Or have I completely missed the point here? Chandra Kurt Column

"Der Russ" is by Martin Lanz
The RS is a school where our young men learn to kill. Young men can’t get enough of that. That’s why this school is now to be extended to 24 weeks. So that they can then specifically target the blood-stained billions in our banks. And so that we can be absolutely certain that no one in Africa goes hungry anymore. And that anthrax at our border is forced to show its papers and is immediately arrested. And that no plane ever crashes into the dome of the Federal Palace or a nuclear power plant, because, after all, you need a permit for that. And of course, the army will prevent the Russians from coming. They’re desperate to get here. Right now, they’re stuck in the Gotthard Pass. The army was on vacation at the time. As we all know, the Americans had their towers decapitated because the army is too small. At least it’s big enough to drop bombs on hospitals in faraway Afghanistan. Every bomb creates a thousand new terrorists. Finally, a cool mission for our guys. Blasting away at viruses full throttle. And, of course, preventing half the government in a canton from getting shot down. And anyway. The country needs to be plowed up. That’s where the heavy bulldozers come in handy. That costs us about ten times more annually than Swissair did. Never mind. Our real planes are called FA/18s, yay! They’ll give the well-poisoners the middle finger from the air.
Yes, we should be glad to be able to live in this free country. We’re lucky that the majority of citizens are happy to give up a good chunk of their income just so as not to spoil the fun for the drillich. The majority of citizens are simply more intelligent than the minority. That’s why the Israelis elected Sharon. The Americans elected Dubelyou. And we have the freedom to say what we think. This is a testament to the halving of intelligence and the doubling of military spending.
[email protected]
Martin Lanz is a freelance copywriter and director of the KRAZ Creative Academy in Zurich.
((Please discuss any changes with Martin Lanz; see the email in the folder. Thanks.))
Language Observer

Placeholder Text I: Lorem ipsum
The same text is used over and over again in presentations. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. This mixture of Latin and made-up words is the most widely used sequence of letters in the world.
An unknown typesetter composed it many years ago and used it as a placeholder for closing texts that did not yet exist. Others copied it—and in doing so, became creative themselves. In another version, the text reads: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh eiusmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua…
There are even more variations—hundreds of them. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper (anybody) suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat (follows)? But if anyone should suffer pain from this, or that the pain caused by the feugiat is null, with the facilisis being at vero, and the accumsan and iusto odio dignissim, which blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.
Zzril! Dummy text is written in such a way that it doesn’t distract—in other words, it has no content. However, that’s gradually changing. Copywriters have realized that even dummy text gets read. That’s because readers subconsciously seek information, meaning, discovery, and experience—or, to put it another way: The letters develop their own pull and captivate readers—just like the Rorschach test, which is based on the fact that we don’t simply see an inkblot in an inkblot, but rather a butterfly, a galloping horse, or the boss.
Graphic designer Matthis Beck is constantly amazed that people actually read his placeholder text. His clients think it’s practically fine to leave it as is. However, he also carefully selects the dummy text for his brochures. He uses only a single book, which he knows almost by heart: «If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler» by Italo Calvino.
A strange thought: The product manager receives the rough layout of the new brochure, flips through it, gets caught up somewhere in the text, starts reading—and, for the first time in a long while, reads what he’d finally resolved to read again: literature.
As for me, I’m just a little placeholder text. When I grow up, I want to be *Ulysses* by James Joyce. But for now, it’s not worth reading any further. Because for the time being, I’m just a little placeholder text. But when I grow up…
Beat Gloor, www.textcontrol.ch

The Work newspaper provides fortnightly information about the world of workBy Daniel Schifferle The trade unions Smuv, GBI and VHTL are jointly launching the fortnightly Work newspaper. The aim is high: Work should also generate subscribers outside of the trade union clientele as a "normal" consumer newspaper.
"Work is the best newspaper on the subject of work that has ever been published in Switzerland," says Work editor-in-chief Hanns Fuchs with conviction. The public will have to judge whether this is the case. At the moment, the only fact is that Work is pursuing a completely different approach to all previous Swiss trade union newspapers. Work does not see itself as a new members' newspaper, but as a newspaper for the general public. But that remains a goal for the time being. Because when it launches on October 26, the new newspaper will be exactly what it doesn't want to be, namely a members' publication: it will first have the compulsory subscriptions of the approximately 110000 members of Smuv, GBI and VHTL.
Within three years, however, the aim is to sell 20,000 to 25,000 free subscription copies at CHF 36 per year. This is to be achieved with target group mailings and additional promotional circulation. The first two issues, each of which will roll off the presses in 200,000 copies, will be the main focus of investment. But even after that, up to 30000 of the total circulation - 140000 to 150000 copies have been announced - will be used regularly for promotion. As befits a consumer newspaper, Work will also be available at newsstands, although no return on investment is expected.
An explosive mixture of newspaper and magazine
In appearance, Work is a mixture of newspaper and magazine with a strong dash of tabloid. The front page is dominated by a large-format photo combined with a large headline. A total of 24 pages (including advertising) deal with topics relating to work and social security. The graphic concept was created by none other than the two cracks Kurt Schwerzmann and Othmar Rothenfluh, who also left their mark on the Facts concept.
Work has a daily newspaper format and is in four colors, although bright colors are mainly reserved for the advertisements. The editorial pages exercise color restraint: orange and black and white dominate, and the few color images are also discreet.
Work is published by the publishing company Work AG, which is supported by the association Gewerkschaftshaus Smuv/GBI. The specific member information is supplied in a separate supplement produced independently of the Work editorial team.
In order for the new newspaper to cover its costs, the advertising market must also make its contribution - in addition to the additional subscriptions. According to publishing director Peter Zehnder, the target is five to six advertising pages per issue (rates: 1/1 page b/w 9198 francs, 1/1 page 4-color 12498 francs). Zehnder is confident, however, that this will be achieved. "Various media agencies have signaled optimism," he says. With a circulation of over 150000 copies and readership figures that are significantly higher, this is also realistic.
He also has high hopes for Work because René Schuhmacher is on the Board of Directors. "Schuhmacher has just proved with Saldo that over 140,000 copies can be sold within a very short time." However, the makers of Work still have to prove whether the topic of work can arouse as much appetite as consumer topics.

This is the end for us, we are about to be closed down by the Uvek." These are the words of Walter Studer, Managing Director of Schaffhausen Television (SHTV), commenting on the Department of the Environment, Transport and Communications' (Uvek) rejection of the requested territorial extension. Studer intends to lodge an appeal against the decision, and the Uvek has also rejected expansion applications from Tele Ostschweiz (TVO) and Tele Top. The TV operators had applied for almost identical areas. However, the Uvek fears a predatory competition that would endanger media diversity - with one exception: TVO will be allowed to cover the entire canton of St. Gallen in future.
While TVO and SHTV accuse the Uvek of protecting the publisher-independent Tele Top, the Top Board is going on the offensive: it has already invited TVO and SHTV to new negotiations on a joint TV project for Eastern Switzerland. The only precondition: no majority shareholding by the publishers. For its part, the Uvek is defending itself against the accusation that it is ruining SHTV. In its application, SHTV had assumed unrealistically high advertising revenues. (mk)

The Berner Zeitung is investing at least two million francs in the conquest of the Espace MittellandBy Markus Knöpfli The marketing effort that the Berner Zeitung is putting into the launch of its seventh split, the Solothurner Tagblatt, is astonishing: six months of free early delivery, nine different poster subjects, TV and radio spots and mailings for five different target groups.
Where do "people" read newspapers? As a commuter at the station or on the train, as a craftsman or tradesman at snack time, in the office, restaurant or street café and as an average citizen at the breakfast table, in your own bedroom or living room - and sometimes even on the toilet. All of these possible reading locations also form the subjects for the campaign launched by the Berner Zeitung (BZ) for the launch of its latest split Solothurner Tagblatt (ST).
The nine subjects, all taken by Bern-based photographer Stefan Babst, were complemented by the claim "Time for a good newspaper" and used in a variety of ways: On B4, B12 and B200 posters, on a leaflet and on reply cards enclosed with all mailings, then on train and bus dispensers and on kiosk posters. The ST is also depicted, with the claim that it wants to become a "daily joy of life" for the people of Solothurn.
The concept and text for the campaign were created by Bruno Blum from Blum und Partner Werbeagentur AG in Solothurn. The concept and text for the direct marketing measures were created by Daniela Camponovo from the Bernese advertising agency Camponovo und Partner.
Speaking of mailings: five different target groups were contacted: Opinion Leaders, tradespeople, all residents of Solothurn, Biberist and Zuchwil (here with a reference to early delivery and free weekly disposal), those in the surrounding communities (there with a reference to postal delivery if desired) and the existing 1500 BZ subscribers in the Lebern, Wasseramt and Bucheggberg districts. The latter will receive the ST free of charge for four weeks together with the BZ and can then choose how they wish to keep their subscription.
Early delivery requires a high level of investment. It is to be gradually extended from the three towns to the surrounding municipalities. And wherever it is launched, the BZ will make residents an introductory offer. According to Christopher Wehrli, Head of PR at the BZ and project manager of the ST campaign, the aim is to be able to guarantee at least 12,000 copies by the end of 2002.
Subscribers pay only CHF 165 instead of CHF 325 for the first year. However, the BZ has come up with an additional offer in the form of a charity model. Anyone who subscribes by the end of November can have CHF 65 of the CHF 165 credited to their second annual subscription or have the amount transferred to a charitable organization of their choice. Anyone who decides to take out a subscription in December or January still has 45 francs to spend, and 25 francs in February and March. "This campaign is compatible with the conditions for Wemf's subscription certification," says Wehrli.
Similarly imaginative attempts are being made to encourage commercial enterprises to set up dispensers for
ST flyer to win. If someone subscribes on the basis of a flyer obtained from a store, he or she receives a voucher for the company in question according to the same benefit model as above.
Launch costs of two million francs
ST has also discovered chestnut bags as a special advertising medium. A whole year's supply of bags was printed with ST logos. Anyone who finds a printed shamrock in the bag also receives a free portion.
The marketing elements are extremely varied for the mere 12,000 additional ST copies. Wehrli confirms: "This is the first time that a single BZ split edition has been given a completely independent advertising presence." Thuner Tagblatt and Berner Oberländer, on the other hand, which were incorporated into BZ at the beginning of the year, were welcomed with an adapted form of the BZ campaign.
The people of Bern are now likely to have to dig deep into their pockets: "The effort is huge, but not the budget," says Wehrli. Many things, even the radio and TV commercials, were produced virtually in-house. He puts the total cost of the launch campaign alone (excluding early delivery) at "well under a million francs". And Albert P. Stäheli, Delegate of the Board of Directors of Espace Media Groupe, speaks of "less than two million francs net, which we added to the ST in the first year". Anyone venturing into a new area must ultimately arouse interest in the market, he said. "After all, BZ has now achieved its goal: since October 20, it has been serving the entire Espace Mittelland."
Radio 32 rejects commercials

The BZ had actually also booked the radio spots for the Solothurner Tagblatt with Radio 32. However, the printing company Vogt-Schild/Habegger holds a minority share in Radio 32. And Vogt-Schild/Habegger publishes the Solothurner Zeitung, the direct competitor to the Tagblatt.
But on Monday, October 22, when the first spot should have been broadcast, the BZ found a short letter in the post from Thomas Denzel, Managing Director of Radio 32 Werbe AG. In it, Denzel rejected the ST commercials, referring to Article 2.5 of the General Terms and Conditions. It states verbatim: "Radio 32 AG reserves the right to reject even legally binding orders due to their origin, content or technical form."

The potential of Flash as a technology for TV is greater than assumed, but not infiniteBy Clemens Hörler The programming language Flash is breaking through the boundaries of its crisis-ridden online home and entering television. Since last week, Orange has also been luring Swiss TV viewers to the Habbo Hotel with a Flash commercial, bringing web aesthetics to the TV screen.
Macromedia Flash is largely responsible for bringing movement to the web. The biggest advantage of the vector-based programming language is that it does not require large bandwidths or loading times to animate the web and make it more emotional. Online advertisers have also long since recognized the potential of Flash, whether for online marketing games, banner advertising or interstitials.
Travel24.com, for example, has created animated short films and advertising banners for its online campaign using Flash, which are based on the motifs of the offline campaign. The American fashion house Bisou Bisou has supported its advertising campaign with a three-part online soap in Flash (www.bisoulounge.com). The films, which are accompanied by sound, are built around advertisements and thus ensure a uniform appearance offline and online.
Flash knocks on the door of television producers
Both of these examples illustrate the use of Flash in online communication. However, Flash is now breaking through the boundaries of its virtual home and conquering offline media. The Zurich veggie restaurant Hiltl, for example, already made moviegoers' (meatless) mouths water two years ago with a Flash spot by Frame Eleven and Wirz.
Commercials produced with Flash have been flickering across TV screens in the USA and the UK since last year. And since last week, a Flash commercial produced by RØSA, Zurich, can also be seen on Pro 7 Switzerland and Star TV, attracting young, chat-hungry internationals in particular to the Habbo Hotel of Orange Switzerland.
However, Flash on TV screens is by no means limited to advertising. Flash cartoons, of which the web is teeming, are also finding their way into the offline world. MTV USA, for example, has secured the rights to the web cartoon "Miss Muffy and the Muff Mob" from New York company Bullseye Art Ltd. for this fall (www.bullseyeart.com/ website/).
Originally founded as a web-only company, Bullseye Art specializes in producing cartoons for online and offline media. Building on Flash, the company has developed the Broadcast Flash technology. This technology makes it possible to bring faster movement to Flash films and to develop animated content that can be used in all electronic media without any loss of quality. Bullseye Arts' Flash-based intro to the "Rosie O'Donnell Show" was even nominated for an Emmy a year ago (www.bullseyeart.com/rosie/).
Low production costs and shorter production times
Important impetus for the expansion of Flash into traditional media also comes from the music industry. Several artists have had flash videos produced for their songs, which have been shown both on the internet and on television. One example of this is Duran Duran (www.duranduran.com) with the song "Someone Else not Me".
But why would anyone come up with the idea of using a web technology on television that is rather flat and, at five to ten frames per second, does not (yet) allow for any overly spectacular animations? "The arguments for this are certainly the speed at which a Flash film can be produced and also the low production costs," explains Thomas Städeli, a co-owner of Frame Eleven, Zurich.
According to Josh Kimberg, head of Bullseye Art, the production time for a Flash film is around four times shorter than for conventional animation methods with similar animation quality.
But it is not only the fast and inexpensive production that is responsible for the introduction of Flash in
responsible for the offline media. Flash also conjures up a web aesthetic on the TV screen that you would otherwise only expect on the Internet. Flash films and commercials on TV stand out from the rest of the content and attract the viewer's attention.
This argument is particularly interesting for advertisers. But the surprise effect could soon come to an end: "Flash will also become more widespread in offline advertising as soon as advertisers have recognized the opportunities that this technology offers," Städeli believes.
Flash as the basis for convergent advertising
As long as few Internet users still have broadband access, lightweight Flash is an ideal basis for convergent advertising. Ideally, this consists of modular, digitized components that can be used in various electronic media without costly adaptations.
According to Marky Goldstein, CEO of RØSA, this idea is also the basis for the Habbo spot: "The material can be easily processed for banner ads and interstitials or even for a cinema spot." This not only reduces production costs, but also gives the advertising campaign a uniform look across all the media involved.
Despite all the advantages described above, Flash technology is simply unsuitable for certain content and messages. "Real and detailed images cannot be displayed well with Flash," explains Städeli. "To display movement, you usually have to make do with flat elements; detailed images are currently only possible as a background or as a short overlay." There are therefore clear limits to the creative minds' desire for animation and the expansion of Flash.

Direct advertisers are also to be awarded Lions in future: Next year, the Cannes Lions Direct festival will be held for the first time.News Cannes Lions expands into DM It will take place from June 23 to 25, immediately following the traditional international advertising festival. In addition, the Cyber Lions internet competition, which has been held at the Cannes Festival for four years, is to become part of the direct marketing festival.
Smart builds media on S&J and OMD The car manufacturer Daimler-Chrysler continues to rely on Springer&Jacobi (S&J) in Germany. The Hamburg-based advertising agency has secured the media planning for the Smart as its latest contract. Since last fall, the Mercedes parent agency has already been working creatively for the subcompact car. S&J is taking over the planning from OMD, which will remain responsible for buying. In Switzerland, the media budget will remain with CIA.
Dentsu ventures onto the stock exchange Despite dark clouds in the advertising sky, Japan's largest advertising agency Dentsu has decided to go public on the Tokyo stock exchange. The date has been set for November 30. Dentsu only wants to raise around
10 percent of its capital to the stock market. The main purpose of the IPO is apparently to enable Dentsu's largest shareholders, the news agencies Kyodo News and Jiji Press, to liquidate their holdings.
Kodak advertises in space Where until recently the Russian flag could be seen, the logo of the Kodak photo company is now emblazoned: the cosmonauts on board the international space station attached it to the outer shell of the station on Monday. Below the yellow-red logo are the words "Take Pictures. Further". This is not the first time Russia has used its space program for advertising: in July 2000, a launch vehicle bearing the logo of the US fast food chain Pizza Hut was launched, and TV commercials were even shot on board the Mir space station, according to the BBC.

It is already certain that it will attract attention: the new Weltwoche will be one of the largest consumer magazines in German-speaking Switzerland, at least in terms of format. 300 by 230 millimetres, the magazine surprise with which Weltwoche intends to cause a sensation from January 31, 2002, will surpass titles such as Facts, Spiegel, Stocks or Schweizer Illustrierte by at least 2 cm in width and height respectively. It has announced 75 pages of editorial per issue - with a comparable content structure to that offered by the newspaper today. On average, the entire magazine will comprise 104 pages. That's around a third less than the average Facts issue. All the more reason, however, to emphasize the element of surprise. This also applies to the use of color, which will stand out with a dual strategy: subtle colors for the large-format illustrations of the long stories, while bold colors are used for the pages with short fodder. Contrary to statements in the daily and Sunday press, the new Weltwoche magazine does not use glossy but matt paper. This is less tiring to read and is in keeping with the spirit of the times, says Weltwoche publishing director Uli Rubner.
The printing contract will be awarded to Printserv in Basel, a subsidiary of the Basel media group. According to Rubner, Weltwoche wants to position itself "in the midfield" in terms of advertising rates. The future of the lucrative Executive-Kombi job market with NZZ and HandelsZeitung, which Weltwoche would like to keep if at all possible, is still open. Proposals are currently being drawn up for the feasibility of the new format. Rubner explains that the combination partners will then decide on the continuation of a joint job market on this basis. See also page 41 (dse).

Some reasons why Ringier does not (yet) have a magazine for senior citizensWhere are the magazines for senior citizens?" This question was the title of a presentation by Beat Lauber at the ASW seminar on "GenerationPlus". The head of magazines at Ringier believes that, unlike teenagers, senior citizens have no desire for their own media because they prefer to see themselves reflected in the general and therefore also younger publications. "From 49, you can see and hear what you want because you are no longer a target group," quipped a clever guy with a stupendous knowledge of mathematics at the ASW seminar. Although there are 1.9 million senior citizens in Switzerland today, these wealthiest Swiss no longer seem to be of interest to traditional media planning.
Where there is no longer a target group, there is no such target group media. Apart from specialist magazines such as Zeitlupe, Switzerland still doesn't have a magazine for senior citizens. But: according to statistics, people over 50 in this country have 618 francs a month at their free disposal. Ringier therefore came up with the idea of "GenerationPlus: the ideal consumers" around a year ago. Statistics on the general media behavior of "mature" people supported the conviction: "GenerationPlus must finally be addressed via its own magazine."
It turned out differently. A group led by Peter Rothenbühler gave the project a promising start. The inactive title Sie & Er was to be styled as a magazine for the plus generation with the new logo Sie + Er. In addition to topics such as health, travel, fashion and entertainment, the aim was also to address relationship issues and problems relating to being alone in an age-appropriate way. "Sie + Er: Das Magazin für die besten Jahre" was not intended to be a cheap magazine, but a magazine like Annabelle or Bilanz.
The analysis then had a sobering effect: precisely these and all other publications are still read by senior citizens just as much as by younger people. It also had to be calculated that there is very little advertising that the GenerationPlus target group actually and exclusively seeks out. "This generation really does have completely normal interests, just like younger people. And above all: they also know where to look for information, namely in the familiar sources," says Lauber, explaining the reason for the development stop for the senior citizens' magazine. There are no hotels for people over 50, "you'd feel like you were in an old people's home". So why should a magazine have a better chance on the market in this target group? Andreas Panzeri