Swisscom's new "E-Gov-Hub" platform is designed to make it easier for cantons and municipalities to digitize their administrative services. Specialist applications and government systems are connected via the central communication hub, according to the telco. Swisscom has already implemented over 50 interfaces to various resident and financial systems, business administrations and geoinformation systems. The platform integrates functions for secure identification, electronic signatures and digital seals. In future, it will also be possible to use a digital wallet for the federal government's electronic identity (eID). Users will be able to store their documents on their own device in accordance with the principle of self-sovereign identity (SSI) and use them for administrative processes.

Wide use

Six cantons and 550 cities and municipalities with a total of around 3 million inhabitants already rely on Swisscom's eGovernment solutions. In the canton of Zurich, the integration of Swisscom Trust Services also enables the fulfillment of new legal requirements for legally valid electronic administrative procedures.

Swisscom is relying on the expertise of its subsidiaries for the technical implementation of the "E-Gov-Hub": Ajila digitizes multi-level administrative processes, i-Web provides specialist application interfaces, and Swisscom Trust Services integrates online identity checks and qualified signatures. With the E-Gov-Hub, Swisscom wants to enable public authorities to gradually digitize their services without individual development projects. (Marc Landis/NetzKI Bot/rja)

This article first appeared in Netzwoche.

Since its foundation in fall 2019, creative content agency Andy Was Right has established itself as a major player in the industry. Among others, UBS and Axpo were secured as new lead mandates in the area of content in 2024. The agency will enter the market in 2025 with a new self-image and revised brand identity.

After winning significant accounts and expanding its management team, the agency has realized that not only its work but also its position in the market has changed. "The last few months have shown us that we have moved to a new level. We have evolved as an agency and a team and know that our clients' requirements have changed. It's no longer just about growth, but about maintaining and developing our values and positioning ourselves more precisely," says Roger Hämmerli, Founding and Managing Partner at Andy Was Right.

"Digital platforms are driven by trends, topicality and proximity. People want to experience stories that reflect their everyday digital lives. Our industry tends to forget that there is always a person at the other end of the screen - not an algorithm. That's why we need stories for the here and now.

This approach is also reflected in the agency's new visual identity, which was developed under the direction of Chief Creative Officer Bianca Berger. "Andy Was Right's new branding reflects growth and positioning in a market that is constantly evolving. Our visual world is made up of shapes that can move and change to tell a story and it is alive, fresh and like an organism that can grow and adapt, constantly ready for the as yet unwritten future. We made a conscious decision not to follow the branding trends of the industry, but to create something that is uniquely ours," explains Bianca Berger.

With the new branding and claim, Andy Was Right is aiming to take communication to a new level in a constantly changing world. "Especially in the current social and political situation, a new type of communication is needed. We see it as our task to work with our partners to develop suitable solutions that win back people's trust - through clear values and exciting stories," concludes Roger Hämmerli.

AWR founder Roger Hämmerli spoke to m&k back in February about the next chapter for the agency. Click here for the interview.

The Goldbach Crossmedia Award has been promoting cross-media communication in the Swiss media and advertising industry for over two decades and is being presented for the 21st time this year.

This year, 19 campaigns from various sectors were submitted. Under the direction of jury president Marco Taborelli, the expert jury nominated the following nine submissions for the shortlist:

• Alinghi Red Bull Racing Campaign 2024 - Red Bull / Phd Switzerland
• Arosa makes dreams come true - Arosa Tourism / Yoveo | Team Farner
• The apprenticeship campaign for Gen Z - Login Vocational training / Webrepublic
• Migros as Playmobil - Migros Supermarket / Wirz Group
• The best job prospects in the world. - SBB / Farner | Team Farner
• A tad better. A tad greener. - SBB / Contexta, Havas Switzerland
• Room full of possibilities - Migros Fachmarkt - Micasa / Ingo Zürich, Ogilvy Switzerland
• Ready! for sex. - Federal Office of Public Health / Rod Kommunikation
• Advertising well, interest good. - Bank Cler / Neu Creative Agency

The creative central idea, the cross-media playout and the overall success of the campaign were assessed for the gold, silver and bronze awards. "Every year, it is fascinating to see how differently the submitted campaigns are assessed in advance - and how the jury nevertheless reaches a convincing consensus on the day of the decision," says Marco Taborelli.

Announcement in April

The winning teams will receive their awards at the Best of Swiss Web Award Night on Thursday, April 3, 2025 at The Hall event location in Dübendorf near Zurich.

What has long been established in banking with Private Banking, Haupt Immobilien has also been offering its clients since 2021 with "Private Real Estate": particularly individual and discreet advice when searching for or selling residential and investment properties, with a focus on the cantons of Zurich, Schwyz, Lucerne, Zug and Aargau. This also includes sound support in legal and financial matters as well as obtaining second opinions.

Since its foundation, founder and namesake Christian Haupt has been supported by Bodin.Consulting - from strategy and branding to the website and online and offline communication. Haupt Immobilien is now presenting a "blue wave" of different poster subjects on selected poster sites. In this way, the real estate agency is once again reaffirming its claim to accompany customers with professional expertise, discretion and a pinch of lightness - far beyond traditional brokerage services.

A clear trend in BAV 2025 is the clearly positive development of digital brands. Last year, "comfort brands" made gains - brands that convey a sense of security and safety to consumers. A clear reaction to the emotional stress that the coronavirus crisis is causing us. This year, on the other hand, digital brands such as Twint, Apple and Samsung are among the winners - as they were before the crisis. This suggests that Swiss consumers have become accustomed to the coronavirus crisis and are returning to old patterns.

In addition to digital brands, the main winners are those that embody a young, progressive brand image. Switzerland may be looking to the future with a little more optimism again. At the same time, the snack brand Zweifel is celebrating great success, climbing five places to second place. The focus on the "healthier" product varieties Vaya and Joy Snacks is clearly going down well with consumers and shows that health is also playing an increasingly important role in the snack sector.

Euro 2024 as a success factor for Coca-Cola and SBB

Coca-Cola and SBB are also rising in consumers' favor and have made significant gains in the rankings. Coca-Cola's sponsorship commitment to Uefa Euro 2024 and the high reliability of SBB, particularly in comparison to Deutsche Bahn during the tournament, are likely to have contributed to this success. Both brands were evidently able to capitalize on the positive mood surrounding the major football event. "As WEuro2025 is taking place here in Switzerland this year, there are once again great opportunities for local brands to stand out positively," says Ingo CEO Swen Morath.

Swissness and "Love Brands"

Swiss brands continue to dominate the list of "Love Brands", which underlines the strong emotional attachment of Swiss consumers to local products. In addition to the global brands WhatsApp and Google, the list includes local icons such as Twint, Rega and Migros. 31 of the top 50 "Love Brands" are domestic brands, with even more over-50-year-old consumers. This strong presence of Swissness shows that tradition and trust are important purchasing criteria even in times of crisis.

What's more, it seems that in Switzerland, the way to the heart is through the stomach: a total of 22 of the top 50 come from the "Food" category. Zweifel, Le Gruyère and Lindt landed on the podium in this category.

Gen Z loves Twint, Nike - and the post office

Among the under-30s, on the other hand, Twint and Nike lead the "Love Brands" ranking. What is surprising here is the success of Swiss Post, which has improved significantly among Gen Z and is in 10th place. Swiss Post's success in this segment probably has to do with the change in shopping habits in this segment. Another study by Ingo, the Media Use Index, shows that Gen Z as a whole orders online much more frequently than a few years ago, but with smaller shopping baskets - due to providers such as Temu and Shein. Presumably, the small feeling of happiness when receiving the goods is also transferred to the deliverer, which is usually Die Post.

Brands with "creative impact" determine the cultural discourse

"Creative impact" is another dimension that is surveyed in the BAV. "Creative impact" refers to a brand's ability to have a lasting influence on cultural discourse - through innovation, inspiration or simply through its advertising. The creative impact of a brand is an important indicator of its future success and the BAV shows which factors have the greatest influence on this.

The current evaluation shows that "enabler" brands such as Lego, Apple, Samsung and Ikea in particular have a high "creative impact". These brands are not only particularly inspiring in terms of communication, but also enable consumers to become creative themselves. This is why universities that promote the creative potential of their students, such as ETH and ZHAW, are also at the top of the rankings.

Responsible at Ogilvy: Matthias Müller (CSO), Martin Keller (CEO). Responsible at Ingo Zürich: Peter Petermann (Executive Strategy Director), Swen Morath (CEO). Responsible at Scholz & Friends Switzerland: Elena Mokulys (Strategy Director), Mathias Rösch (CEO).

By passing on and repairing items instead of disposing of them, we avoid waste, conserve resources and contribute to climate protection. In the city of Zurich, there are numerous initiatives, platforms and offers in the spirit of the circular economy - but there is often a lack of visibility or direct access for the population. This is precisely where the campaign created by Jeff for the city of Zurich comes in: "Zü-Re" makes sustainable action as easy as entertainment.

The AI assistant helps users to quickly and easily find answers to questions about sustainable consumption, reuse and repair. Whether it's clothes swaps, repair cafés or platforms for second-hand furniture - "Zü-Re" guides interested parties to the right solutions. The assistant is technically based on GPT-4o, a language model from the software company OpenAI. The offers, information and tips are based on a data list curated by Zurich Environmental and Health Protection.

Staay, Jeff's in-house interaction studio, which has already implemented numerous AI-based applications for projects, is responsible for the technical implementation of "Zü-Re".

The City of Zurich's new service is being promoted in a digital launch campaign on Meta and Google with short video clips and stills of "Zü-Re". Typical inquiries from users provide examples of how the AI assistant works.

The chatbot is now available at City-of-zuerich.ch/zue-re and can be used directly in the browser.

Responsible at Environmental and Health Protection Zurich: Daniela Diener, Head of Campaigns; Selina Galliker, Project Manager Campaigns; Florence Ritter, Project Manager Campaigns; Anja Tamburini, Project Manager Campaigns; Isabel Jefferson, Intern. Responsible at Jeff Zurich: Stefan Huggenberger, Creation/ Deputy Project Management; Peter Day, Creation; Janina Caro, Technical Project Management, Peter Broder, Campaign Project Management; Stephan Gimmi, Art Direction; Gian Andri Bezzola, Character Design. Responsible at Staay: Dimo Notarfrancesco, Development Lead.

The Mirrorbox was an experimental retreat in the middle of the festival action. In three rooms, visitors could experience how sound influences perception and contributes to relaxation. An AI-supported system customized the acoustic experience, while lighting effects and vibrating elements made the sound tangible. The soundscape was developed with MassiveMusic, including solfeggio frequencies, which are said to have a calming effect.

The concept proved to be a crowd puller: Long queues formed for three weeks. The campaign was also a commercial success - according to figures, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 became the best-selling headphones on Amazon during the festival. Recognition also came in the form of a Gold Award for Best Sponsorship Activation at the IFEA Pinnacle Awards 2024.

Responsible at Sennheiser: Anne Claire-Costes (VP Global Marketing and Portfolio Management Sennheiser at Sonova Group), Jessika Petrusch (Director Global Brand and Content), Jonas Bikov (Senior Manager Global Shopper Marketing), Paul Hughes (Director Global PR, Influencers & Partnerships), Jonas Steene (Global Content Manager), Ashlea Vallance (Marketing Manager). Responsible at Foundry: Sacha Moser (Lead Creative Direction), Nitin George (Creative Direction Concept & Copywriter) Alexander Brown (Strategy), Eva Lutterbuese (Account Management), Frederik Samuel (Art Director), Marta Kosiorek (Account Manager), Nishant John (Copywriter), Christian Wirz (Art Director), Marcos Sequeira (Art Director), Gregor Wollenweber (Production).

Houseplants are the best friends you could wish for. They are always there for you and bring fresh air back into your life. The name itself sums up what the new online store stands for. This is exactly where Rosarot came in creatively.

Based on the name "Blattfreunde", the agency created a consistent and differentiating brand concept for all areas: the logo emphasizes the connection between all Blattfreunde with its heart and plant, and the fresh brand identity is intended to appeal to plant lovers with a suitable combination of colors, logo, typography and imagery.

Personal matches for every type

The launch campaign also consistently focuses on emotions: Here, Rosarot lets different leaf lovers meet and shows in a humorous way that with the right choice and expert help from the online store, anyone can find the perfect houseplant.

Real character heads are juxtaposed with plants with personality, showing how well people and plants can go together. The five different visuals are intended to give the online store an unmistakable, independent identity. To ensure that the store thrives in the best possible way, the high-performance campaign playout developed by Rosarot on Meta and Google whets the appetite for the right greenery for the home or office.

Responsible at Blattfreunde: Judith Winderlich (Head of Online Sales) and Gudrun Ongania (Managing Director and Founder). Responsible at Rosarot: Stephanie Lüscher (Art Director), Carmen Stähelin (Senior Copywriter), Fabio Montefiori (Polygraf), Nadine Ticozzelli (Director Consulting), Antonia Lattarulo (Digital Campaign Manager), Moreno Carroccia (Head of Performance), Mauro Zoffoli (Performance Manager), René Karrer (Co-CEO).

In the current campaign, the Volg brand color becomes the unifying element of a free and at the same time connected attitude to life in the countryside. With this idea in mind, nine poster motifs have been created that communicate Volg simply and emotionally as a central part of everyday life in the village. From the heartfelt hug after shopping to the shared adventures on the way to school to the carefree time-out on the swing - the message "Here we are" shines out to viewers in a good mood and yellow on sky blue.

"A strong idea can simply be developed further and constantly improved. We have succeeded in doing this with the new motifs. Each motif feels even more like Volg and the village," says Tamara Scheibli, Head of Communication and Advertising at Volg.

The campaign has been running throughout German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland since February 2025. Posters, advertisements, display ads and various advertising media at the POS are being used.

Responsible at Volg: Tamara Scheibli (Head of Communication/Advertising). Responsible with Mona and Mateo (concept and implementation): Joëlle Frutiger, Hannah Mey, Boris Stoll, Nicola Peter, Tabea Ott, Mona Fluri, Mateo Sacchetti. Photography: Simon Habegger. Responsible at Tasty Pictures (photo production): Pascal Duschletta, Giosch Netzer, Lea Fee. Media: The Generation Media.

The No Billag initiative aimed to prevent the abolition of the radio and television levy and thus the financing of the SRG. Its failure in 2018 was a clear commitment to media diversity. But the world has changed since then: Autocratic regimes are gaining influence and the pressure on independent media is growing. Developments in Russia, Hungary and the USA show how media are first gradually weakened, then censored and finally banned.

In Switzerland, the halving initiative is once again shaking up the financing of the SRG. According to the Alliance for Media Diversitya coalition of 18 organizations and 3900 individuals to date, it is an indirect continuation of the No Billag initiative. A Yes vote would lead to massive cuts and significantly weaken public service broadcasting.

The Alliance is therefore launching a new subject. It is supported by creative artists such as Franz Hohler, Ursus & Nadeschkin and Gardi Hutter, among others. Their aim is to set an example for independent journalism and a diverse media landscape in Switzerland.

"Mobiliar is a dream client for our agency: a top brand with a top creation and, above all, a top team. We are delighted to be able to help secure Mobiliar's future success," said Mediatonic CEO Chris Fluckiger in a press release.

"Mediatonic performed confidently as a team, showed a high level of commitment and impressed us with its strategic approach," says Silvia Siffert, Senior Marketing Manager at Mobiliar. "We are delighted to have a partner who speaks the same language as we do and who not only understands the challenges faced by Mobiliar, but also has innovative solutions to offer."

Dynamic Frame works with a large number of Swiss talents and partner companies from various creative fields to produce a total of 37 films.

The ambitious project is based on this year's ESC motto "Welcome Home". The concept developed by SRG is the responsibility of the two creative directors Jen Ries and Luca Zurfluh at Dynamic Frame. The creative studio Vaudeville is also involved, but the details of the concept will only be announced shortly before the competition.

The first Eurovision Song Contest took place in Lugano in 1956. Since then, the contest has only been held once more in Switzerland - in 1989, this time in Lausanne. This year, the ESC returns to its country of origin and will be held in Basel. Around 250,000 visitors are expected to attend.