Aaron Advertising serves up virtual plates for Dinner & MoreRestaurant guides abound - traditional and electronic alike. Hungry diners have countless options for finding a place to satisfy their self-preservation instincts orally. And for those who don't want to choose between hundreds of establishments, an alternative has been available since February: dinner.ch.Behind this URL is Dinner & More, a public limited company founded in 1996 by Nicolas Kern. The Zurich-based gastronomy group currently comprises seven restaurants: Brasserie Lipp, Jules Verne, California, Lions Pub, Movie, Monsoon and the Zunfthaus zur Schmiden. Behind each establishment is a different concept. What they all have in common, however, is the web address of the newly launched site.
The young Zurich agency Aaron Advertising, which has already been providing advertising support for Dinner & More AG for a year and a half, has prepared a tasty Internet presence for the businesses. Various information about the newly activated business is served on a plate. In addition to address and telephone number, the site offers insight into the respective menus and daily specials.
For the perfect Mariage of Dine and Wine, the wine can also be chosen in advance. Online reservation requests are possible as well as ordering a gift certificate and sending virtual postcards. Vacancies and press releases are available through the site. An agenda provides information about events or promotions.
"At the moment, the homepage is mainly aimed at existing guests of our businesses. The project is still in its infancy and is constantly being revised. For example, we are thinking aloud about allowing a voucher purchase with credit card and not against invoice as it has been until now. Once the site has been worked out, there will also be a special advertising campaign to reach a wider audience," says Nicolas Kern, commenting on the planned future of dinner.ch.
Almost everything can be done conveniently from home via dinner.ch. The only thing that remains is to eat in the real world - at a reserved table in a restaurant.
Simone Keller

Now that Real Media Switzerland has outsourced its media planning and handed it over to Publimedia, Active Agent also wants to distinguish between planning and marketing in the future.NewsActive Agent separates
As Peter Strassmann, CEO of Acitve Agent Switzerland, confirmed, two separate companies will be formed in the middle of the year for online media planning and marketing.
Adlink expandsThe online marketer Adlink acquires the Dutch company Netplus BV. The purchase price for 100 percent of the shares will be paid in cash. However, Netplus shareholders have undertaken to buy Adlink shares for part of the purchase price. Netplus aims to break even this year and markets the Skyradio, SBS Net and @home sites, among others.
E-mail marketingUnder the name Nemuk AG, Rémy Sager and Qris Riner have founded an agency for e-mail and permission marketing in Zurich. The agency implements marketing concepts that enable customer dialog via e-mail and SMS on the basis of permission marketing.
Sima with WeblexThe Swiss Internet industry association Sima now provides sample contracts and legal information at www.sima.ch. The aim of the service, called Weblex, is to reduce legal uncertainty in the relationship between Internet service providers and customers.

Gross advertising expenditure grew by just 3 percent in JanuaryCommercial advertising in Switzerland ended the year 2000 with a weak result and started 2001 with an even worse result: gross advertising expenditure increased by just 3 percent or around 7.5 million in January compared to the same month last year. This is the second worst result in the last twelve months; only in October was the increase even more meagre at 1.8 percent, with the daily newspapers, which are particularly important in terms of sales, even remaining at the same level as the previous year (plus 0.1 percent). On the other hand
The consumer magazines achieved a pleasing result with growth of 7.3%. Trade journals also achieved above-average growth of 10.5%.
Among the electronic media, television has now improved for the third consecutive month with a gain of 18.1%. The exact opposite happened with radio, which has now closed in the red for the third consecutive month after a long period of highs last year, with the loss in January being by far the highest at 10.9%. Teletext, on the other hand, closed the month with a pleasing growth rate of 5.8%.
Cinema advertising, which was still in decline last year, also made a successful start to the new year with growth of 15.5%. Poster advertising, on the other hand, was unsuccessful, with a decline of 8.1%. According to Media Focus, Internet banner advertising saw the biggest increase with a rise of 24.2%, albeit at a low level in terms of value: the increase amounted to just CHF 0.2 million. Daniel Schifferle
Gross advertising expenditure by media

January 2000/2001 in comparison
in 1000 Fr. 2000 in 1000 Fr. 2001 in %
Daily newspapers 113 472 113 608 + 0.1
Consumer magazines 34 640 37 172 + 7.3
Trade journals 13 162 14 543 + 10.5
TV 35 276 41 662 + 18.1
Radio 8855 7894 - 10.9
Cinema 2012 2323 + 15.5
Teletext 3026 3202 + 5.8
Poster 33 580 30 860 - 8.1
Internet banner 842 1046 + 24.2
Total 244 865 252 310 + 3.0
Source: Media Focus Hergiswil NW

QualiGO wants to find websites "quickly and well" with paid entriesOne of the biggest annoyances when using search engines is the often overwhelming flood of hits, which makes finding really useful information like searching for a needle in a virtual haystack. The Constance-based search engine marketing agency Suchtreffer AG has recognized this problem. The Constance-based company wants to remedy the situation with a new search engine. The name of the project: QualiGO.Suchtreffer specializes in placing its customers' websites in the top search results of the major search engines under the search terms relevant to them. For this purpose, the coding of the website is checked and adapted and the site is then submitted to the search engines. Suchtreffer charges a fixed amount per search term and per month and guarantees its customers optimum positioning during this time.
With QualiGO, available in Switzerland at qualigo.ch, Suchtreffer has now turned its concept into a search engine. Anyone wishing to register their website with QualiGO selects the terms under which it is to be recorded and pays a basic fee of 25 euros for an account.
The place where the entry appears is decided by an auction: For each term, the customer must indicate how much they are willing to pay for a click on their entry. The website with the highest amount appears in first place. The click fee, the minimum bid is 0.01 euros, is deducted by QualiGO from the customer's account. The customer is thus in control of his investment: if his account drops to zero, the site is no longer listed.
QualiGO has been online since November 2000 and went into regular operation in January. Since then, the search engine has developed to the satisfaction of the operators. Malte Schwinger, Managing Director of QualiGO, is not yet able to provide exact user figures. Since then, QualiGO has set up 300 accounts and indexed over ten million documents. To increase awareness, QualiGO offers every website the opportunity to integrate the search services via HTML code. Schwinger claims to have already found 2000 partners.
So far, QualiGO covers the German-speaking region. However, with the multilingual Eurospider technology in the background, international expansion is only a matter of time. Alessandro Monachesi

It’s often only when contrasts are exposed that we realize just how close they are to one another. This ad by Amnesty International is a stark example of how quickly highly celebrated, trend-setting fringe groups can become hunted outcasts. All it takes is a dictatorial government that imposes its moral values by eliminating fellow human beings who are different. In this case, it brings to mind the actions of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who issued a similar decree in 1999. The tragedy is that we hardly take notice of political events in the Third World anymore. Apparently, it takes a buzzword like “California” for the ad to even be noticed.
But back to the natural coexistence of contrasts. This ad was placed in *Interview*, the trend magazine founded by Andy Warhol—a publication that is widely read in the gay community simply out of admiration for its creator. For years, the magazine has been valued for its interviews, profiles, and stories. But what if such decrees were actually announced via ad in the U.S.? They certainly wouldn’t be placed in the same publication. Instead, three-quarters of the subscribers would be summoned for questioning. This inevitably raises the question: Is it worth it to be open about who you are, even if it means going against the majority? Everyone must find the answer to that for themselves. Chandra Kurt
Column

Old-fashioned? Yes, please!
By Michael Barney
No, I’m not ashamed of being old-fashioned. And that in an industry that practically screams for modernity. Because: If you want to stand out with advertising, you have to keep coming up with something newer—even more unusual. That’s fine. And it’s right. I’m talking more about the personal side here. Holding the door open for women, helping them into their coats, or lighting their cigarettes—isn’t that lovely? For me, that also includes not using the informal “you” with elderly people. Though I have to admit that most of my old-fashioned gestures have a lot to do with my fondness for women. So the letters—not just the ones to the lovely Claudine—are lovingly written by hand. And every morning, when I walk into the agency, I greet Marianne at the front desk with a handshake. And if I notice that our extremely attractive Ilonka isn’t feeling quite herself, I give her a neck massage. But not without asking for permission first.
My preference for classic fragrances is also old-fashioned. I can spend hours in perfume shops talking shop about classic «perfumes» from England. Or at a men’s clothing store, discussing Glen plaid, collar styles, or the length of side slits. I’m generally interested in traditional crafts. Unfortunately, many of them are on the verge of disappearing: handmade umbrellas, for example. Who, pray tell, still wears handmade shoes? Yes, being old-fashioned always has a little bit to do with luxury and comfort. But not just the luxury and comfort you treat yourself to—but also the kind you offer to others. Even if it’s just the simple pleasure of putting a smile on someone’s face. Or giving them a «Schoko-Bon.» The important thing is not to expect anything in return right away. If that were to become fashionable, I’d be happy to be modern.
The author is a senior copywriter at Lowe Lintas GGK in Zurich.
Language Observer

The Dust
The 1960s (I)
Not all vocabulary is still appropriate these days. Some aunts and uncles might look a bit out of place here. If, on the other hand, you’re into Rex Gildo and kidney-shaped tables, then take this to heart when speaking and feel free to use the following cool terms:
absurd disgust
neat
everywhere
otherwise
innocent, guileless
Show-off
Eyeglasses
persevere
Base
agile
courageously
for the purpose of
by any means
in due course
wet
shell out
to date
cram
guy
Kisses
starve
down there
in such a way that
Meanwhile
to threaten
fragrances
stop for a bite to eat
edifying
snag
resound
request
for sale
plump
Long-distance service, long-distance call, telephone
stylish
cool
fidel
quickly
right away
from now on
Stranger
indulge
gallant
nasty
ailment
refined
parried
deliberately
Desire
Chamber
Husband, Wife
remind
deign
to wait
Gig
nevertheless
to grieve, to be grieved
horror
teenager
wait
Main
Beat Gloor, www.textcontrol.ch

CLAUDIA FAEH has been Marketing Director at IP Multimedia (Schweiz) AG since the beginning of February "IPM has a sexy customer portfolio in the electronic media "Claudia Faeh is the new woman on the IPM front line. As Marketing Director, she joined CEO Michi Frank's team on February 1. Although Claudia Faeh is only 30 years old. A fact that is no reason for her to be nervous: "I don't have the experience of a 40-year-old, but I have other things to offer," she says with a laugh. The likeable, cheerful personality radiates so much energy and power that you immediately take her word for it. "What's more, I'm not a mouthful and have a healthy dose of self-confidence," Faeh adds.
It will need a broad backing in its new position - after setbacks such as the closure of the RTL/Pro-7 programme window, IPM is at the end of a long reorganization tunnel. The course for a more customer-friendly organization was set back in 2000. Now Claudia Faeh is focusing on getting the new strategy on track: "The primary goal is to be able to offer our customers optimized multimedia solutions." What appealed to her about the task was "that IPM, as the market leader in private electronic media, has a sexy customer portfolio".
Developing comprehensive marketing services in this area of tension is a major challenge for her. The bundle of energy finds the peace and quiet she needs to cope with this by doing autogenic training, painting or meeting up with friends.
Claudia Faeh could always imagine herself in a management position one day. However, she was always driven by what she enjoyed doing. This is how the business school graduate landed her first job at Michel Jordi SA in Nyon. During her trial period as Jordi's assistant, she received an offer to work as a translator at the Geneva Stock Exchange. For Faeh, who graduated in French, this was an exciting job: "I've always had a great affinity for languages," she says, explaining her four-year stint in Geneva. However, Faeh first "got the taste for marketing" at the Coca-Cola Company in Zurich, where she most recently worked as Consumer Relations Officer/Marketing PR Manager. She further perfected this know-how as Head of Marketing PR and Events at C&A Mode Brenninkmeijer.
Before starting at IPM, Faeh briefly tried her hand as a key account manager at Belcom AG. However, her quick departure had nothing to do with the move of former Belcom director Michi Frank
to IPM: "I simply had to realize that I am not a sales person." Carole Koch

Tip TV wants to push TV concepts onto the Internet, reviving an old technologyBy Alessandro MonachesiA hype five years ago, declared dead shortly thereafter - push technology seemed to have gone the way of many an Internet application as recently as the beginning of last year. In Zumikon near Zurich, Tip TV AG is preparing a comeback of the principle.
"One of the hottest topics on an Internet show this week is so-called push technology." So said a news report from the Reuters news agency in January 1997. Information was automatically sent by push services according to customer preferences to the user PC, where it could be viewed offline.
This saved the user the then still expensive online search for specific news or materials on various websites. Two years later, however, Push was already forgotten. Once hailed as a killer app, this content delivery technology quickly lost its relevance. On the one hand, Internet users found it too slow, and on the other, they preferred to research information on the Web themselves. The pioneering companies of that time have long since sought their business field in other areas, whether in the personalization of online news (PointCast) or as specialists in network management (Marimba).
Tip TV, a young Swiss company, brings new life to the push philosophy. Tip TV is breaking new ground on the web: Away from the written form of the net, is the motto, towards the moving images of television. Tip TV drew attention to itself with the Medi@box at Muba 2000: Tip TV was able to send out over 10,000 video mails recorded and sent with the Medi@box during the first five days of the fair; a clear sign of the public's interest in the box.
As interesting as the allMedi@box, as the device has come to be called, is as a terminal system, it is basically a byproduct of Tip TV's efforts. This is because Frank Pöllmann, Tip TV's business manager, is not interested in the hardware. His trump card is that every Medi@box video mail comes with the Tip TV player, a separate application of the Realplayer.
This player is the heart of Tip TV's strategy. The program is not just for playing moving vacation greetings. The Tip TV player is an actual receiver for Tip TV's content. Pöllmann still has a lot of plans for this reciever. In the future, the user should be able to simply start the player when he wants to know what is on and where. Then all Tip TV channels will be available to him. Users will no longer have to spend a lot of time picking out what they're interested in, but will get everything delivered to them free of charge. Push, but with a concept that is closer to television.
Already 6000 users have downloaded the Partytv.ch player
Currently, Tip TV's content amounts to movie and DVD trailers, as well as program notes from TV stations. And on Partytv.ch. With Partytv.ch, Tip TV AG is launching its first content provider of its own. Content scouts roam from club to club, from disco to disco for Partytv.ch and film the party lions with their DV equipment. The statements of the evening are then available on the website in small live films, edited by the young team. For Partytv.ch, too, the magic word that Pöllmann never tires of repeating is "community. Of course, the tip TV player is available for download on the homepage. After Partytv.ch, further special interest channels with different orientations are to follow. For example, Kirchentv.ch is planned.
Pöllmann is satisfied with the first results of Partytv .ch: 6000 users are said to have downloaded the player in the short time since its launch. With Tip TV, Pöllmann wants to turn today's concepts of advertising and marketing on the Internet upside down: "Gone are the days of milkmaid calculations about pageviews!" Banner clicks have also had their day for him. He is particularly interested in dwell time. And according to Tip TV's own data, this is an impressive 15 minutes, an astronomical figure by Internet standards.

Successful communication ideas today have to be applicable to different media. This is how the necessary dynamic can be developed, which carries the communication further," says strategist and concept developer Johne Eisenhut. To live up to this philosophy, he founded the "intermedia creative agency" Department together with AD Ollie Brunschwiler and BTL expert Steffen Gaschik. While the creative input is largely generated via the company's own international online network, the trio is responsible for consulting, conception and campaign-appropriate preparation of the ideas. Head Snowboards (HTM Group), Deutsche Telekom, Erotic Media AG and the Zurich-based MTC event agency are already among Department's clients. Now the agency is to grow "qualitatively and healthily," say the company founders. (ko)

From May, Blick will be undergoing extensive changes to its content. This was announced by Ringier's in-house magazine Domo.NewsMore Blick in Blick
From Tuesday to Friday, the tabloid will have a business page. The existing topic pages will be joined by "WissenBlick" on Mondays. The last page is to be upgraded to a "People & Gossip" page. A party page and a telephone advice service (hotline) are planned as services. Domo writes that a daily commentary with a fixed place should contribute to the formation of opinion. The newspaper reform will strengthen the bond with readers, attract new readers and change the image. It is associated with considerable investment.
Press Council against too much regulationThe Swiss Press Council is in favor of more self-regulation of radio and television. It calls the state regulation envisaged in the revision of the Radio and Television Act (RTVA) excessive. In its consultation on the RTVA, the Press Council also proposes simplifying the control system for program complaints. It is against the concentration of administrative and program supervision in the same place. It should be up to the media industry to appoint ombudsmen. A media council, supported by the Federal Council and the media industry, should make the final judgment on complaints. The Press Council also recommends replacing the SRG Advisory Board with a Federal Commission for Media Monitoring, which would be responsible for all media. Finally, the Press Council advocates strict sponsorship rules and the promotion of education and training.
Ticino printing company Aurora closes down The Aurora SA printing company in Lugano has laid off all its employees at the end of May and entered into sales negotiations. The company was a symbol of the Ticino left and the trade union movement. The Construction and Industry Union (GBI), as the main shareholder, wants to save as many of the 16 jobs as possible through the sale, explained GBI spokesman Rolf Beyeler. There are currently three interested parties.
Good year for the AZ Medien Group
The AZ Medien Group increased its results in the 2000 financial year. Group sales grew by 4 percent to CHF 205 million. All business divisions reported increases in revenue, with the newspaper division achieving the largest increase. The earnings situation improved significantly: the operating cash flow was increased to 14 percent of operating revenues and the company profit almost doubled. Management expects another substantial improvement in sales and earnings in the current year.
General Media markets ReactorThe advertising management of the Lausanne trend magazine Reactor is now in the hands of General Media. Mediafus was previously responsible for
the magazine. General Media has already
the French-speaking Swiss youth magazine Live in its portfolio. The bilingual Reactor is taking a break until April, during which restructuring is to take place. In future, the magazine will be sold with a CD as a supplement.
Astrea without a French editorial teamThe pharmacist magazine Astrea plans to outsource the production of its French edition. The publisher Pharmedia has eliminated the two editorial positions and will in future rely on external employees and pharmacists. In French-speaking Switzerland, where the magazine has a circulation of 300,000 copies, the move is being viewed critically. "If Astrea were to become a pure translation product, it would lose all interest for us," said Eric Bussat, President of the Pharmacie Plus Group, which unites 46 pharmacies in French-speaking Switzerland. "We couldn't use a Germanized Astrea and would therefore change the organ." Marcel Mestil, Secretary General of the Pharmacists' Association, explained that he had received guarantees from Pharmedia that the French version of Astrea would remain independent. The Pharmacists' Association holds a minority stake in the magazine.

Hans G. Syz on his plans for a new Hollywood in SwitzerlandWith the feature film "Das Fähnlein der sieben Aufrechten" ("The Little Ensign of the Seven Uprights"), based on a novella by Gottfried Keller, Turnus Film has just celebrated a double premiere. The film was shot without any subsidies. "Das Fähnlein der sieben Aufrechten" is a real film adventure. As a producer, do you also expect a happy ending behind the scenes?
Hans G. Syz: After the press screenings these days, we were able to experience a very positive response. We have tried to bring together a hit music, an interesting film material and prominent names under one hat. And we are confident that the calculation could work out.
It is said in the industry that your Turnus Film wanted to realize a "journeyman's piece" with the first feature film of this kind, in order to be able to recommend itself as a production house also for the international market. There are also rumors of an eight-million project called "Bibi Balù.
Syz: It's my conviction that there has to be an audience in Switzerland for domestic entertainment films, the kind we want to make in the future. In the meantime, we have therefore also bought the rights for the film adaptation of another very popular Helvetic story. For this material, I expect a potential audience of one million in Switzerland - provided the film is well made.
Only Rolf Lyssi has achieved this with "Die Schweizermacher"...
Syz: Exactly. But I think with the right film, that must be possible once again today. With our "Fähnlein", such a broad audience was not yet the declared goal. With this kind of film, we are thinking more of an interesting secondary exploitation in the European television market. "Bibi Balù", on the other hand, we are planning from the outset in English and thus also with international stars.
Switzerland as a kind of remake of Hollywood?
Syz: You can't just make funded films. You can make partially funded films. But you can also produce completely unsubsidized films. In this case, you have to deliver usable products for an international market. And we want to position ourselves in this segment with the restructured rotation. We also hope to revive the film industry in Switzerland a bit. After all, we can have foreign stars come to Switzerland as actors, directors or screenwriters.
And where does the money come from?
Syz: When Swiss television and the Swiss Federal Film Fund announced in Bern last year that there was no more money and consequently there would be no more Swiss films in the year 2000, I felt downright provoked for "Das Fähnlein der sieben Aufrechten". Thanks to the unconventional idea, we found investors. Thanks to the promising name, we found a distributor who also invested.
Will the new Turnus Film also produce TV series?
Syz: We have corresponding projects. But that is not our main goal. We want to find commercial money to produce saleable films for international cinema.
The world of cinema has its own magic. What is it that lures you here more than advertising?
Syz: When I took over Turnus Film in 1989, I restructured the company. During the preparations for "Fähnlein," I realized that after about 1,000 commercials, I felt like doing something new. Reiner Roduner, who now wants to take over the advertising of the former Turnus in his own responsibility, wants to bring another breath of fresh air into the company. And I have found an ideal partner for feature films in Lukas Erni. Together with him, I discovered: It can work.
Interview: Andreas Panzeri

The online auction house advertises its limitless range with new commercialsBy Thérèse BalduzziThe first nationwide TV commercial campaign for the American online auction site eBay aims to show that eBay is not only attractive to collectors, but has something to offer everyone. A communication task that Goodby, Silverstein & Partners from San Francisco mastered with ruinous humor.
Earlier TV commercials for eBay mainly showed typical collector's items such as rare coins and stamps, which only interest a specific audience. But on eBay you can find pretty much anything your heart desires, including everyday items. This time, the animal-friendly advertising agency used dogs rather than reptiles to convey this message in pictures.
In the "Dogs" commercial, three cute dogs cause considerable material damage in a house. The first buries a pearl necklace, a violin, a golf club and even a ringing cell phone in the garden. The second pees on an embroidered upholstered armchair. The third pulls at the tablecloth of a festively laid table to get at the roast, causing all the crockery to break. The oldie "How much is that Doggy in the Window?" plays in the background. At the end, the message "If you lost it, broke it, need it cheap or just can't find it anywhere else: eBay" appears in colored letters on a black background and with a voiceover.
The dogs caused the most difficulties during filming
While the first commercial is almost heart-warming despite its destructive character, the same idea is taken to extremes in the second commercial "New House". Set to the song "Que sera, sera", it shows a newly married couple moving into a new house, which, however, is full of worms. As soon as they close the front door, the lantern hanging over the entrance falls to the ground.
When the woman opens the fridge, the door comes off its hinges while the washing machine spews water like a geyser. A similar scene is repeated in the shower, where the shower head takes on a life of its own and the water can no longer be turned off. When the power cable for the computer is plugged in, a short circuit occurs and when the bathtub is filled, it crashes through the floor into the lower storey. Outside, as the couple are putting up the "For Sale" sign they have just removed, a small bay window collapses onto the car parked in front of the house. At the end, the same tagline as in the first spot is repeated.
According to copywriter Blake Kelly, the original idea was to show someone finding a long-lost item on eBay. But showing that in 30 seconds would have been too complicated. "The easiest way to show this was to destroy things," she says. After some initial mistrust, eBay was won over. The biggest problem with the implementation was getting the dogs to do all the mischief that trained dogs normally - and fortunately - don't do.

The Basel-based PR agency Locher, Brauchbar & Partner has split into two specialized firms. Locher, Schmill, Van Wezemael & Partner focuses on communications related to environmental and energy issues, as well as sustainable development. In addition to its headquarters in Basel, this agency operates a branch office in Lucerne. Brauchbar, Büchel & Partner specializes in communications and consulting in the healthcare sector, social security, and corporate social responsibility. In addition to Basel, Brauchbar, Büchel & Partner also has an office in Zurich. Both firms continue to offer joint services. A fly eats a mosquito.
Linus Reichlin is a master of the feature column in the guise of a mosquito. A single column in *Die Weltwoche* is enough for his wings and bites. «How to Be Happy» is the title of «Life Tips from Linus Reichlin,» now available in book form. Illustrated by Rattelschneck, they have been published by Eichborn Verlag. The publishing house «with the fly»—as it likes to call itself—has achieved what seems impossible in the animal kingdom: the fly eats the mosquito. Suddenly, on page 48 of the book, SPD city council members appear at a Swiss parents’ night. What are books like this good for? You save on a subscription and still have the best of everything at your fingertips at all times.
Edipresse fires the editor-in-chief of Le Matin.
Daniel Pillard, editor-in-chief of the French-Swiss daily newspaper Le Matin, has been forced to step down. After months of tension within the newsroom, publisher Edipresse decided to part ways with Pillard. According to Edipresse, his reorganization of the editorial department and personnel policies had caused discontent among various employees. Pillard took over as editor-in-chief of Le Matin in early 2000. He introduced separate editorial teams for the weekday and Sunday editions, a move that was poorly received. Pillard also oversaw the transition of Le Matin to a tabloid format. Edipresse announced that this change will remain in place. The project will now be brought to completion by Théo Bouchat, head of publications at Edipresse.
Frame Eleven visualizes Formula 1.
The Zurich-based multimedia production company Frame eleven created the new look for RTL’s Formula 1 broadcasts. The project was won in a competitive pitch against several German agencies. The clips were completed in just under two weeks, in time for the season opener in Melbourne. They can be viewed at www.frame-eleven.com.
New travel magazine as a supplement to *Blick*.
On May 8, 2001, the magazine *Schweizer Touristik* and *Blick* will launch a new travel magazine. The magazine is called Reise Blick; it is published six times a year and features articles, tips, and information on excursions, restaurants, attractions, and hotel accommodations. It is in A4 format, printed in full color, and distributed as a supplement to Blick. Schweizer Touristik is responsible for the editorial content, ad sales, production, and the «financial success» of the newspaper supplement, while Blick-Verlag handles distribution.
A talking cigarette pack warns against smoking.
The British company Molins has developed a cigarette pack that plays a health warning when opened. The pack contains a microchip and a mini speaker. Smokers are greeted by the pack with the warning «This can kill you» or with funeral music, as reported by the trade journal New Scientist. The mechanical engineering group Molins manufactures, among other things, production and packaging equipment for the tobacco industry. Anti-tobacco organizations such as the British group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found the idea amusing but speculated that the tobacco industry would have to be forced by the courts to use such “talking” packaging.
THE HIGH FLIGHTS OF A FREE SPIRIT ON SAT 1.
The show «The Movie Club» on Sat 1 has become worth watching. Going beyond simply playing trailers and DVD clips, Midi Gottet has recently been injecting a good dose of comedy into the show as its witty host. Never at a loss for a joke, this member of the Eden trio loves to cause a ruckus at the movies. Recently, for example, the comedian startled moviegoers during a screening of *Hannibal* by suddenly appearing in the theater with a frying pan in which a brain was sizzling. The Wallis-based agency FCB Leutenegger Krüll, which handles the show’s advertising, incorporated Gottet’s macabre stunt into an ad. The show airs Monday through Friday at 7:40 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Editorial

Do web pages really have a future?
Newly launched publications could hardly have had worse luck than *Netzwoche* and *Internet Standard*: Right on the heels of *Netzwoche*’s launch in April of last year, bad news from the New Economy was already spreading in the U.S.—followed by a nosedive in dot-com stocks. And by the time *Internet Standard* followed in October, the crisis had long since reached the Old Continent.
This had disastrous consequences for both the advertising and readership markets. In a very short time, the enormous investment power of an entire industry collapsed—and with it, the New Economy companies that had been major advertisers. At the same time, public interest plummeted, because horror stories are hardly the way to attract new readers (page 22).
The consequences became clear at the newsstands: Neither publication sells even 1,000 copies per issue here. This is particularly dramatic for a general-interest title like *Internet Standard*. It is not entirely blameless in this regard, as marketing was scaled back to practically nothing shortly after its launch.
The various trade shows and exhibitions have proven to be a stroke of luck for both publications. These platforms of the New Economy have generated a flood of advertising for these publications, which are otherwise not accustomed to such attention. Despite this fruitful partnership, the question remains whether the market will need these new Internet publications in the long term. Just as content from the Internet has long since become a normal part of our daily information landscape, sooner or later the content from *Internet Standard* and *Netzwoche* could also be absorbed into the mainstream business press.
Daniel Schifferle