Trend researcher Matthias Horx takes a look at the future of the InternetBy Stefano MonachesiThe future of the Internet is the invisible network that knows how to take care of all the day-to-day stuff. And e-commerce will lead to a renaissance of corner stores. This is how Matthias Horx, a trend researcher from Hamburg, sees it in his latest book.
In ancient times, priests were responsible for predicting the future. They received visions from their gods or read from birds' flight and fish guts. Today, trend researchers have taken the place of the oracle. Because they lack the authority of the sacred, they have to convince their audience differently. In its study "The Future of the Internet," Matthias Horx's Future Institute relies on pithy slogans, trendy slang and colorful SF graphics to disguise the lack of data. Nevertheless, the study is worth a deeper look.
Internet use will remain at an intermediate plateau for the next five years. According to Horx, security concerns, complicated operation and, last but not least, a lack of benefit for broad sections of the population will ensure that the "digital divide" between heavy users and holdouts is consolidated.
The study expects new technologies to overcome this blockade. High-speed data transmission via fiber optic cable in particular is hailed as the savior of the online world. Bandwidth abundance is said to enable unlimited entertainment over the net and make waiting times disappear.
It also allows the use of so-called bots: intelligent programs that assist users on the web, relieve them of tedious tasks and are experienced as beings with their own personality. Together with new, simplified end devices, they will make the web an uncomplicated and intuitive world of experience, according to Horx.
Horx promises us a dazzling future
In addition to private use, the study also looks at the future of e-business. According to Horx, the "smart economy" is developing out of today's contrast between old and new economy: the old corporations are discovering the multiple benefits of the Net, which, in addition to rationalization, is opening up a whole new world of customer orientation. Mass customization and personalized customer relationship management are the buzzwords.
For e-commerce, Horx predicts a return to local distribution centers and cooperation with "real" retailers, leading to the renaissance of the corner store. Market opportunities in various sectors are examined in detail.
Finally, Horx allows himself an excursion into the realm of fantasy: four color plates vividly depict the development of society over the next 30 years. From the chaos of small devices to the broadband world, we finally arrive at the "Invisible Net. From 2020, the Net will take all our worries away; humanity will return to creativity and contemplation. The future is bright, the future is...
Matthias Horx: "The Future of the Internet - Towards Digital Realism. 79 pages, 398 marks. Order form at www.zukunftsinstitut. de

Kaspar Loeb has been CEO of the Seiler DDB Group, Switzerland, since December 1Head of the week "I can still take a vacation later".
This man has a quirk: Who else cancels their vacation to voluntarily start their new job five weeks earlier than agreed? "I couldn't help it," says Kaspar Loeb. He was really drawn in when he "just dropped in" at Seiler DDB at the end of October. "I can take a vacation later," he says.
Now, for him, it is first of all a matter of setting impulses at Seiler DDB, of ensuring that the agency becomes "even more successful". He has already achieved his first success. Together with his team, he won the Zurich Financial Services account at the beginning of November. "It was worth it that I postponed my vacation," Loeb laughs.
Instead of just under six weeks, only four days off. It was enough for him to recover from his consulting and management job at Interbrand Zintzmeyer & Lux. After all, "my new job gives me strength," Loeb says. He loves to tackle things. To give his all. Making a difference and helping to shape things. As a journalist, he lacked that influence. "You have to report on something that you can't directly influence." So it quickly became clear to him as a journalist: "I won't always be a journalist."
After ten years as head of news at SonntagsZeitung, business editor at Politik und Wirtschaft magazine, business editor at Weltwoche, presenter and editor at Cash-TV, project co-manager at Ringier's Reflex magazine and deputy editor-in-chief of Schweizer Woche, he therefore "switched sides" in 1995.
He has never regretted the change. "I feel very comfortable in my new field of work," he says. Selling a product, leaving a lasting impression with an idea, managing a company, taking responsibility: At Seiler DDB, Kaspar Loeb can do what he loves best. "I've always sought responsibility, even as a journalist," he says. Nevertheless, the offer to take over the Seiler DDB Group with 150 people as CEO is something the 44-year-old has given plenty of thought to. "Herbert Seiler and I held intensive talks for over four months before the decision was made. In the end, both of us wanted to know exactly what we were getting ourselves into," he says.
In the meantime, Loeb, as CEO, is working on improving the Zurich agency and expanding the Basel and Bern bases. "If you don't keep improving, you're quickly out of the window," he knows. That includes looking after some clients and regularly dropping in on Basel and Bern.
He doesn't have much time for short trips to his new vacation home in southern France at the moment. But that's okay. "After all, I can also relax here by visiting theaters and exhibitions. After all, these two things are among his great passions. "And thanks to Marthaler, I no longer have to travel far for good theater performances," says Loeb. Annelies Friedli

The particular challenge of working for the Montreux Jazz Festival for Albin Christen was to design his illustrations in such a way that they could also be transferred to other products sold at the festival, such as T-shirts, baseball caps, ties and more. But he was particularly challenged by the stage design. It was the first time in the history of the Montreux Jazz Festival that the poster motif also served as stage decoration. The figures had to be worked out three-dimensionally in Styrofoam and connected to each other on stage so that they formed the same circle as on the poster and developed the same dynamics. Lighting was of great importance in the production on stage. For the loner Albin Christen, the teamwork with the lighting and stage manager was unusual, but extremely enriching and the result amazing.
For the third time this year, a Swatch watch was launched especially for the Montreux Jazz Festival. Albin Christen's idea was to bring his figures to life. Instead of the hour and minute hands, two plastic discs rotate with the figures painted on them from the event poster. The fact that the saxophonist looks up the singer's skirt as he chugs forward every minute is an amusing detail.
In this case, the clock was more of a toy than a timepiece anyway, since the digits for the exact time were missing, says Christen about his creation. The festival visitors, at any rate, were hardly bothered by the fact that they were not constantly reminded of how late at night or how early in the morning it already was. Anita Vaucher

Odile Nerfin, script president, on new services offered by the copywriters' associationNext year, the Swiss Copywriters' Association, founded in 1982, will rebrand itself as script. With a more modern image, President Odile Nerfin wants to appeal more to younger copywriters. An equally freshly designed website at www.scriptweb.ch offers them various services, including job placement for freelance copywriters and translators.Why does the copywriters' association want to rebrand itself as script?
Odile Nerfin: The job description of a copywriter has changed a lot in the last ten years. So our appearance no longer corresponded to what today's copywriters need. Moreover, in addition to advertising, we also want to address the areas of PR and corporate journalism in the future. And no longer just in or around Zurich, but throughout Switzerland, including Welschland and Ticino.
How many members are currently organized in the association?
Nerfin: We now have around a hundred members and of course hope that this number will increase significantly thanks to our new activities. Already in the fall, we organized a large advertising campaign in Welsh-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. It should show first results from January on.
Why should a copywriter become a member of this association?
Nerfin: Most of the copywriters registered with us are self-employed. They need support in the form of a network. Our search engine, which we plan to offer starting in January, can be a valuable help. This will enable potential clients to find the ideal copywriter for their needs, and self-employed copywriters will be able to get jobs. We also plan to offer support in the area of copyright. In addition, the association will promote exchange among members with a web forum. Finally, we also want to communicate various events and training opportunities via our website.
All communication is now electronic only?
Nerfin: Yes, this innovation works from January 1, 2001, simultaneously with the conversion to script. In recent years, we published a bulletin that was sent out about five times a year. Now all communication is handled virtually via www.scriptweb.ch or the e-mail address kontakt@ scriptweb.ch. This way we are always up to date.
Until now, your members have mainly been self-employed copywriters. To what extent do you also want to address agency people in the future?
Nerfin: These are also part of the target group and are of course very welcome. But I think that copywriters in an agency are already appropriately organized and embedded in their workplace. Such copywriters are confronted with different problems than copywriters who work independently. On the other hand, our training opportunities should also be interesting for agency copywriters.
What kind of training opportunities will you specifically organize?
Nerfin: Various events are already planned. We are offering a workshop on copyright in January. Another workshop will deal with online publishing.
Does script also offer help with financial negotiations?
Nerfin: Yes, we have a list of fee recommendations that is continually updated.
Do clients adhere to these requirements?
Nerfin: The recommendations certainly help copywriters sell themselves better. For me personally, anyway, it works.
In which areas do copywriters organized at script work?
Nerfin: Our members are active in the fields of public relations, advertising and corporate journalism, from customer magazines to instruction manuals. In advertising, it's a matter of both rewriting advertising copy and adapting texts for various media or - very importantly - translating them in terms of advertising copy rather than purely literary.
You come from the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Do you work primarily as a translator?
Nerfin: I create French advertising copy, adapt marketing copy, and currently mainly copywrite websites. That's the trend at the moment. There is also a great need for work here.
What about the competition: In your opinion, are there too few or too many copywriters? What does the job market look like?
Nerfin: The job opportunities have been good for a long time. The demand is even increasing.
Under what conditions can a copywriter be newly admitted to the association?
Nerfin: All are welcome who can identify with our goals. He or she can appear on our website for a modest fee. The admission requirements are somewhat tougher if one wants to be entered in the professional register. The addition member script BR should become a seal of quality. There is an examination for this quality mark. Candidates must submit six work samples and have at least two years of professional experience.
What motivated you to take on the presidency of the copywriters' association?
Nerfin: My hope was that the association might benefit from the fact that I am not Swiss-German, not yet fifty years old, and not a man. In other words, the association wants to open up to new members.
Are there many women already?
Nerfin: Currently, about a third are female copywriters.
What are your personal association goals as president?
Nerfin: I hope for more members in French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino. With the ulterior motive that it no longer scares a Zurich person so much to send an e-mail in French. Also our homepage will be quadrilingual from January, including English. The construction of this homepage is currently the most important task in the board. The platform, which is to become an even more attractive forum for our job placement, already counts around 2500 hits per week. Here, all interested copywriters or translators can present themselves in a portrait. This opportunity for presentation is rated as very efficient by our members. Interview: Andreas Panzeri

Six men are up for election, but with your voting card you can also bring a woman into the gameThe 24th Advertiser Election
of the year is open. With ballots enclosed with this issue
are, you can determine your favorite. As in previous years
a nomination committee made up of former advertisers of the
Who nominated the Swiss candidates in 2000?
advertising and given it new impetus? Who has been particularly
heavily used for advertising industry or outstanding advertising
made? Who was particularly courageous, innovative, creative and
trend-setting? In short: who has what it takes to be an advertiser
of the year 2001?
To make the choice a little easier for you, has
again, a nomination committee of former titleholders (rank one
to three) nominated six people. These are (in alphabetical order
Order): Edi Andrist, CD McCann-Erickson; Urs Beer, Consultant;
Frank Bodin, CD McCann-Erickson; Markus Ruf, copywriter and consultant; Martin
Spillmann, CD Advico Young & Rubicam; Dominique von Matt,
Co-owner Honegger von Matt.
However, you can also choose according to your own
election to nominate a canvasser or canvasser: The last word has
as before, the subscribers of WerbeWoche. With the
two voices that are available to you, you can use on the
enclosed ballot paper either tick up to two names or select the
Add one or two new names to the list (duplicate names,
i.e. cumulation, is not possible). We would like to invite you again,
to provide us with your response in writing by January 5, 2001 (date of postmark).
Edi AndristSince
1995 Edi Andrist (49) is Creative Director of McCann-Erickson
Switzerland. In 1998, he became Executive Creative Director and Vice Chairman
of McCann-Erickson Switzerland and Germany. He also accompanied the
Rebuilding the German agencies. Edi Andrist came to the company after a
Graphic design training at the Kunstgewerbeschule Basel as a junior copywriter to
GGK. After twelve years, the ADC member moved to Stalder as CD
& Suter and then became Managing Director Creation at ASGS/BBDO
respectively Aebi/BBDO. For his creative works he received over 200
national and international awards.
Jury Statement:
Edi Andrist has worked as a CD at McCann-Erickson Switzerland and Germany for
creative highlights and left a lasting mark on the level.
Urs BeerUrs
Beer (54) began his advertising career in 1971 after a brief stint as a teacher
as a consultant at the Wiener Deville Wälchli agency, which he founded in 1980 as a
Client Service Director left to become Managing Director of Zurich-based
to establish a branch office of Young & Rubicam. In 1988, Urs initiated
Beer the merger with Advico. Under his leadership, Advico Young
& Rubicam as the most creative Swiss agency. After almost 20
years, he is stepping down and will start his own business in Zurich in January.
Open consulting office.
Reasons given by the jury: Urs Beer has for years
managed the largest and most creative agencies, and with great
the industry (Marbach Academy, Marque Museum, and the
Marcarama). Beer has planned his succession prudently and excellently
solved
Frank BodinADC member
Frank Bodin (38) became creative director at McCann-Erickson in 1996,
Geneva, and member of the Executive Board. After studying music
Bodin gained his first experience with Andy Steiner and GGK, Küsnacht.
as a copywriter/conceptual designer in advertising. From 1992 to 1996 worked the
Father of two children at Aebi Strebel. In the course of his career
Frank Bodin of virtually all the major national and
international festivals with around 200 awards.
Justification
of the jury: Frank Bodin is an advertising multi-talent who continuously
produced creative highlights. He has made McCann-Erickson, Geneva, a
creative hotshot and showed that good advertising is also possible in the
French-speaking Switzerland is possible. There is hardly a creative in Switzerland,
which was showered with more awards.
Markus RufFreelance copywriter
Markus Ruf (37), who primarily works for Guye & Partner and Ruedi Wyler
advertising, has been attracting attention for years with its creative consistency.
ADC cube level. The trained typesetter rose in 1985
joined Grendene + Lanz as a junior copywriter in advertising. After that
Markus Ruf worked as a copywriter for Advico, Farner Publicis and GGK, Zurich, until he was
1994 his urge for independence made him become independent. From
agency to agency on the road, have been seeing his work for years.
regularly wins prizes at the ADC.
Jury statement: Markus Ruf
would have received the prize for his exceptionally creative achievements
actually earned a long time ago. As a freelancer, reputation often stands in the
Shadow of those who are applauded. Switzerland owes him
some excellent advertising concepts.
Martin SpillmannMartin
Spillmann (46) has been with Advico Young & Rubicam for seven years
(AY&R) as a CD for numerous award-winning campaigns.
responsible. Before joining Y&R in 1985, Spillmann worked after
a graphic designer apprenticeship in different agencies, among others also
for BSSM. Within the Y&R Group, Spillmann, who has been
President of ADC of Europe and ADC member, moved to New York in 1989,
where he became CD and Vice President. In 1993, he returned to AY&R as CD,
Zurich, back.
Jury's statement: Spillmann is one of the few
Swiss creatives who can also have their say in the film category and
have already demonstrated this internationally several times (silver and bronze
in Cannes). Spillmann stands for consistently creative and strong advertising.
Dominique von MattSince
1993 Dominique von Matt (42) is co-owner of the agency Honegger von
Matt. The business administration graduate, who studied at the University of Zurich
with a dissertation on branding, worked under
among others as Account Executive at DMB&B, London, and as
Consulting Group Leader and Member of the Executive Board at Wirz.
In addition, Dominique von Matt is a lecturer at the
Sawi communication leader course, at the ADC/ BSW creative school and at the
BSW Planning Seminar.
Reasons given by the jury: Dominique von Matt has
demonstrated quality and consistency with his agency. He has
entrepreneurial backbone, is a clever thinker and at the same time
a good practitioner.
Election ceremony: January 18, 2001The
Awarding of the title of Advertiser of the Year 2001 will take place on
Thursday, January 18, 2001, at the raw materials warehouse, Binzmühlestrasse 86, in
Zurich-Oerlikon will take place. The doors will be open from 5:30 pm. The
Registration card for the election celebration and the subsequent party is located
can be found on page 21 of this issue. You can also contact us via
Log on to www.werberdesjahres.ch.

So it’s not just my sometimes somewhat limited comprehension that prevents me from understanding the content of many advertisements right away. Many people must feel the same way, because in this example from Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy (LVMH), three possible interpretations are provided. And despite the rather playful beach scene, the three suggested solutions on the left catch the eye much more quickly—at least visually. But it’s unclear exactly what the message is supposed to be. Answer A is probably the most likely, though in that case it would have to be the international edition of a survival show, since in the Swiss version you’d more likely encounter Calida underwear, Migros sunscreen, and Crest condoms. I won’t go into B and C any further, as I suspect they convey a completely different message. Namely: What does a man do on an island when he encounters a woman who, decked out in jewelry, doesn’t shy away from even lukewarm champagne, enjoys her caviar with grains of sand, and has eyes only for her faithful poodle? He creeps on his knees toward the four-legged friend and kills it with his banana harvest. Or something like that. But it could also be a teaser image for Tom Hanks’ new Hollywood role as Robinson Crusoe. Chandra Kurt
Column

Pitch for Ogi
by Simon Freiburghaus
The resignation of our Kandersteg native was undoubtedly one of the most significant events of the year. The grueling presentation grind—as part of the same old pitches against the same old competition from A, B, M & Partner ZSVP (Abächerli, Blocher, Mörgeli)—took its toll. And with it came the departure of the best PR and advertising consultant ever to set foot in Bern. What a shame. But there’s still a glimmer of hope: Just like the indestructible Russi from the «70s, Dölf is likely to have lucrative offers landing on his doorstep soon. For example, as a testimonial caller for Diax: »Thanks, Ueli, but I’m heading the other way.” Or from SMP as Kaspar Villiger milking the dairy cow Lovely.
But the millennium year also had its bright spots. For example, SP President Ursula Koch impressively demonstrated how women in leadership positions can preserve jobs and create new ones. Never before had journalists been allowed to report and speculate on the Swiss Social Democrats as extensively and persistently as they did this year.
But it wasn’t just the communications specialists in the capital city of Bern who provided the highlights; things were also in full swing in Zurich. And for the most part, that was at Publicis, which still firmly holds the reins at the yellow giant. Except for the yellow sofa on the moon. But as we all know, that’s another story—and we’re still waiting for the punchline.
Of course, I could go off on all sorts of tangents in this column—jumping from one topic to another and rambling on and on. Especially when I think about the fact that this is the very last column of the 20th century. But I’ll spare you that. Instead, as a farewell, I’d rather leave you with a website where you can win a millennium gift: www.tausendjahre.ch. And I wish you www.froehliche-weihnacht.ch
Language Observer

Christmas 2000
Dear Santas and Mrs. Santas, dear Baby Jesuses!
Christmas 2000 is just around the corner. The rollout is complete, and the Christmas email campaign launched right on schedule. The kick-off event (First Sunday of Advent) for this year’s SANCROS (SANta Claus ROadShow) took place on December 3, and the X-Men are ready to go.
Following the official Organizing Committee meeting, we held a project status meeting for the first time this year, during which we created to-do lists and standardized job descriptions based on the results of the workshops. This allowed us to define clear areas of responsibility and create an optimized gift allocation system, which improves service levels and establishes Xmas as a global brand.
The meeting also served to coordinate logistics with the Co-Head of Global Christmas Markets (K. Ruprecht), ensure the distribution of gifts to the relevant Private-Schenking-Center (PSC) locations, and define the target groups. For the first time, gift units will also be offered online (www.intergift.com).
The service providers (angels, elves, reindeer) were assigned their core competencies via a group email. A package of incentives and a team-building event have boosted motivation and helped foster a unified corporate culture.
The proposal to assign a coach to each angel was scrapped for budgetary reasons. Instead, the Client Management Conference decided to set up a pilot district with a hotline (2.17 Rp./min.) for express requests, which significantly increases the added value for the end users of the gifts.
A new management information system ensures benchmark-based controlling for each PSC. External consultants have defined a new documentation concept, which made it possible to produce this year’s Golden Book (Release 1.1) as an instruction manual even before the Christmas event. A newsletter serves as a supplement to keep everyone up to date.
Low-cost giveaways with high teaser value serve as a supporting measure. Furthermore, the mission statement was redesigned from “Merry Christmas” to “Let’s keep the candles burning.” Santa Claus initially had reservations about the repositioning, but eventually accepted the progressive marketing approach and acknowledged the expertise of his investor relations managers.
All that's left for me to do is wish you all a Merry Christmas 2000. Holy Xbam!
Beat Gloor, www.textcontrol.ch

Marketers and pay-for-surf providers seek and find each other and also become active on the Swiss marketBy Clemens HörlerThe three most important pay-for-surf providers in German-speaking countries have tied up with a professional online marketer. Thanks to the new alliances, they can offer their advertising customers good targeting options. In Switzerland, however, only with a very small reach.
In November, AdLink Internet Media GmbH announced that it would be offering the
pay-for-surf provider FairAd GmbH (www.fairad.de), Munich. Shortly before this, Real Media and AllAdvantage.com also joined forces for a Europe-wide cooperation. AdMaster has been exclusively marketing the "Cash-Machine" of Munich-based CyberProfit AG (www.cashmachine.de) since May.
Thematic and temporal targeting
For marketers, these strategic partnerships with the aforementioned providers mean a welcome expansion of their portfolio and the opportunity to offer their customers fairly precise targeting, both in terms of user interest and desired timing.
In fact, pay-for-surf providers know their customers pretty well after a certain period of time. This is because they leave precise information when they register and also consent to being monitored as they surf the Internet and to the information collected being passed on to advertisers in anonymous profile groups.
In return, users who download the software from the providers in question receive a certain amount of money for the advertising that is displayed in their advertising window, which is installed above or below the Internet browser. Some providers, such as FairAd or CyberProfit, also offer advertisers the option of playing full-screen commercials.
Still few users in Switzerland
Real Media already markets the services of the global company AllAdvantage.com in eleven European countries, including Switzerland. However, the number of members here is still very low compared to the USA or Germany. This is mainly due to the fact that, depending on the provider, until recently or still today you had to have an account abroad if you wanted to collect the reward for viewing advertising.
"The number of members is increasing, but more important to us is the precise targeting that is now possible with AllAdvantage.com," says Alex Schatt from Real Media Switzerland. Real Media and AllAdvantage.com hope that their so-called ViewBar in German will also lead to a rapid increase in members in Switzerland.
While CyberProfit is not yet planning to enter the Swiss market, FairAd already has 10,000 members in Austria and Switzerland, according to media spokeswoman Johanna Stengel, but hopes to expand soon. AdLink Switzerland could then also be affected by the cooperation. Alexander Gaigl, Managing Director of FairAd: "With AdLink, we have found a partner that has the potential for successful marketing not only in Germany."
Working with a marketing network allows FairAd, CyberProfit and AllAdvantage.com to focus on conducting market research, developing new forms of marketing and expanding their offering to users.
A consolidated market is also attractive for advertisers
For a long time now, these companies have no longer seen their advertising windows as banner windows, but as mini-browsers designed to offer members additional benefits, such as the latest headlines. Cyberprofit's "cash machine" also offers users the opportunity to send text messages or emails without having to access a specific website.
Until recently, pay-for-surf companies were viewed with suspicion. Many providers in Germany have also gone out of business again. The market has consolidated and the advertising industry is obviously now also willing to work with the remaining companies, all the more so as they have now been able to build up considerable customer bases of several hundred thousand people.

North Korea is still the only advertising-free country in the world. But that may soon change thanks to ABBBy Werner CatrinaNowhere is advertising to be seen in the North Korean metropolis of Pyongyang - except for state propaganda. At night, only the statutes of the Great Leader and his son shine. On the shelves of the stores is a sparse supply of goods. But times are changing: ABB will soon be the first Western company to be allowed to display its logo.
From the window of the just-landed Ilyushin of the North Korean Air Koryo, we catch sight of a huge portrait of the Great Leader Kim Il Sung. After a one-and-a-half-hour flight from Beijing, we have landed at Pyongyang airport, the rumored capital of North Korea. There is no commercial advertising here; only the all-powerful communist state advertises with slogans and heroic images.
Instead of the rickety buses of Russian design, there are Mercedes in front of the terminal; functionaries' cars and limousines for diplomats and arriving important delegations. We visitors from Europe feel like panda bears in the zoo. North Korea records only 100,000 foreign arrivals a year, nine-tenths of which are Chinese. Tourists and business people from Europe are rare.
Our small group of journalists and travel experts, "guarded" by a North Korean tour guide and two guides, drives along the empty airport highway into Pyongyang. Where in other Asian cities one shrill advertising wall follows the other, here brown rice fields pass in front of the bus window between the airport and the city. People work with sickles in the fields, here and there a cow pulls a two-wheeled cart. Throughout the country, motorized traffic is almost non-existent, as there are no private cars. Now and then a bus appears, sometimes a functionary's car; trucks are not allowed on the highways.
In all the world's metropolises, electronic screens and mega-posters put consumer goods in the right light. In Pyongyang, hand-painted giant frescoes and gigantic red stars advertise solely the blessings of the North Korean Communist Party, which is celebrating its 55th anniversary.
We make our first stop at the Monument to the Great Leader Kim Il Sung, a bronze statue as tall as a church steeple. Soldiers, students and wedding parties approach silently, bow their heads and lay flowers. Kim Il Sung, who died in 1994, remains president "for eternity" after his death. This, too, is a worldwide unicum.
No Coca-Cola advertising, no washing powder poster
"We try harder" is how an American car rental company advertises with a red label around the globe, but not in North Korea. Here, the color red has so far been reserved for the Communist Party of Korean Labor with its "Juche Doctrine" based on independence. Sad irony: Since the mid-1990s, the country has been plagued by a dramatic famine and is on the drip of foreign food aid, of which the people, however, learn nothing concrete.
Inhabited by nearly three million people, the metropolis of Pyongyang is the only capital on earth without any commercial advertising. No Coca-Cola sign, no advertising for washing powder or even computers distract from the images of Kim Il Sung and his successor, Kim Jong Il.
Victory Street, which runs through the middle of Pyongyang, looks like an alienated Champs-Elysées without stores and restaurants. For state officials and foreigners, there are a few other restaurants in the city besides the hotel restaurants, where you can feast on soju (rice wine) at Western prices.
As in wartime, the scarce food is allocated to the inhabitants by the state. The tourists, of course, feel nothing of this; they pay around 3,000 francs for an eight-day package from Beijing, including a visa, and are fed sumptuously.
The dollar is converted at a lunar exchange rate
Visitors from other countries can change their dollars into foreign currency and buy imported products at special outlets. For one dollar, we were charged 2.2 won, a lunar exchange rate. In China, a single dollar buys well over a hundred North Korean won, says a businessman from Malaysia.
Glasses of Nescafé stand on the shelves of a small department store for foreigners, Pampers for diplomats' children and stereo equipment from Japan are lined up. We even discovered white wine from Switzerland. Dozens of identical cans of tuna fill an entire rack, with large empty spaces next to them. Ginseng products, one of the few export goods of the country, are for sale. Because of the absurd exchange rate, however, everything is more expensive than in Tokyo.
In the stadium there is no
Bowl of rice and no tea
The largest department store in the center of the city is still closed at eleven in the morning, the huge square in front of it oppressively empty. In the shop windows, reminiscent of Swiss folk magazines in the fifties, clothes are displayed whose cut no one wears on the street. We saw neither markets nor stores where one had the impression that people were really buying. As we learned from our guides, all North Koreans earn 200 won a month, ten percent of which goes to housing. Where people spend the rest remained a mystery.
In the advertising-free May Day Stadium with its 150000 seats, there is not a single beverage stand. It is impossible to buy just a bowl of rice with vegetables or a glass of tea. With empty stomachs, the crowds make their way home on foot through dark streets after the party's jubilant show.
The streets of Pyongyang are clinically clean, because in this consumption-abstinent world there is nothing to throw away. Brigades of working people, moreover, scrub sidewalks and squares daily, "volunteers" crouch on their knees in front of statues and triumphal arches and sweep the floor.
The television set in the Pyongyang Koryo Hotel offers - like all sets in the country - only the program of the state broadcaster with happy faces, mass parades, cheering children's choirs, idyllic landscapes and the portrait of the Great Leader and his son. There are no commercials and news programs, only state announcements, propaganda.
At least the North Koreans have learned about the surprising meeting of their dear leader, Kim Jong Il, with South Korean President Kim Dae Jung, and also about the heartbreaking mutual visit of relatives who were not allowed to see each other for fifty years. The media do not tell the people that Kim Dae Jung received the Nobel Peace Prize for his reconciliation policy.
Heroic frescoes in the
ad-free metro
The state is using the biggest ladle: Pyongyang has more stadiums than most cities in the world. Here, too, not the slightest advertisement for a consumer product. The streets are wider than in Paris, the monuments higher than in Washington. In the empty squares as well as in the halls of the metro, pompous music sounds from somewhere. Commercial advertising is also completely absent from the subway. In contrast, chandeliers illuminate heroic frescoes. The people seem well dressed, we have not seen poverty in Pyongyang; the hunger areas are in the countryside, remote in the north. Foreigners are absolutely denied a glimpse into the living conditions of North Koreans. How long this rigid state can maintain its monopoly on information in the networked world remains an open question.
The electricity for Pyongyang is drawn from the outlying regions, which are often in darkness, knows a group participant who is already touring North Korea for the second time. At night, even the capital appears dark, with only the illuminated statues and magnificent buildings rising out of the gloom.
But help for the ailing infrastructure is coming from the West. In the last week of November 2000, ABB CEO Göran Lindahl visited Pyongyang at the invitation of the government. Lindahl is the first boss of a Western company to do business with the North Korean rulers.
ABB has signed a long-term cooperation agreement with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; specialists from the Swiss-Swedish technology group are to modernize the outdated power grids and upgrade the antediluvian control systems of North Korean power plants and industrial enterprises. It is foreseeable that the dynamic group, as a pioneer, will soon be able to trumpet its message on the last white spot in the advertising world: "ABB - global and local".
Isolated

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is three times the size of Switzerland and has 23 million inhabitants. For the Korean peninsula, the 20th century was for long stretches an epoch of horror. Decades of brutal colonization by Japan were followed by the devastating Korean War (1950-53), in which the country was caught between the millstones of the great powers USA, Russia and China. The war ended with the division of the country. In the South, tens of thousands of American soldiers moved in as a protective force. Communist North Korea has become increasingly isolated in recent decades. Now, under pressure from the economic misery, the country is to be cautiously opened up.

New appointments to important positions should strengthen the Bilanz family and dynamize customer servicesBy Daniel SchifferleThere is movement in the management structure of the Jean Frey publishing house: the former advertiser Elke Zappe will head WM Wirtschaftsmedien AG (WW 44/00) from 1 January 2001 and develop new multimedia products for the Bilanz family. Meanwhile, her predecessor Edi Häusler is to give new impetus to the Customer Service division as a marketing expert.
As of January 1, 2001, there will be important changes at Jean Frey AG: Ex-advertiser Elke Zappe takes over as head of WM Wirtschaftsmedien, publisher of Bilanz, at the beginning of the year. Edi Häusler, who has only held this position since May of this year, moves to the position of Head of Customer Service.
This had been vacant for several years and was managed on an interim basis by Peter Kümmerli, as an additional job to the other tasks of the Be- obachter publishing director. Now, however, the aim is to inject more dynamism into this business area. And Häusler seems predestined to do just that, especially as the long-standing head of marketing at Ringier has a strong affinity for direct marketing and lectures on the subject at Sawi and the Media Institute. Before joining Jean Frey AG last spring, he was also a partner at the Stäfner direct marketing agency Factum, where he was involved in the day-to-day business. Häusler's main task is to drive forward new developments in customer relationship management, micro billing and data mining. Much of this in close cooperation with the parent company in Basel.
Competent brand management needs to be learned
And what impulses can we expect from Elke Zappe? The economics graduate has experienced pretty much everything: she spent more than ten years in various Swiss advertising agencies. She was a partner at Studer & Zappe and has been working as a management consultant for some time. Only the publishing sector is new territory for the future head of Bilanz. "But that doesn't matter, because Bilanz has a Head of Advertising Marketing and a Head of Reader Marketing, who already cover the classic publishing business perfectly," explains Peter Urs Naef, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Jean Frey AG. "What is very attractive for us is Elke Zappe's expertise in corporate management, her roots in the advertising industry and, perhaps the most important criterion of all: her experience in managing a brand."
Balance sheet to receive new radio and TV broadcasts
According to Naef, this expertise in brand management is particularly useful for one of Elke Zappe's future tasks: expanding the Bilanz multimedia platform with additional product ideas. Among other things, Naef is thinking of an increased TV presence, for example with new formats that could be broadcast in addition to the existing program. Another topic in the context of the new multimedia strategy: Bilanz business programs on the radio. "Here too, Elke Zappe will develop ideas together with Bilanz editor-in-chief Medard Meier," says Naef.

Jeremy Rawle, CD at Euro RSCG, joins Eurobest JuryHead of the Week in early December
"Switzerland must look beyond its borders".
Actually, the CD of Euro RSCG never planned to stay long when he started working in a new country. This turned into a ten-year stay in each case. Jeremy Rawle started his advertising career in London until he was drawn to Sydney in 1981. Today, however, the advertiser is no longer sure what attracted him more back then: the Australian advertising market or the great opportunities to indulge his passion for sailing.
However, working as a creative director at Sydney agencies such as Ogilvy & Mather, Lintas and Leo Burnett sparked his fascination with both advertising and life Down Under. Today, Rawle holds an Australian passport as well as a British one.
He also planned his move to Singapore in 1991 merely as a detour. However, his rise to the position of CD for the Asia Pacific region at Euro RSCG Partnership Singapore extended his stay considerably: Rawle did not leave the Asian metropolis again until 2000, when he took over the post of CD at Euro RSCG in Zurich to provide reinforcement when the agency was drowning in work. After about ten months in Switzerland, he is convinced that he will remain stationed here for a few years longer.
"I didn't expect to ever work in Switzerland," Rawle admits, "it wasn't on my top ten list of advertising markets." He is nevertheless pleasantly surprised, both by the state of design here and by the quality of life in Zurich. On the other hand, the fact that he encounters almost exclusively Swiss people in the advertising industry surprises him. "In all the other places I've worked, there's always been a mix of local and foreign talent," Rawle says, "I've also met Swiss people abroad. Here, on the other hand, you only meet a few Germans now and then."
The CD also sees a certain danger in this closed nature of the Swiss market: "Other small countries like Singapore manage to export their work abroad, and that's where Switzerland's future lies. You have to contribute your share to the international pool, otherwise you just end up importing ideas."
These days, Rawle has the opportunity to honor the best work from an international pool as a jury member of the Eurobest Awards. For the CD, the central criterion for judging the best works is clear: "I want to see advertising that I think: I wish I had done that myself!" We can only hope that Jeremy Rawle will also encounter Swiss entries in the Eurobest Awards that impress him in this way. Bruno Amstutz

As part of the restructuring of the shareholder base at 20 Minuten-Holding (WW 44/00), the Top Group (Radio and Tele Top) has acquired a stake. This was confirmed by Chris Tanner, co-owner of A&A Actienbank. Previously, Top CEO Günter Heuberger had erroneously stated in a press release that the Top Group would acquire a stake in 20 Minuten (Schweiz) AG. Heuberger hopes to gain momentum in the areas of marketing and the Internet, he told WerbeWoche. The parties agreed not to disclose the size of his stake. However, the Top stake is included in the 29.1 percent stake that A&A holds in 20-Minuten-Holding. Heuberger holds approximately a 40 percent stake in the Top Group.Kiosk AG is acquiring Swiss Mail member Distriforce. Inserateunion, a subsidiary of the Basler Mediengruppe (BMG), is selling the distribution organization Distriforce (Glattbrugg) to Kiosk AG effective January 1, 2001. This was confirmed by BMG board member Ruth Ludwig. Distriforce, which formerly distributed the Züri Woche, is a member of Swiss Mail (SM), one of three major distribution companies in the direct marketing sector (WW 39/00).
Flirting like Casanova. «I’ve had them all.» Whether it was Linda Evangelista, Brigitte Nielsen, Verona Feldbusch, Naomi Campbell, Sonja Kirchberger, Pamela Anderson, Cindy Crawford, or the Spice Girls: they all fell for Harald when Schmidt invited these women onto his talk show. Of course, a few men showed up, too. «Dear Harald, thank you very much for five entertaining years. Anyone who hasn’t been on your show yet will be coming soon. Keep it up!» SAT 1 congratulates its comedy talk show host. Not just anywhere, of course, but on the page for political books in the December 5 issue of the FAZ. And not just a half-page ad, but a full half-page. The ad was designed by FCB Berlin.
Virtual Advent Calendar. The Swiss Lung League is celebrating the holiday season with a modern, tech-savvy approach through its new-media fundraising concept. At www.froehliche-weihnachten.ch, visitors can open a window each day in a virtual Advent calendar. Hidden behind the electronic doors are 24 Masani’s cards, which can be forwarded as “cards for free.” The concept was designed and implemented by Freiburghaus and Banderini in Bern. As another part of the new online fundraising concept for the Lung League, the agency also had a CD-ROM produced by orange8.com and mailed to over 86,000 Swiss companies. It features a new screensaver theme for each of the 24 days of Advent.
THE BALANCE SHEET IS A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND. «Nobody’s perfect,» as they say in the movie *Some Like It Hot*, when Marilyn Monroe’s long-sought-after millionaire finally turns out to be a penniless bum, and the real millionaire turns out to be a dim-witted wimp. Today’s «easy girls» have it easier. There’s certainly plenty of financial clout to be found in the latest issue of Bilanz featuring the 300 richest Swiss. In a two-page ad by the Publicis agency, this «wanted» list for gold diggers is therefore marketed as “Switzerland’s most popular personals magazine.” And it’s not just blondes who notice this when flipping through the “golden” list: The editors of the Swiss business magazine have once again forgotten to include the advertisers in their research this year. But then again: Nobody’s perfect. Or something like that.
MGS is becoming SevenOne Media. Effective immediately, MGS MediaGruppe Schweiz is now known as SevenOne Media (Switzerland) AG. The name change is a result of the merger of ProSieben Media AG and Sat 1 to form the new ProSiebenSat 1 Media AG. As part of this process, the two marketing companies, MGM MediaGruppe München and Media 1, were also merged. The result is the largest marketer of audiovisual media in Europe.
Ruf’s new @address. Markus Ruf, a freelance concept developer, has found an entertaining way to let clients and agencies know his new email address. Instead of sending out a generic mass email, he opted for the good old medium of the postcard. In his series of postcards, he hilariously misrepresented the most common computer terms in window bars with images: The «browser» is a showerhead, the «hard drive» a high-calorie buffet, and «memory» an attic full of junk. An old-school hippie with a joint symbolizes the term «Links.» Ruf’s self-deprecating comment on the back of the card reads: «Despite my limited computer skills, I now have a new email address.»
Media Focus has been tracking online advertisers since 2001. Starting next year, all Swiss online advertising agencies are expected to report their revenue figures to Media Focus. Until now, the Hergiswil-based advertising measurement company has only tracked figures from Real Media, Qualiclick, Active Agent, and Banner.ch. Banner.ch CEO Sven Wenger told WerbeWoche that all ten Swiss advertising agencies have agreed to participate in the Media Focus survey. Revenue figures for 2000 will also be reported retroactively. For the months of January through October, Media Focus reported gross Internet advertising spending of 20.29 million. Wenger estimates that the four participating marketing firms cover approximately 60 to 65 percent of the Swiss market.
Editorial

Choose from 46 campaigns
It ranks among the most internationally acclaimed German campaigns of the postwar era: the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung’s print campaign featuring the «clever minds.» It has been running for over five years, and neither consumers nor advertising judges have grown tired of the distinctive visuals created by Scholz & Friends Berlin. On the contrary: People eagerly await the next installment, which time and again takes them to unusual places. The campaign proves that continuity doesn’t have to be boring in our fast-paced world. Time and again, the juries have recognized the creative team led by Sebastian Turner for their ability to continue this «classic» campaign in ways that never cease to surprise. «If you don’t have staying power,» Turner firmly believes, “you won’t achieve visibility in the first place.”
The CEO of Scholz & Friends is one of the most frequently honored creative professionals in Germany. In 1999, he was named Agency Head of the Year. Since September, the «German Advertising Guru»—as the Wall Street Journal calls him—has also served as spokesperson for the board of the German ADC. In an interview with WerbeWoche, Turner explains how he plans to reduce the amount of junk in advertising and why Germans usually come in last at international festivals (see page 41).
The advertising year is drawing to a close. Everywhere, people are taking stock and judging the year’s work: Over the past year, we’ve featured a total of 46 campaigns on our front covers, which we’re showcasing again on pages 16 through 19. Once again, we’re curious to know which one you liked best. Please write your favorites on the prepaid postcard on page 19. The deadline for submissions is January 5, 2001. We will announce the results at the “Advertiser of the Year” ceremony on January 18 at the Rohstofflager in Zurich-Oerlikon. Samuel Helbling
P.S.: The ballots for the 2000 Advertiser of the Year will be included with the latest issue of *WerbeWoche*, dated December 14. You will also find the registration card there.

The search engine Altavista is now present on the web with a Swiss edition.News Altavista.ch comes
The Swiss index currently has about 3.5 million sites. The search interface includes some newly launched offerings such as personalization, saving frequently used search results or an e-mailing of results. Data from the personalization features will not be used for targeting, explained marketing manager Alexander Holl.
Dplanet becomes a Diax portalDiax has launched a portal integrating a wide range of communication services. Dplanet.ch, as the Diax portal was previously called, has been merged with the corporate site.
OnlineReports.ch continues to grow
With 100,000 visits and 3,000 page views daily, the Basel-based news portal Onlinereports.ch has grown significantly in the past year. "I'm not going to get rich with this," says the founder of Onlinereports, Peter Knechtli. Nevertheless, he is convinced that there is a sustainable business model behind Onlinereports. Revenues from banner advertising doubled last year, allowing the service to cover its costs, according to Knechtli.
Bol is catching up67 percent of the Swiss can't name a company that sells books, music or videos online. Even in the aided survey, 24.1 percent still say they know none of the companies named, such as Bol.ch, ExlibrisOnline or Amazon. This was the result of a survey commissioned by Bertelsmann Online (BOL) and conducted by the German market research company Emnid in Switzerland. According to Emnid, the best known in the unaided survey was BOL, which was named by 13.5 percent of respondents. BOL thus displaced Amazon from first place for the first time this fall. Amazon came in at just 11.7 percent unaided awareness. Books.ch and Buch.ch follow in the other places.