Jobwish.ch connects job seekers with companies by relying on automated suggestions and a swipe function. "The world of work is evolving rapidly - and we are actively shaping the future of job search," says Raimund Darnhofer, CEO and founder of the platform. The aim is to bring job seekers together with suitable employers in a targeted manner and to make the recruitment process more efficient for companies.

Job seekers receive personalized recommendations and can signal their interest with a swipe. Companies, in turn, are automatically made aware of suitable candidates. The platform is aimed at career starters as well as experienced specialists and managers and is intended to simplify the application process as a whole.

The content series created by Festland provides insights into the world of building with wood. Podcast presenter Marco Fritsche talks to a different personality in each episode.

Carlos Martinez is our guest in the first episode. The architect talks about his love of wood and visionary projects in the field of tension between material and space.

"With the podcast, we are creating a platform to tell innovative stories about wood," says Stark CEO Hans Peter Oberle, explaining the vision behind the format. "With Marco Fritsche, we were able to find the ideal host to realize our vision." For the technical production, Festland relied on the well-established teamwork with Vitronic.

You can watch and listen to the Baustark podcast at Stark.ch/room as well as on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcast. Further episodes will be released soon.

Meeting friends, enjoying yourself, socializing. These are things that come to mind when you think of going to a restaurant. This can be a problem for families, because children - fortunately - don't always behave the way others would like them to.

Anyone who visits a McDonald's branch experiences the restaurant as a lively meeting place for everyone and families in particular. Children can be who they are - loud, fidgeting and eating with their fingers.

TBWA\Zurich developed a new platform for this unique selling point compared to most of the competition. Based on the claim "Where children can be children", there is now the first campaign that describes McDonald's and its products through the eyes of children.

The campaign plays with children's perception of McDonald's. In the TV commercial, children break with the usual restaurant conventions, while print and online subjects stage humorous misinterpretations of product names - such as "Ham Bergah" or "Schiken Nageds". This playful perspective is intended to establish McDonald's as a place where families feel welcome. The campaign has been running since Monday on various channels, including social media, online platforms and at the POP.

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Responsible at McDonald's: Severine Caspard (Marketing Manager, Brand & Strategy), Inga Roxburgh (Marketing Manager Media & Calendar Planning), Alison Isler (Marketing Specialist). Responsible at TBWA\Zurich: Manuel Wenzel, Sabrina Brandenburger, Mark Taylor, Katharina Binder, Davide Schenker (creation), Maryna Pavlichkova (consulting), Toni Rubera, Noemi Rubera (DTP), Nicolao Negrello (motion design). Film production: Gregory Barth (Director), Leonardo Sanfilippo (Producer), Nathalie Maibach (Producer).

The campaign focuses on emotional messages and is geared towards the fulfilling and meaningful facets of the profession. Teachers are role models and as such have a significant responsibility in our society. The aim is to address young people who are choosing a career as well as professionals who want to reorient themselves. Ultimately, interested parties should be directed to the campaign website, where they can find more detailed information on the various courses of study at the relevant teacher training colleges.

Social media, digital platforms, posters and DOOH spaces are used to play out subjects that address current topics and professional worlds. In the new wave, for example, the slogan is: "Playing steep passes to the Lia Wältis of tomorrow today" or "Get the coders of tomorrow out of the algorithm today".

A key element of the campaign is its adaptability: the message remains consistent, while the content can be specifically adapted to cantonal and social developments. According to the information provided, the successes to date are having an impact: the campaign has increased interest in teaching and addressed new target groups. With the fourth wave, it is establishing itself as a long-term initiative to promote the teaching profession, says Kargo.

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Responsible with the cantons: Yves Brechbühler (Berne). Yvonne Kind, Martin Stürm, Daniel Wirz (Zurich). Responsible at Kargo Communication LSA: Christoph Balsiger (Creative Direction), Roman Sterchi (Consulting and Text), Luca Balzli (Campaigning), Jorge Martinez (Motion Design).

Originally a fictitious sample customer on advertising materials, Maria Bernasconi now appears as an AI-generated advisor on the PostFinance Instagram channel. Jung von Matt Limmat has brought Maria to life virtually using AI to make sound financial knowledge accessible to as many people as possible.

Maria Bernasconi knows and answers the most frequent and pressing financial questions. She has been trained with specialist literature and facts. Her answers, which are always up to date, are easy to understand, without financial jargon and without personal preferences for certain forms of investment. The AI is not intended to replace personal advice, but to provide basic knowledge and reduce inhibitions.

Her appearance is also based on an AI model: 1000 images of women from Switzerland were combined to create a face that is as authentic as possible.

On PostFinance's Instagram account, Maria Bernasconi will more or less regularly share knowledge on the topics of investing and pensions, comment on current events in the financial sector and also answer questions from followers.

"Maria Bernasconi is a great example that shows the huge potential that AI opens up in communication," explains Anouk Karrer, Creative Director at Jung von Matt Limmat. "While Maria was previously simply an anonymous, static persona as a fictitious model customer, AI turns her into a dynamic, interacting personality who is able to process and democratize knowledge quickly and always up to date. Namely by making it understandable and easily accessible to as many people as possible."

Cynthia Hofmann, Marketing Manager at PostFinance, points out the limitations of the AI-generated Maria Bernasconi: "What she doesn't have is the experience and knowledge that our advisors apply every day in contact with our customers. That's why Maria is not a replacement for our consulting professionals, but rather a kind of mediator of basic knowledge. As such, she can help break down any barriers that are often perceived as complex."

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Customer: PostFinance. Responsible agency: Jung von Matt Limmat. External partners:inside: Nutshell Films, The Old Camp.

APG|SGA had already set initial climate targets for its direct emissions and purchased energy in 2018. These were revised in 2024 and supplemented to include indirect emissions along the entire value chain. The targets now confirmed by the SBTi provide for an 85% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and a 45% reduction in Scope 3 emissions. The entire value chain should reach net zero by 2045.

CEO Markus Ehrle describes the validation as a "further milestone" in the company's sustainability efforts. The out-of-home advertising company is planning a series of measures to comply with the defined reduction path.

The SBTi Net-Zero Standard is an internationally recognized framework for reducing emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.

 

The survey, which has been conducted quarterly since the beginning of 2024, provides insights into the attitudes of employees. On average, employees in Switzerland would like to work 35.4 hours per week - less than the traditional 40-hour week, but more than in Austria (33.3 hours) and Germany (32 hours). Working from home also remains in demand: those who have the opportunity to work remotely prefer an average of 45%, which corresponds to around two days per week.

The acceptance of long commutes is higher in Switzerland than in neighboring countries: Respondents state a maximum commuting distance of 32 kilometers, compared to around 22 kilometers in Germany and Austria.

"Work hard, play hard"

Almost two thirds of the working Swiss population can identify well with the philosophy "Work hard, live well" (65%). And another top score in a three-country comparison (Austria: 62%; Germany: 58%). "Commitment and performance are still considered important values in Switzerland. However, our data also shows that the focus is increasingly shifting from traditional career patterns to more flexible working models," explains Roland Zeindler, Managing Director of Marketagent Switzerland. "Companies that actively promote this flexibility not only secure an advantage in the competition for skilled workers, but also strengthen long-term employee loyalty."

High willingness to switch

Despite a high level of satisfaction with their current job (77%), the willingness to change jobs is high: 51% of employees can imagine changing jobs, even if they are more pessimistic about their chances on the job market than in Germany and Austria. An important incentive for changing jobs is the expected salary increase - Swiss employees hope for an average 31% higher salary.

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Marketagent Switzerland surveyed a total of 465 people for the current study in the survey period from July to December 2024.

Publicis Luxe offers comprehensive strategy, campaign development, digital business, CRM, social media, production and innovation for brands from all luxury segments. These include fashion, beauty, fragrances, jewelry, watches, lifestyle, culture and high-end hospitality. With the new locations in Zurich and Geneva, the agency aims to move closer to global luxury brands based in Switzerland. The agency combines traditional values of the luxury industry with modern digital solutions and supports brands in consolidating their position in global markets, addressing their target groups emotionally and with unique content while creating innovative digital experiences.

"Publicis Luxe creates strong, creative brand worlds that reflect both the character and the values of luxury brands," explains Charles Georges-Picot, CEO Global Luxury Practice Publicis Groupe, Global Client Lead. According to Georges-Picot, there is already "curiosity and willingness" on the part of Swiss premium and luxury brands to work with Publicis Luxe.

Changing luxury narrative

The expansion of Publicis Luxe is taking place in a changing luxury sector. This change is characterized by a variety of dynamic forces: While the arrival of Gen Z brings with it new values such as sustainability, digital innovation and cultural authenticity, other trends are also coming to the fore. The booming economy of the second-hand market and the increasing demand for immersive experiences are reshaping the luxury landscape.

Publicis Luxe wants to support brands in navigating this change. Always with the aim of enabling luxury brands to retain their loyal customers and at the same time appeal to new target groups through special experiences.

"Switzerland has helped write the history of the luxury goods industry. At the same time, premium strategies are becoming increasingly important in many sectors," says Alexander Haldemann, CEO of Publicis Groupe Switzerland. "Until now, however, there has been a lack of an agency with dedicated luxury expertise and direct access to the key markets in Asia and North America. We are closing this gap with the launch of Publicis Luxe at our hubs in Geneva and Zurich."

The Swiss team at Publicis Luxe includes Groupe Client Lead Switzerland Türi Cengiz, Priscilla Rossi, Strategy Lead Switzerland, Deborah Marino, Global Chief Strategy Officer, and Alexis de Montaigu, Global Client Lead and Chief Growth Officer.

The Swiss Brand Observer analyzed over 200 brands from various sectors in 2024 and evaluated them based on surveys of the Swiss population. The top performers in eight categories are honored by YouGov Switzerland with the Top Brand Award 2024.

Migros achieved first place in the categories "Consideration" (77%), "Value for money" (39%) and "Corporate social responsibility" (77%). SBB took the lead in the categories "Ecological Sustainability" (36%) and "Brand Trust" (54%), while Twint was recognized for "Innovativeness" (46%) and "Positive Buzz" (10%). Lindt came top in the "Quality perception" category with 55%.

The eight categories analyzed cover key factors for brand success - from quality and value for money to social responsibility. The Swiss Brand Observer has been measuring 28 KPIs of relevant Swiss brands from eight sectors, including financial services, insurance, telecommunications, retail and FMCG, on a weekly basis since 2021.

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The data basis for the Top Brand Award 2024 is based on continuous, representative online surveys by YouGov Switzerland with around 13,000 interviews per sector and brand. Detailed results are available after registration.

The Zurich-based SME "Art of Spice" makes spice blends with exquisite taste and cheeky branding: from "Cheesus" for cheese dishes, "Holy Guacamoly" and "Curry me Softly" to "Pimp my porridge" for breakfast. All spices are sourced from certified fair trade. Ingredients from Switzerland are used wherever possible.

Filmgerberei has staged the taste of its spice blends in an online advertising film for Art of Spice. An interplay of appetizing and provocative close-ups of culinary art and delightful feasting is intended to illustrate that "Art of Spice" spices can be used to conjure up taste experiences that will leave the diners licking their plates clean. The dishes were cooked by Gabriel Heintjes - catering chef and European pasta champion from Zurich.

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Responsible at Art of Spice: Tim Subbert (Co-Founder, Managing Partner), Josef Diethelm (Co-Founder, Managing Partner). Responsible at the film tannery: Pierina Ryffel (Producer), Balz Chen (Concept, Text), Noemie Aeschlimann (Script, Director), Silvio Gerber (DOP), Sarah Luo (Edit), Levin Schnider (Color Grading), Silvan Wacker (VFX), Lea Filadoro (Sound Mix). Responsible at Heintjes: Gabriel Heintjes (Culinary Art).

The Zurich-based food service "Tom Tasty" offers over 150 fresh dishes that are conveniently delivered to homes throughout Switzerland without preservatives.

As the newly appointed creative agency for Tom Tasty, Ringier Advertising's Brand Studio has developed an eye-catching image campaign. Five subjects are aimed at different main target groups: People who either don't have time to cook, don't like to do so or simply want more convenience - without compromising on quality.

Word creations such as "anti-stove animal", "stress eater" or "Chuchichäschtli-Chaotin" are intended to arouse curiosity and, together with a fresh visual language, ensure recognition. The concise claim "Food is ready" makes it clear what it's all about and is intended to ensure quick identification. Branded content provides inspiration and information and leads target groups precisely to conversion.

The campaign will be played out online, in print media and on social media.

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Responsible at Ringier Advertising: Fabian Zürcher (Director Brand Studio), Jana Leonhard (Head of Creative Concepts), Laura Mancino (Head of Consulting), Thomas Rickenbach (Head of Content), Cilgia Grass (Senior Editor), Jasmin Gruber (Senior Editor), Ulli Glantz (Head of Photography), Elgee Wee (Art Director).

Team Farner has continuously worked its way up the creative rankings in recent years. From 10th place in 2020 to 8th place in 2021, 4th place in 2022 and 3rd place in 2023, Team Farner is now in 1st place in 2024. Two Cannes Lions, a Wooden Pencil at D&AD, one of the seven possible "Grand Prix" at the New York Festival and a total of seven Effies - these national and international awards add up to a "dream year" for Team Farner, according to Partner and Chief Creative Officer Philipp Skrabal.

What were the driving forces that unleashed creative potential in 2024? Philipp Skrabal is certain that it was and will remain technology. He sums it up like this; "We have been working intensively on the combination of creativity and digital technologies for several years now, and this is now paying off." Skrabal calls the avatar for Islam Alijaj's election to the National Councilthe personalized films for the UBS Kids Cup participants or the Winter campaign 2024 for Arosa Tourism. "These are all award-winning examples of how AI can be used to create completely new spaces for creativity."

Creative competitions create measurability.

Awards and the associated rankings are not equally valuable and relevant for all creative agencies, but Team Farner definitely sees them as a good tool for self-marketing. According to Philipp Skrabal, creative competitions create measurability. He congratulates Thjnk and TBWA on their top rankings and is happy that they are enjoying each other's success. Creativity must be practiced widely and is the best advertising for the industry (Read the winning interview with Philipp Skrabal on Markt-kom.com here).

The agency Thjnk Zurich achieved second place

With 391 points, Thjnk secured second place this year. The agency came fourth last year and topped the creative rankings in Switzerland in 2022. When asked about the best campaign of 2024, Co-Founder and Creative Director Alexander Jaggy pays tribute to the ranking winner Team Farner: "The campaign for the National Council candidate Alijaj. A creative election campaign! So it does work," he explains appreciatively.

A creative election campaign! So it does work!

Overall, Jaggy is rather sober about the awards and their meaningfulness. They are not known for their agility, they follow the money, not a vision - and that can only be reactive, according to Jaggy. Nevertheless, the creative director of Thjnk congratulates the winner Team Farner on their "brilliant and well-deserved" victory: "We feel comfortable in the wingman position on the podium. In the end, it's just a ranking, a current classification. The decisive factor is success in the market."

When asked about his agency's goals for 2025, he says: "As an agency, we set ourselves the goal of developing creative campaigns with demonstrable impact right from the start. In 2024, we had the greatest possible overlap between the ADC Switzerland creative competition and the Effie Switzerland efficiency competition. We will continue to follow this path consistently."

Third place goes to TBWA\Switzerland

TBWA\Switzerland has remained in the top 10 in the creative ranking for the last five years. Since 2021 - with a small "slip" in 2023 - it has even been among the top 5. For the current ranking, with 382 points, it was only just behind Thjnk in the top 3 again.

As with Thjnk, Team Farner's campaign for Islam Alijaj in 2024 stands out for TBWA as a whole. It's work that "gives you goosebumps and, in a positive way, also makes you a little envious. Simply because it used AI early on in an exciting and emotional way and really made a difference in society," says Creative Director Manuel Wenzel. Of course, the company is also particularly proud of the international Grand Clio for the own work "Cutcakes".

When asked about his own development, Wenzel says: "For us as TBWA, the biggest development was to have launched the first case that generated truly global PR - and that with a (fun) product we invented, the Nugget of Love. We scored international points in exciting and modern categories such as 'Creative Commerce' and 'Customer Experience'. And there was also a Gold Effie as the 'Cherry on the Cake'."

Wenzel sees the role of creative competitions in the MarCom landscape as positive. Wenzel is convinced that the more campaigns from everyday business win prizes for everyday tasks, the more relevant these competitions will also become for clients. In 2025, the agency will continue on its chosen path of winning prizes in as many different categories as possible with as many different pieces of work as possible, as this best reflects its own service portfolio. "We want to continue to be perceived as an agency that masters every discipline that is relevant to modern brand communication," he summarizes.

4th place goes to Jung von Matt Switzerland

Regarding rank 4 in the Swiss creative ranking, Christian Kies, Chief Creative Officer of Jung von Matt Switzerland, says: "Whether rank 1 or 10, we remain dissatisfied." This has been the claim since time immemorial and is now also valid here. From an international perspective, it is striking that Switzerland was only represented at the Creative World Cup in Cannes with two bronze medals and four shortlists. There is still a lot of room for improvement. However, Kies is pleased that there were many "real cases" and that the "tiresome topic of gold ideas is increasingly receding into the background."

More important than any award, however, is ensuring the popularity and visibility of the work in target group-relevant media - and beyond. "Our cases should become pop and not gold," as Kies succinctly puts it. In order to further raise the creative level in 2025, the team will be enriched with additional international talent, new unseen production partners will be added and the synergies of the international Jung von Matt network will be utilized. To summarize: "Zurich will soon be mentioned in the same breath as London or Amsterdam as a creative location."

Rank 5 for Publicis Groupe Switzerland

"Back from the brink." With these words, Publicis Zurich ECD Rob Hartmann comments on the fifth place for Publicis Groupe Switzerland, which collected 182 points in 2024. Their award formula is to continue to combine innovative ideas with measurable impact and to address socially relevant topics in an authentic way. Team Farner's "Making History" campaign for Islam Alijaj also stood out for Hartmann. "Creative history was written here," he is convinced. For the year 2025, Hartmann continues to see the need to uphold the "courage to be creative" "in order to be successful in today's communications landscape."

Strong top 10

Strong performances were also achieved in ranks 6 to 10 in the 2024 award year. In 6th place with 162 points is Dept. The agency network was the big winner of the national "Best of Swiss Apps" award, where it took home the title of "Master of Swiss Apps" in addition to numerous gold, silver and bronze awards.

Creative competitions are important. For comparability and visibility.

Wirz, in 7th place, is an old acquaintance in the top 10, although the agency had already announced last year that it would focus more on its clients than on awards - an aspect of its reorientation towards becoming a "Creative Business Partner".

Sir Mary took 8th place with 133 points. Executive Creative Director Adrian Merz explains that 2024 was a year like any other in terms of awards and submissions and emphasizes that the agency only participates very selectively. Creative awards are still a "sporting competition between ideas, creatives, brands and agencies", says Merz. "At its best, this form of appreciation and celebration of outstanding achievements can inspire and have a motivating effect on daily creative work." For Sir Mary, the campaign "The FlipCode Mystery" for Samsung stood out in particular last year. "Not a classic advertising campaign, but a fascinating fusion of pop culture and interactive entertainment," explains Merz. It is emblematic of the agency's claim to gain the attention of the target group in the long term through "memorable" entertainment.

Digitec Galaxus came in 9th place with 78 points. For years, the retailer has been ensuring a high level of creativity with its in-house campaigns, which was rewarded in 2024 with precious metal at the ADC Awards, the Edi. and the Swiss Out Of Home Awards and thus a place in the creative ranking. The fact that the ADC awarded Digitec Galaxus an Evergreen for the second time, this time for the "Voll das Leben" campaign, also underlines the sustained high level of creative work.

Finally, Neu Creative Agency took tenth place with 70 points. Due to the management buyout from the Omnicom Group in fall 2023, the agency formerly known as "Heimat Zürich" is considered the "youngest" and smallest representative in the top 10 - a symbol of its rise in the industry? Co-Managing Director Simon Rehsche recalls that the award for the "Werbung naja, Zins gut" campaign as Campaign of the Year at the Out of Home Award was celebrated particularly lavishly: "We are delighted to be the smallest and newest top 10 agency in Switzerland," says Neu's Head of Strategy. "We like the 1 in our rank better than the 0, which should be removed."

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This article first appeared in the m&k print edition 1-2/2025.