Following the successful launch of five sustainable thematic funds in the fall of 2024, Zürcher Kantonalbank’s asset management division is taking the next step in the ETF segment in partnership with Swisscanto and expanding its offering with the four sustainable «ESGeneration SDG ETFs». The new product is based on proprietary indices and is available through both ZKB and other banks. And it can be used in even the most unusual everyday situations, as the accompanying launch campaign is designed to show.

In collaboration with TBWA\Zurich, ZKB developed a B2C/B2B2C campaign featuring 360-degree initiatives based on the overarching concept «Why not now?» The goal: to highlight the uniqueness, simplicity, and sustainability of the «ESGeneration SDG ETFs.» This resulted in an eye-catching key visual, two TV spot variations tailored specifically to target audiences with varying levels of financial literacy, and an SRF stock market sponsorship.

Take the escalator to the countryside

As the central element of the campaign, a woman—smartphone in hand—rides upward on a lushly landscaped escalator in an unusual pose. With an intense gaze directed at the camera, she invites viewers to invest now. To maximize the visual impact, the set at the Olma exhibition halls in St. Gallen was elaborately decorated with real plants native to Switzerland during the photo shoot.

The visual is being used on various large-scale posters in high-traffic cities across Switzerland. In addition, starting in mid-April, a special mega-poster at Zurich Central Station will attract attention. A section of the key visual will be covered with plants to emphasize the products’ focus on sustainability. On digital channels, the physical mega-poster will also be brought to life using CGI.

Customized Strategy

To ensure effective media placement, Webrepublic developed a tailored media strategy aimed primarily at independent and informed investors in German- and French-speaking Switzerland. For each age group, the appropriate key media outlets were identified, with a focus on high-reach channels in line with the upper-funnel objective. An increased use of video content is intended to convey the core messages even more clearly.

Branding Days, featured on high-reach news platforms, are intended to further boost the visibility of the new product line during the first week of the campaign. At the same time, Meta and YouTube serve as touchpoints for storytelling, while LinkedIn is used for more in-depth content-driven communication.

Alongside traditional ads, the social media campaign generates increased attention within the organic networks of relevant thought leaders. In addition to traditional print ads, OOH placements complement the digital presence with a selective “cherry-picking” approach focused on relevant financial institutions.

Person in charge at Zürcher Kantonalbank (campaign): Jan-Hendrik Völker-Albert, Melania Molinari, Alexandra Rahm, Bernhard Gschwandtner, Sandro Moccetti, Dominik Streich, and Pham Kim Phung. Creative Director at TBWA\Zurich (Strategy, Concept, Creative): Manuel Wenzel, Sarah Rüegger, Stéphanie Seematter, Naomi Gulla, Selina Engeli (Creative), Claudia Sigg, Sina Gelin (Consulting), Lukas Diem, Julia Lenauer (Strategy). Person in charge at Vido Video (Production): Stefanie Bereiter (Executive Producer), Future Punch: Jonas Riemer, Pascal Schuh (Directors), Stephan Fallucchi (Director of Photography), Maurice Haas (Photographer), Jane Lord, Eftihia Baka (Lead Actors), Daniel Seelos, Tim König (Post Supervisor/VFX), Dom Catena (Editor). Responsible at Webrepublic (Media): Nadine Schuler, Kevin Haab, Meret Jean-Petit-Matile, Sandra Fischer, Andrea Giovanoli, Pablo Buettikofer, Chiara Naunheim, and Beatrice Krischan. Person in charge at Blish (Production): Jlona Kopf, Jana Weber, Fabrizio Rutishauser, Rebecca Gerritsen, Jessica Kottmeyer, Roman Aebi, Martin Sautter, and Jasmin Knecht.

Various subjects communicate Smile's insurance offer across Switzerland on posters, digital outdoor screens and social ads. Once again, pointed contextual references pick up on what is causing a stir in society and the media - such as cheap products from the Chinese online mail order company Temu, whose electronic products have already been the subject of official warnings. In addition to regular posters, megaposters are also being used again - for example in Lucerne, at Zurich main station and in the underpass at Zurich Hardbrücke station.

Responsible at Smile: Joséphine Chamoulaud (CEO), Luca Michas (CMO), Chris Benros (Lead Media & Communications), Ivana Gonzalez (Marketing Strategist Europe). Responsible at Pam Advertising: Parvez Sheik Fareed, Miro Pfister (overall responsibility and creative direction). Responsible at Nova Impact (Media): Sandra Fehr (Managing Partner), Marcel Bieri (Senior Media Consultant).

The UBI recorded a record number of complaints last year: 45 new proceedings were opened, seven more than in the previous year. Since the creation of upstream ombudsman offices in 1992, there have never been so many cases. A total of 992 complaints were received by the eight ombudsman offices of Swiss radio and television broadcasters, of which just under five percent resulted in a complaint to the UBI. Most of the new cases concerned television broadcasts (17) and SRG's online offerings (15), including editorial publications and the handling of commentary columns.

Gaza, politics, procedure and corona

In terms of subject matter, the complaints were mainly related to the war in Gaza, political elections and votes, criminal proceedings and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Almost all of the reports complained about came from SRF (30 cases), RTS (12) and RSI (2); only one Telebasel program was affected.

The UBI found a violation of the law in seven cases. For example, an SRF article about a school experiment in Lucerne disregarded the principle of fairness because essential information was not mentioned. Two complaints against the non-disclosure of comments were upheld as there were no legally relevant reasons for the blocking. In the case of two election reports - an incorrect classification of a party and an incomplete representation of the candidates - the UBI found violations of program regulations. A Telebasel report on the Baselland cantonal hospital also violated the requirement of fairness, as the point of view of the accused was not adequately presented. In addition, a "Tagesschau" report on the FIFA affair was classified as inappropriate.

Book for the 40th anniversary

To mark its 40th anniversary, the UBI published a book in December 2024 with articles on the development of the complaints authority. The UBI, which has existed as an extra-parliamentary federal commission since 1984, examines complaints about SRG radio, TV and online content and assesses whether journalistic standards and legal requirements have been violated. Its decisions can be appealed to the Federal Supreme Court.

UBI Annual Report 2024

Marco Latzer has been working as Head of News for TVO for three years and is responsible for news reporting at the regional television station in Eastern Switzerland. The 36-year-old will take over as editor-in-chief on May 1, 2025. He succeeds Dumeni Casaulta, who is moving to Stadler's internal communications department (Markt-kom.com reported).

From 2012 to 2016, Marco Latzer worked as a video journalist for TVO. Further professional stations led the Eastern Swiss to work as a freelancer for the St. Galler Tagblattas an online journalist to FM1Today and finally to the Viewwhere he was responsible for regional reporting from Eastern Switzerland as a correspondent between 2017 and 2022. Born in Grabs, he began his journalistic career in 2007 at his local paper, the Werdenberger & Obertoggenburger.

"My new area of responsibility is both a challenge and a commitment," says Latzer about his new role. "The main goal is to consolidate the high relevance of our news reporting and at the same time to further sharpen the profile of our secondary broadcasts."

Expansion of regional reporting

Alongside Marco Latzer, Sarah Wagner will join the TVO management team as Head of Secondary and Talk Programs from July 2025. In this newly created position, the 29-year-old from eastern Switzerland will be responsible for an area that TVO has recently expanded significantly with new regional public service formats such as "Sporttalk", "Mini Firma" and "Dorftour".

Wagner has extensive TV experience as a presenter, producer, video journalist and editor, which she gained working for TVO and other regional broadcasters from 2015. Most recently, she worked as an online video editor for the St. Galler Tagblatt and its regional editions.

With a view to the start of the 2024 fall semester, the content of the social work course at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW was expanded. Andy Was Right's comprehensive communication strategy included the revision of the communication concept as well as the conception, implementation, distribution and measurement of a social media campaign. Particular attention was paid to the long-term reusability of the campaign content.

The aim of the campaign was to raise awareness of the Master's program. The creative social media campaign, which ran from early December 2024 to mid-January 2025 on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube, was designed to encourage interested parties to register for information events and ultimately enrol on the Master's degree program.

The campaign, which ran under the slogan "Zmitzt im Läbe", focused on the transformative potential of social work and showed how graduates of the degree program can play an active role in shaping society. Particular attention was paid to the flexibility of the degree program and the compatibility of studies and family. In addition, the innovative focus on complex case work was emphasized, which makes this Master's unique in Switzerland.

According to the agency, the campaign achieved positive results on all platforms: Awareness was significantly increased and traffic to the Master's program website was boosted.

In addition to the products, the new motifs place the uncomplicated, friendly nature of the health insurance company KPT at the center of the communication. Family has been designing and implementing the cross-media campaign for four years. As of this year, media planning and booking has also been added.

"We are breaking old boundaries with the KPT spring campaign: A 360-degree strategy that seamlessly combines TV, OOH, DOOH and digital channels," explains Mareike Hofer, Head of Media at Family. "Thanks to data-driven targeting and real-time optimization, we deliver our messages exactly where they are needed - and at the right moment. Innovation, precision and maximum reach - this is how we are shaping the future of media."

The digital assets, such as various banners and landing pages, were created by Emoticom. The 360-degree campaign was launched last week and can be experienced on various channels throughout Switzerland.

Responsible at KPT: Marc Bissig (overall responsibility), Stefanie Gehrig (campaign management), Shadya Rohner (digital sub-project management), Marco Garbely (text). Responsible at Family: Claudio Catrambone, Svenja Hässig, Jan Walser, Alexandra Niggeler, Linus Konetschnig, Severin Binkert, Marc Ambühl; Media: Mareike Hofer. Production: Stories, Claas Ortmann (director), Jan Mettler (DoP), Arthur Mebius (photography). Responsible at Emoticom: Yves Ackermann, Ellen Burri, Mathias Habich, Patrick Hüttenmoser, Jaana Kaufmann-Bienz, Marijan von Allmen, Léonie Stalder, Marc Wyss.

The Migros Group is once again focusing on young perspectives for its annual report. As part of the "Reporting Academy", apprentices and trainees worked together with the agency Hej and the film production company Filmgerberei to develop new formats for the Annual reporting.

The film review of the year with the President of the Board of Directors, Ursula Nold, and the Chairman of the FMC Executive Board, Mario Irminger, has become a firm fixture. This year, the discussions took place in the middle of the action at the Migros branch on Limmatplatz. The focus was on questions about the transformation of the Migros Group, the low price offensive and Migros' 100th anniversary. In addition, various short clips were designed and filmed this year, in which terms from the annual report are explained, future scenarios are outlined and Migros knowledge is tested in a quiz.

The posts, created in portrait format, were edited for social media, subtitled in four languages and reportedly achieved a reach of over 120,000 users on Instagram.

Responsible at Migros: Annina Arpagaus (Secretary General Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund), Nicole Hess (Project Manager General Secretariat Migros-Genossenschafts-Bund). Responsible at Hej: Janine Widler (project management, consulting), Helm Pfohl (creative direction), Cédrine Speck (UX design), Sara Wirz (editing, deputy project management). Publishing: NeidhartSchön: Petra Imboden (project management). Film production: Filmgerberei: Marike Löhr (producer), Flavio Gerber/Alun Meyerhans (director), Michael Schwendinger/Yangdon Nesar (camera), Aurelio Ghirardelli (lighting), Martin Scheuter (sound), Sarah Luo (dramaturgy/editing/animation), Roger Somm (grading), Film Klang Kollektiv (mix); portrait and reportage photography: Anna-Tina Eberhard; lithography: Roger Bahcic. Translation/proofreading: Supertext.

Whether film production, event content or multimedia productions - the new website and the new slogan "Create Moving Impact" are intended to highlight the strengths and creative diversity of Absolutturnus.

Since 2023, Absolutturnus has been developing its projects at its new location in Zurich Brunau with an integrated cinema - embedded in a colorful environment with partners such as the multimedia agency Chilyvent, the documentary film production Hitschfilm, the bookbindery Kozo Books and acting coach Jesse Tischler. The close proximity promotes exchange, new ideas and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Netgrowth was founded in 2017 by Arend Hendriks, Roger Baur and Urs Flückiger. The company specializes in native performance advertising, a form of digital advertising that integrates seamlessly into the content of a platform.

"Yahoo has continued to evolve over the last few years and the partnership, now extended to Germany and Austria, allows us to leverage exceptionally exciting and exclusive data for the success of our clients," says Managing Partner Arend Hendriks. "With this expansion, we are now active in the entire DACH region, which is a big step for us and will further drive our growth."

"Handing over the Austrian and German markets to Netgrowth was an obvious choice," adds Mazahr Rupani, Director Partner Sales at Yahoo. "They have been doing a fantastic job in Switzerland for years and we are convinced that they will continue this success in the new markets."

Sieber&Partners is expanding its management team with Gabriela Eymann. She brings more than 20 years of experience in the IT industry and specializes in digital transformation, change management and the public sector. She has been a Transformation Consultant and Head of Project Consulting at Sieber&Partners since 2018.

"The promotion of Gabriela Eymann is an important step for our company. She not only brings with her extensive knowledge, but also strong skills in leading people and organizations through change processes," says Luigi Caracciolo, CEO of Sieber&Partners.

With this personnel decision, the company is underlining its position as a consultancy for digital transformation and innovative strategies.

It feels like there are almost more award shows in the Swiss marketing and advertising industry than there are mountains in Switzerland. From podcasts, cookie box design, "advertiser of the year" and shopping apps to influencers, just about everything is now being recognized. But which is the best award?

To do this m&k and is launching "The Best Swiss Awards", an award show that aims to give the awards per se a stage. "An award for awards was long overdue," says Karin Estermann, co-owner of the creative agency Inhalt und Form and co-initiator of TBSA. "Finally, the awards themselves are getting the recognition they deserve."

Participation is now open. We are looking for the best entries in the categories "Best Award Show", "Best Diverse Award Show", "Best Award Design", "Best New Award Show Category", "Best Award Show Party", "Best Award Show Acceptance Speech", "Award Show Evergreen", "Best Jury Freakout", "Best Vetterli Economy", "Best Award Show Gossip" and the supreme discipline "Best Casefilm". We are also looking for critical thought leaders for the interdisciplinary expert jury.

"The Best Swiss Awards" recognizes relevant, innovative award concepts and the most creative entries. The aim is to highlight the importance of awards for the Swiss marketing and advertising industry and to give the sponsors a platform. The jury selects the best projects based on eleven categories, ignoring the fact that this is, of course, a harmless April Fool's joke.

With "Bilz Stellare", Feldschlösschen is launching a new variant of the soft drink - free from artificial flavors, sweeteners and alcohol. For the product launch, Havas relies on a humorous and refreshing brand image. With the claim "Free by nature", the agency positions the new Bilz Stellare as a trendy drink for every occasion.

The inventor figure Fritz Bilz leads the campaign as a charismatic figurehead and brings the necessary fun to product-driven communication. "It's no longer enough to 'nag' people to buy something. Even if it interrupts our entertainment program, product advertising has to be fun, both visually and in terms of content, so that it resonates with us. The main challenge here was to communicate all the unique product benefits in the shortest possible time without being boring. And yes, product demos can and should be fun," explains Creative Director Constantin Camesasca.

The agency has teamed up with London-based directing duo Blok for the moving image implementation. The campaign is complemented by national OOH and DOOH measures.

Based on the Havas creative platform, the Feldschlösschen content studio team developed the content for the social media channels. Fritz Bilz takes the community on a creator-style journey behind the scenes and aims to ensure engagement and entertainment with witty and interactive posts.

Responsible at Feldschlösschen: Sarah Stokar von Neuforn (VP Marketing) Agata Jaworska (Marketing Director), Patrick Keller (Senior Brand Manager), Lisa Straalman (Senior Social Media Manager), Anna Preisig (Creative Manager), Lukas Basista (Head of Media). Responsible at Havas Creative: Constantin Camesasca (Creative Director), Julia Fischhaber (Creative Director), Gabriel Mauron (CCO), Jasmine Pierce (Client Service Director), Alexandra Salomão (Account Manager), Jens Friggemann (Copy), Thorsten Buesser (Copy), Tobias Kremers (Art) Pia Chlumetzky (Strategy). Directed by: Paul Casey, Richard Jobson (Blok). Production: Jakub Maloney, Karol Nowicki (Oto Film), Maciej Skwara (Photo), Mieszko Socha (SFX tabletop), Daniel Santorowski (Producer, Cafe Ole), Wanda Kubrakiewicz, Monica Wagner (Orka Film, Post-Production), Kamil Kryszak (Music).