The B2B media have finally woken up! In recent years, they have rarely been at the forefront of the Q Award - in stark contrast to the special interest titles. But now the tide has turned: The jury has nominated three specialist media for the Print Award in 2020. All three are impressive thanks to clever and modern concepts that are implemented with a great deal of passion and creativity, as the organizers write in a press release.

The nominees are m&k - The magazine for marketing & communication, Miss Moneypenny and brainMAG. The winner of the Q-Award trophy will be announced by e-mail on Monday, November 30. The Digital Award for the best online presence will also be presented. As the Trend Conference for Trade and Specialist Media cannot take place due to the current coronavirus situation, the award ceremony will be held purely digitally this year.

m&k - The Magazine for Marketing & Communication

The magazine for marketing and communication aims to be the leading magazine for the Swiss marketing and communication industry. Following a comprehensive relaunch in April 2020, it now presents itself m&k with a new content and visual concept that is convincing across the board and has created the "wow" effect that many were looking for.

Miss Moneypenny

Refreshing, surprising, diverse and creative - that's how you could describe the magazine for office managers and assistants. In addition to the quality of its content, the magazine with the coolest of names also impresses with its look and feel.

brainMAG

Magazines for the medical profession are often not a model for great media products. This may be due to the topics, the complexity of the subject matter or perhaps the fact that doctors are more interested in in-depth content than in a modern approach to media. But there is another way brainMAG. The magazine for neurology, psychiatry, psychotherapy and geriatrics has a captivating design, is clear, competent and extremely enjoyable to produce, and shows how even heavy fare can be communicated in an attractive and competent way.

The magic of Christmas lives primarily from the anticipation and the wonderful, naive reverie that wishes often come true as if by magic. The Brack.ch Christmas film plays with an emotional highlight of every childhood in the run-up to Christmas: making your own wish list.

Where toy catalogs and newspaper ads used to be cut out, today the Internet and a printer are often used to supplement the craft materials. The film, which can be seen on TV and social media from Monday, shows how this and the inappropriately perfect timing of the postman can be turned into trenchant and beautiful storytelling.

Due to the dynamic development of the pandemic, the planning security of local tourism businesses in the run-up to the winter season is low. However, a "certainly unforgettable winter" lies ahead, said Martin Nydegger, Director of the Swiss Tourism Association, at a media conference on Monday. The current situation requires a high degree of flexibility from everyone involved.

Forecasts rather gloomy

The current level of bookings for the winter season does not bode well at present. At the end of October, bookings for the Christmas vacations in the mountain regions were 19% down on the previous year, according to a survey by the association. Bookings for the sports vacations, which are still a little further away, were even 28 percent lower than in the previous year.

The forecasts of the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich also paint a gloomy picture. For the entire winter season in the mountains, the KOF expects overnight stays to fall by almost 22% compared to the last "regular" season in 2018/19. Demand from other European countries is likely to halve due to travel restrictions and quarantine regulations, and the overseas market will probably almost completely disappear.

Hopes for the domestic market

However, there is cause for hope in the domestic market. The KOF experts expect the Swiss to spend more nights in Swiss hotels compared to a normal winter. Specifically, the number of overnight stays is expected to build on the positive trends from the summer and increase by 9%.

There is also still the possibility that some restrictions on travel to Switzerland in nearby foreign markets will be eased before Christmas. "Our businesses are also prepared for this eventuality," says Nydegger. Switzerland Tourism's campaigns will also be adapted to the respective conditions on an agile basis.

Campaign calls for a new experience of winter

On Monday, the tourism industry also launched the new winter campaign "My First Time". The campaign focuses on the unexpected diversity of the Swiss winter. The aim is for everyone to find the ideal and suitable activity and try something for the first time. It features 100 winter experiences covering all language regions of Switzerland as well as all levels and activities. The activating, primarily digital campaign will be played out in all countries from which travel to Switzerland is possible or realistic due to the pandemic situation.

ST developed a monitoring system to take account of the current circumstances and place the right messages at the right time. Based on factors such as market shares, case numbers and travel restrictions, this provides a recommendation for action regarding an appropriate message. Depending on the results, the advertising measures in the respective countries are adapted at short notice and geared towards empathy, perception or booking.

Innovations in demand

The industry association sees the biggest challenge this winter in regulating the flow of visitors so that the comprehensive protection concepts can be adhered to. "Various destinations offer web-based gondola reservations, for example, or rely on drive-in restaurants with skis," said the Switzerland Tourism Director. Alternatives for après-ski are also being examined.

Berno Stoffel, Director of Cableways Switzerland, added at the conference that the exchange between the various destinations is immensely important, especially in this "special winter". It will also be possible to benefit from the experience gained during the summer season. (SDA/pd/swi)

Digitec Galaxus is reintroducing Twint as a payment option. (Image: Digitec.ch)

Customers of Digitec and Galaxus have been able to pay for their orders with the payment app Twint again since Friday. The Migros subsidiary and Twint had parted ways in the spring in a dispute over payment fees (Werbewoche.ch reported). "All our customers should pay for their purchases the way they want to - that's very important to us," Digitec-Galaxus CEO Florian Teuteberg was quoted as saying in a communiqué on Friday. Twint was the third most popular payment method among Digitec and Galaxus customers, according to earlier data.

The collaboration ended at the time because Twint wanted to impose a payment fee on the online retailer that was a multiple of the previous price, Digitec Galaxus said at the time in a Blog post wrote. The online retailer refused to accept these conditions and threw Twint out of the payment options. With the resumption of the cooperation, it remains unclear which conditions the two companies have agreed on. (pd/sda/swi)

Ozan Polat - think tank founder, comedian and digital jack-of-all-trades - takes viewers on a journey to experts and innovative Swiss players who are all shaping the digital transformation. In the first episode, "Never again monotonous work?" he tries wasabi arugula harvested by a robot arm, discusses people's creative capital with futurologist Georges T. Roos and falls in love with a small humanoid robot named Nau.

Inspire instead of instruct

Around the web series, Wirz has created a visual identity, add-ons like an Instagram filter as well as a Landing page with further articles. A common thread runs through the storytelling, not only visually but also in terms of content: A modern and powerful network is the basis for being able to implement innovative ideas.

"Shift" is a content platform that Swisscom can continue to build on in the future to get people excited about digital opportunities, Wirz writes in a statement. "We want to show people the opportunities of the connected world. With 'Shift,' we can show what is already possible today thanks to intelligent networking and how it can improve our everyday lives. At the same time, the format offers space to also address doubts and inhibitions," explains Pascal Morgenthaler, Swisscom Storytelling & Content Marketing Communication.

"Shift" has been online since the end of October. The third episode will be released on Friday.

On Friday, the FOPH announced that it was launching a new campaign in the Sunday press. All people with symptoms should get tested, the FOPH said. Rod Kommunikation is also responsible for these new subjects.

The cantonal physicians and the FOPH are also working on recommendations regarding behavior over the holidays, which they still want to communicate to the population. The cantonal physician of Basel-Stadt, Thomas Steffen, recommended to the media of the Federal Parliament a precautionary withdrawal in the run-up to the festival in the sense of a pre-quarantine.

Christmas gifts would be better to buy now to reduce contacts. Then you can also invite the grandparents on the day itself. However, he does not recommend "ten around a pot" at the traditional fondue chinoise. One set per family and enough distance is better. (SDA)

Verizon also receives a minority interest in Buzzfeed. Buzzfeed-Chef Jonah Peretti had the HuffPostwhich at that time was still Huffington Post was founded together with Arianna Huffington. Like Buzzfeed, the online portal is considered a pioneer in the field of digital media. However, both have struggled with financial difficulties in recent years.

His company decided to make the acquisition because it "believes in the future of the HuffPost and believes in its potential to continue to shape the media landscape in the coming years," explained Peretti. In addition, the business is important because of "the brand and the users" of HuffPost attractive. There is "not much overlap" between the users of the two online media.

In recent years, Verizon has established itself as a major player in the industry by acquiring companies such as AOL, TechCrunch and Yahoo. (SDA)

The residents of an apartment building known from the launch campaign just opposite a Migros branch also form the permanent ensemble during the Christmas season. They represent the many different types of households in Switzerland and focus on the smaller and larger hurdles of everyday life with a wink.

In eight different spots, various situations are shown, not all of which deal with Christmas. Always included is Migros, which is there for everyone. The Christmas celebration itself doesn't take place in a very classical way at Migros either: The teenage daughter decides without further ado to celebrate the holiday with her best friend instead of her dad. And after the feast, life goes on, with a little insight into the everyday hardships of a single father and his daughter's menu.

The campaign can be seen in all its facets throughout Switzerland in the full range of communications: on television, online as films and banners, and as print ads. Migros is also on hand as an everyday facilitator on social media and the web. On the landing page, it comes up with unconventional ideas, recipes, an entertaining chat of the house residents and, starting in December, an Advent game. The teenager Lea is active with Stories on Instagram, and various GIFs of the cast invite to express and share Christmas feelings.

Airports are increasingly transforming themselves into independent urban destinations, so-called airport cities. Zurich Airport is no exception. With the construction of the Circle, the airport has responded to these changing mobility and consumption needs and is competing not only with other airports but also with destinations and centers in the Zurich metropolitan region.

The Circle and Zurich Airport perform together

In order to clearly position itself as a destination, Jung von Matt Brand Identity developed the brand strategy and positioning. The previously separately managed brand "The Circle" was integrated into the destination brand Zurich Airport. Thus, the Circle and the airport appear together as one brand with a strong promise: "We combine diversity and comfort to a first-class experience in one place".

Cosmopolitan Brand Design

The translation of the brand promise is also reflected in the revised corporate identity. The color scheme and an explicitly developed illustration style give the brand presence conciseness and vitality across all experience points.

Different messages and topics should thus be able to be staged in a new, but at the same time characteristic way. The typical font of the signposting system, which is known across national borders, was consistently used as the house font both for the logo and for all other media and channels, thus ensuring a coherent and homogeneous perception.

In addition to the corporate design basics, Jung von Matt Brand Identity supported Zurich Airport in revising the nomenclature and place names, revised the design principles of the communication media, conceived the design of the merchandising articles and developed the idea and the name of the airport mascot "Rolli Rollkoffer".

Abstract psychedelic art

Psychedelic art has its origins in the music and art scene of the 60s. It is associated with hallucinogens and creative experimentation against a backdrop of social upheaval. In short, it's about opening the mind. And that seems to fit today's times: The chaotic imagery of psychedelic art promotes freedom and a sense that designers are no longer bound by, or tied to, traditional constraints. In 2021, we can expect designs with a life of their own, both in terms of their explosive arrangements and their complexity.

Symbol Revival

Historically, symbols have always been about universality. Be it in the form of warnings or about marking a concern with a common symbol. The power of classic symbols lies in transcending language. Designers will use this power to create ambitious symbols of resilience, growth and empowerment. To do this, they will work in familiar symbols of power, such as goddesses, stars, and stoic lions. However, they will give the classic motifs a modern twist.

Retro futurism

The retro-futuristic style spectacularly shows where the sci-fi dreams of the past went wrong. It was believed that by now we would have flying cars, ray guns and robot maids - instead we have vacuum robots. Because of its imagination and surprising optimism, Retro Futurism has become accepted as a visual style. Stylistically, this optimism finds expression through bright colors, computer-inspired typography, and curves - from astronaut helmets to arches and domes. Rather than harking back to an idealized past, the new Retro Futurism promises to catapult us into the good old days of the future.

Seamless surrealism

"Surrealism is one of those art terms that people associate with the inexplicable. Images that are intentionally nonsensical. What people often forget is that in the term there is also the word "realism." The real is intertwined with the surreal, and in no year was this more evident than 2020, when the bad fiction of a pandemic became part of our everyday lives. Graphic designers express this fear with the help of surrealistic collages, where images that would be normal on their own become alienating when combined. The illusion is seamless, making it difficult to separate the images.

Authentic representation

Recently, more and more designers have already focused on authentic and diverse people instead of models in illustrations. In 2021, it's no longer just about inclusion, but about celebrating those people. As part of the Black Lives Matter protests, designers have depicted, black women and men in strong and inspiring situations and poses. If design should avoid one thing, it's sameness. Highlighting different cultures, skin colors, ages, and identities provides an opportunity to create designs that - like people - are unique and diverse.

Naughty characters

Good design can tell a story. Great design makes the story memorable. In 2021, designers will eschew abstract imagery in favor of whimsical characters. The more personality these characters embody, the more memorable they are. Concept art is the foundation of this trend, offering not only character poses, but personality in the form of a hand-drawn approach. That's why these styles can range from detailed crosshatching to the simplified shapes, lines and colors of modern cartoons. The concepts themselves signal the return of humor and craziness in the coming months.

Comics and pop art

The design styles of the past never really die. In 2021, designers are resurrecting the grainy colors, heavy inking and onomatopoeia of old comics. Originating in a time of simple printing, comics often used halftones or dot shading to represent colors. Today, this approach can breathe new life into modern, minimalist trends like flat design with the help of grainy texture and depth. Similarly, web designers can use tilted images and twisted shapes to create a sense of drama and movement.

The fine arts

There has always been a distinction between art and design, but 2021 cares little for traditional boundaries. Painting gives designs surface variation and depth. They look so real, it's as if you could touch them. That's why the trend fits so well with physical products. Because art is associated with culture and class, it's useful for products that want to convey an old-world elegance - such as wine labels and cosmetics packaging. Also, painting allows for richer hues than those created on a computer, giving designs a sense of seriousness. They invite the viewer to take a moment and reflect.

Elements of nature

Many people are spending a lot of time indoors this year. So it's no surprise that the outdoors will show up in graphic designs. Whether this trend manifests itself in the form of leafy patterns, earthy color schemes, or illustrations of breathtaking vistas, graphic design is going green. Nature imagery is meant to convey serenity, renewal and growth. All things we joyfully anticipate.

Color blur

Gradients and color transitions have been in for a few years now. What's new is that designers are taking it a step further with even more blurred and gradient backgrounds. Add in a noise filter, and these designs master the fine line between transience and reality. The benefit of this trend is that it allows foreground elements like bold typography or atmospheric imagery to stand out against an almost imperceptible background. This trend is a mood and we expect to see it more often in designs with a somber side.

Designs with social awareness

2020 was the year the world understood how much it needed to change. From healthcare and environmental awareness to Black Lives Matter and pandemic preparedness, it became obvious how many challenges we face. The good news is that this conflict may just be at a turning point if everyone does their part. With this in mind, designers around the world are rising to the challenge of using their talents for the betterment of their community. We've seen this with the rise of creative handlettering that conveys unity, accountability, and advice and comes across as protest art. It shows up in illustrations that personalize the wearing of masks. Whether it's through community service or personal design projects, 2021 will be a year where design gets involved.

As the start of a new decade, 2020 may have turned out to be a disappointment. Graphic designers are willing to turn the tide in their very own way. Out of tragedy grows bold characters. Out of self-isolation, designers bring us closer to nature. And out of obscurity, they give us symbols of freedom of expression.

A new working group with representatives of the city and the canton started work at the beginning of November and is examining on behalf of the city of Bern how the coexistence of Aareböötli and Aare swimmers can be improved in the future, the city announced on Friday.

The past summer showed that despite the redesign of the boat ramp at the Dalmazibrücke, there are problems. At times, there was a veritable "Böötlischwemme" and thus space problems at the boat exit between Marzilibad and Dalmaziquai.

The campaign "Aare you safe?" was launched in 2013 by the city of Bern, Bern Welcome and the agency Blackyard and has raised awareness each summer for safety and correct behavior in and on the Aare. Among other things, it became known for the swimming bags, which have already achieved almost cult status. In 2020, the contract for the campaign expired.

Website and floor marking remains

A total of 6377 swim bags, 3497 Aare bags, 2871 swim backpacks, 411 life jackets and 350 bath towels were sold during the campaign. The mobile game launched in summer 2018 was downloaded over 14,000 times (Werbewoche.ch reported).

The Campaign website as well as the ground markings along the Aare are to remain in place. The cooperation with the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU) will also be continued. Following the success of the life jackets, a new "Aare You Safe?" product for the Aareeschwumm will be launched for the summer of 2021, according to the city of Bern.

Again and again, serious accidents occur in and on the Aare because swimmers are not aware of the dangers or overestimate their abilities. For many, the exit from the Aare becomes a particular problem because they do not swim to the exit points in time. (SDA/swi)

In 2019, Topwell Apotheken was integrated into the Medbase Group. As lead agency, P-Art took over the rebranding as well as the transfer of all communication materials into the Medbase design. In the course of the integration, the Winterthur agency also created the new joint magazine for Medbase and Medbase Pharmacies. Since the beginning of 2020, it has been published quarterly with a circulation of around 40,000 copies, since the second issue in German and French. It is available in pharmacies and medical and therapeutic centers. It is also sent directly to customers and subscribers.

Health theme with a fresh look and feel

The magazine communicates current health topics with a fresh look and feel to a broad readership. Appealing images and graphic elements are intended to provide visual excitement, while grippy paper ensures a pleasant feel. Following spring, summer and fall, the fourth and most comprehensive issue to date has now been published for the winter - supplemented by the new "From A to Z" section and a Christmas special.