m&k: Roger Hämmerli, it's been five years since we conducted our first interview in your first office on wooden pallets.

Roger Hämmerli: Ah, the good old wooden pallets. Honestly. I can't even remember what I did before Andy. Either that's a good sign - or a very bad one and I'm getting old (laughs). An incredible amount has happened in that time and sometimes you think to yourself "What? Only 5 years" and at other times you already feel like an old hand in the market environment. I would be lying if I said it was an easy time. From a few months before Covid-19 to the Ukraine war to Donald J. Trump's second term in office, we've been through it all - I dare say there are easier market situations.

You just have to go in with the firm conviction that you have the better idea.

 

But doesn't it speak for you that it worked out anyway? With clients such as UBS, Axpo or Fisherman's Friend, you could be accused of "complaining at a high level".

The great mandates that we were able to win in 2024 in particular, with Axpo and UBS as social leads, naturally stand out in the portfolio. Or Fisherman's Friend, which we have been supporting for years - almost since it was founded - but you only see the result (smiles). It took a lot of work in the background. Hours and hours of discarding ideas - as well as investments made in the hope that it would work. We always had to sail close to the wind. As an independent young agency, you don't have any advance praise or budget reserves like the established players you're competing against. You simply have to go in with the firm conviction that you have the better idea for the problem. But in summary, you're right: if you had asked me five years ago whether I would sign up to today's starting position, I wouldn't have hesitated and picked up the pen. But now we're ready for the next chapter.

 

The next chapter?

Young agencies and their founders - including me - still believe that they do things a little differently and better. That's part of the charm of the new. From a certain size and position in the market, however, you also have to follow the rules and standards so that you can take part in larger tenders and more complex mandate structures. And we worked on this in 2024. With a new brand identity, new structures and new disciplines in our teams, we are taking the step to the big table.

 

In concrete terms?

Andy will be bolder in 2025 and approach the market landscape with a clear edge. Our new look is a first step - and there are a few more projects to come that we'll soon be able to talk to you about.

 

You get the feeling that things are still moving forward with Andy. Do you never settle down?

To be honest, we've been quiet for too long. That annoys me. That's why we're talking now (laughs). But it was self-inflicted. We invested a huge amount of time in the new "Andy consciousness" in 2024. Winning major mandates forced us to grow up. And that takes a lot of energy, time and patience within the company.

I am still driven by the idea that there are ever more innovative approaches to telling stories digitally - and we must not and cannot stand still. The era of AI agents and the like is upon us. Now is the time - even if it hurts - to challenge structures, processes and old ways of thinking. Even for an agency that has only been on the market for five years. I am firmly convinced that 2025 could be a groundbreaking year for us agencies.

Social platforms are holding a mirror up to our faces right now - and it paints a pretty dirty picture.

 

What's in store for us in 2025 - especially with regard to social media?

2025 and beyond will certainly be challenging in many respects. However, I am confident that we will tackle this as an industry and as a society. As a communications service provider, it is in our hands to develop suitable solutions together with our partners.

 

Which topic stands out for you here?

I am currently seeing a lot of movement and a shift in behavior in the ecosphere of social media platforms. From X to Meta and TikTok, conversations, content and community feedback are changing. The Silicon Valley tech bros and the new US government have a lot of plans right now, but regulation is certainly not one of them. Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are hinting at what society will have to prepare for in the coming years: Untruths, stupidity, bullying, propaganda bots and the pure unfiltered internet. Social platforms are holding a mirror up to our faces right now - and it's a pretty dirty picture.

 

What do you mean by your last statement - the mirror in front of society's face? Are we ourselves to blame for our misery?

To put it pragmatically: Yes, we are. No platform forces you to write jokes or derogatory comments about an influencer's appearance on someone else's profile or to harass a person with hundreds of comments because they made a mistake in public. But the internet has never shown us any real consequences for this behavior - except in a few extreme cases that have been prosecuted. With fact-checking, moderation teams, machine learning, education and much more, social platforms have always tried to take action against hate speech, pornographic content, violence and the like. With moderate success - and this success is now being put on hold in some parts of the world as Meta and other platforms dismantle fact-checkers, initiatives and moderation teams.

Social media is now becoming a real digital regulars' table - with all the participants you only know from awkward family gatherings.

 

What will be the result of this?

That we can follow the unfiltered social thought process on social media. But with one crucial difference to real life: There is no barrier or hurdle to making one's views known. I'd argue that we've all had our thoughts on something and then thought it best not to share them with the person in the same room, right? Well, yes. Social media is now becoming a real digital regulars' table - with all the participants you only know from awkward family gatherings. And the opinions that leave you gritting your teeth with nerves of steel.

 

So the whole thing is pretty gloomy?

Not at all. I simply don't believe that you can spend your time with platitudes and kumbaya chants at a time like this. After all, fact-deniers, flat-earthers and Elon Musk disciples don't do that either. You have to call a spade a spade. And I am convinced that we as a society, but especially our industry, now have the opportunity to shape this new social landscape. And brands will play a decisive role in this. Brands need to own the narrative and the facts again and not just let it happen. At a time when trust in politics and traditional media is on shaky ground, companies can step into the gap and convince with clear values and arguments. It has never been more important than now.

 

Is there a hint of optimism here?

I would describe myself as a pragmatic optimist. I couldn't be an entrepreneur any other way. Imagine I was a pessimist. Then founding an agency at that time would have been my personal downfall (laughs). But to come back to your question: Yes, there is optimism there. Because I know from social behavior that an overwhelming proportion of users are silent readers and don't actively contribute to the discourse or share content. These people need to be picked up. Not the very loud, sometimes extreme minority. There is no point in discussing or "fighting" with fact-deniers in comment columns. It is important to score points with well-prepared information, exciting and well-told stories. And we agencies, together with our brand partners, can do that better than anyone else, can't we? We now have a duty to sustainably improve media consumption and the behavior of the next generation on social media. So that politics, the fourth estate and ultimately our society once again have the communication landscape we deserve.

 

Was that your final word?

My final word? 2025 will be tough, but what year in the recent past hasn't been? Now is the time to move forward with courage and character - also and above all as a brand. Andy and I are looking forward to the challenge and I'm sure that this year still has a lot up its sleeve for us. A little note in advance: we already have something in the works when it comes to leading the way with courage and character. More on that soon. As always, it was a pleasure chatting with you. Thanks for coming by - even if it's no longer the somewhat uncomfortable but charming Euro pallets (smiles).

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Andy Was Right is an independent content agency that unites all disciplines relating to digital stories under one roof. The agency lives and loves pop culture and trends, and content is the main thing, not a side issue. While others manage stakeholders, Andy prefers to manage communities and reach them with content that really moves them.

The image campaign is intended to convey the new positioning of PostFinance in an emotional way and with the guiding principle "Knowing what counts". The focus is on and understanding of the individual needs and values of people in Switzerland. As part of the campaign, the new PostFinance branding is now also appearing for the first time in the advertising environment.

With this strategic realignment, PostFinance aims to further expand its position as a customer-oriented financial expert and tailor its services more precisely to different target groups.

In partnership and at eye level

"We are very grateful for the trust placed in us by PostFinance and look forward to creatively implementing their new brand strategy," says Nicolas Hostettler, Managing Director of Sir Mary. "The image campaign sends out a clear signal with the motto 'Knowing what counts': The bank is geared towards the lives of its customers - approachable, authentic and at eye level."

There is also great anticipation at PostFinance: "In Sir Mary, we have found a strong partner who understands our values and brings innovative ideas to implementation," says Dennis Lengacher, Head of Marketing Communications (co-lead). "This image campaign is the first step in a long-term collaboration in which we will continue to strengthen and develop our marketing communications," adds Yves Ekmann, Head of Marketing Communications (co-lead).

Numerous other campaigns planned

Following the image campaign, further measures are already planned for the entire strategy period - for holistic and integrated marketing communication across all strategic target groups and topics of PostFinance.

The image campaign can be seen on TV, in cinemas, OOH, digital and on social media in the coming weeks.

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Responsible at PostFinance: Jelena Mesic (Marketing Manager / Project Manager), Dennis Lengacher and Yves Ekmann (Head of Marketing Communications as co-leads), Taru Koch (Head of Branding & Communications), Andreas Badstoeber (Senior Brand Manager), Alessandro Di Leta (Head of Customer Centricity & Innovation Design), Julia Mehr (Market Manager), Sarah Bucher (Head People Attraction), Laura von Allmen (Employer Branding Specialist). Responsible at Sir Mary: Adrian Merz (Executive Creative Director), Katrin Espelage (Creative Director), Lukas Wietlisbach (Art Director), Sandro Heierli (Art Director), Tobias Natterer (Copywriter), Caro Ellert (Copywriter), Sebastian Bouchareb (Copywriter), Jacqueline Willimann (Account Director), Nicolas Hostettler (Managing Director), Daniel Zuberbühler (Managing Partner). Production: Akkurat Studios; Nina Klein (Producer), Marc Fischer (Head of Post Production), Kyra Bartley (Director), Carlos Feher (DOP), Leonidas Befeldt (Edit), Gustav Karlström (Composer), Dubdub Studios (Sound Design & Mix), Sam Gilling (Grading), Delia Baum (Photography). Media: Havas Media, Webrepublic.

Focuswater's new campaign accompanies the 2025 Freestyle World Championships in St. Moritz. The focus is on the athletes Nicolas Huber, Pat Burgener, Saskja Lack and Colin Wili, who are fully focused at the start and whirl spectacularly through the air. "Freestyle sport is a perfect fit for the Focuswater brand, because it combines great ambition, performance and lots of fun," says Marianna Länsitalo, Head of Brand Management Communication & Digital at the Rivella Group.

Focus as the centerpiece of the campaign

Focusing is not particularly emotional at first. "But everyone needs focus so that we can cheer, laugh and experience great things," says Matthias Koller, Co-CEO at Rosarot. The campaign message with lines such as "Macht Fun. Needs Focus." or "Power Free. Needs Focus" gets by without a lot of words. "The greater the divergence between the emotional word and the word focus, the better the headline," says Franz Neugebauer, copywriter in charge at Rosarot. Focus makes the difference between victory and defeat in sport - be it at the decisive moment at the start or during the competition. "The theme of focus naturally fits perfectly with our Focuswater brand," says Carla Christen, Brand Manager at the Rivella Group.

Shooting on the glacier

The campaign was shot on the glacier in Saas-Fee back in October. In addition to classic advertising subjects, additional social media content was also created - produced flexibly, even away from the slopes: "Thanks to flexibility and good planning, additional social media content was created in the village and even in the athletes' homes on the days when we couldn't shoot on the slopes due to bad weather," says Niels Niemann, Digital Manager at the Rivella Group.

The campaign with the message "Macht Fun. Needs focus." can be seen nationally on the usual digital channels and specifically at selected locations on DOOH and OOH on the way to the 2025 FIS Freestyle World Championships.

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Responsible at the Rivella Group: Angelika Leemann (Co-CMO), Marianna Länsitalo (Head of Brand Management Communication & Digital), Carla Christen (Brand Manager), Niels Niemann (Digital Manager), Alper Kaya (Digital Manager), Kevin Bieri (Digital Manager). Responsible at Rosarot: Matthias Koller (Creative Direction, overall responsibility), Alessia Togni (Consulting), Anna Leudolph, Franz Neugebauer (Concept/Text) Marcella Narvaez (Art Direction), Fabio Montefiori, Claire Hulla (Realization/DTP). Production: Lara Lienhardt, Out of Order, Sven Probst cinematography, Flavio Karrer, photography, Patrice Gerber, 3D animation.

Once again this year, the Swiss Dialog Marketing Association SDV is awarding prizes for innovative, creative and strategically well thought-out work in the field of dialog marketing.

Entries have been open since Friday. Campaigns that were realized and published between 1 January 2024 and 31 January 2025 can be submitted.

The Registration takes place online. In a virtual "Vernissage" the SDV also shows the winning campaigns from the past year, where participants can find inspiration.

The "Better Living" campaign focuses on sleep as the key to a better quality of life. In order to anchor the message early on, a series of dynamic AI morphing assets - images whose appearance is changed with the help of artificial intelligence - were developed.

"It's amazing how AI opens new doors for visual representations. If you understand how it works and know its limits, it can revolutionize creation and production," says Uli Scheper, producer at Markenfilm Schweiz.

The AI-generated assets are played out via social media and other digital channels and set the stage for the subsequent campaign. "The combination of human creativity and AI-based implementation creates great added value. The subjects have a surprise effect and generate attention among our target group," says Carol Berger, Head of Marketing Communication at Pfister.

With this project, Vasataschröder and Markenfilm Schweiz want to set an example for change in film production and show how technological innovations can create new creative freedom.

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Responsible at Pfister: Carol Berger (CMO), Corinne Leuthard (Head of Brand Communication), Christoph Voellmy (Head of Digital). Responsible at Vasata Schröder: Patrik Zorkovic (Creative Director), Carolin Flachsmann (Client Service Director), Hanna König (Senior Account Manager). Responsible at Markenfilm: Uli Scheper (Producer). Media: Philipp Hiemer (Digital Growth Strategist, Webrepublic).

In February, the focus is once again on fair consumption: with the slogan "In February. Simply live fairly." Fairtrade Max Havelaar invites consumers to specifically choose Fairtrade products. Over 3,700 certified products are available in Switzerland - from everyday items to specialties.

This year's campaign brings some new features. An interactive website serves as a central platform with a daily quiz and collection campaigns in which shopping vouchers and product boxes can be won. In addition, the presence on TikTok will be expanded, accompanied by around 30 content creators from the lifestyle, food, sport and comedy sectors. A poster campaign in eight Swiss cities and commercials in cinemas will complement the measures.

The campaign, which was originally developed in Switzerland, is being implemented in Germany, Austria and other European countries for the first time.

The 70-minute film is part of a multimedia, investigative exposé that also includes a three-part podcast and a series of articles. The research was carried out over three years by the magazine, the research desk and the New Digital Content team. This revealed the influencer's connections far beyond the Zurich party scene. "Tamedia's strength is high-quality journalism - in this case with a multimedia bouquet including an exclusive documentary report, podcast, interviews and a panel discussion," says Simon Bärtschi, Head of Journalism at Tamedia.

The documentary has been available on the digital channels of the Tages-Anzeiger, the Bernese Newspaper, the Basel Newspaper and from 24 heures available. The film can be accessed with a day pass for 3 francs. The investigative research is also published in the Saturday edition of The magazine and on Sunday in Le Matin Dimanche. In-depth reports, interviews and analyses will follow in the coming weeks.

Andy Ernst brings more than 20 years of experience in leading teams at companies such as Under Armour, Adidas and Mammut. His expertise in brand development and his flair for strong narratives make him the ideal addition to FS Parker, according to a statement from the agency.

"The already outstanding and extremely talented team at FS Parker embodies many aspects of my past in the sports industry: creating emotions, fostering communities and overcoming personal and professional challenges - I am enormously enthusiastic about this spirit," Ernst is quoted as saying.

The campaign for Oswald is based on the insight from TBWA\Zurich that dishes refined with Oswald seasoning mixes, bouillons and sauces taste so good that they are gone in no time. So quickly, in fact, that the campaign visuals can only show empty plates (Markt-kom.com reported).

The story is now being retold in moving images. The 15-second clips created by TBWA\ViDo with director duo Future Punch provide fantastic explanations for the mystery of empty plates. Brought to life by Postoffice Amsterdam, they leave viewers in doubt for a moment before the packshot reveals that Oswald's fine products are in fact behind the mystery.

The new print motifs communicate Oswald's brand promise solely through the power of the claim and the culinary images: The leftover food on the empty plates is staged in such an appealing way that it is intended to whet the appetite and arouse the curiosity of the viewer. QR codes created from leftover sauces lead to matching recipes and products on the website.

The campaign has been on the menu throughout Switzerland since Monday on TV, DOOH, OOH, social media, print, POS and in digital media.

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Responsible at Oswald: Lea Paessens (CEO), Riccardo Dillier (Head of Marketing), Talina Peyer (Senior Brand Manager), Lavinia Stecconi (Senior Brand Manager), Sibylle Hasenberger (Brand Manager), Franco Kölliker (Head of Digital & e-Commerce), Rachel Juillerat (Editorial & Content Marketing Specialist). Responsible at TBWA\Zurich: Manuel Wenzel, Susanne Weeber, Sabrina Brandenburger, Bettina Klossner, Jan Krohn, Maude Mahrer, Nico Hediger, Carla Hauser, Hannah Züttel, Patrick Milles (creation), Lukas Diem (strategy), Esther Ortega, Lisa Suter, Marija Suvajdžić (consulting), Toni Rubera, Melanie Furrer (DTP), Lorenz Wahl (image editing). Responsible at ViDo Video: Stefanie Bollag Bereiter (Head of Production), Pascal Schuh and Jonas Riemer / Future Punch (Director), Nicolo Settegrana (DoP), RNF DesignFood (Art Department), Esther Egli (Styling), Raphael Toel (Gaffer), Till Schlatter (Key Grip), Postoffice Amsterdam (VFX&Animation), Dom Catena, Fabrice Studer, Nicolao Garcia-Negrello (Editor), Unsere Farben (Grading), nom-nom, Corinne Zeltner, Bettina Ehrismann (Photography).

With "Spinoza", RSF aims to offer an AI solution that facilitates journalistic work without replacing it. The software is based on an extensive database of scientific publications, legal texts and media reports. It is designed to help media professionals research complex topics more quickly and prepare fact-based reports.

In a pilot phase, 281 French media professionals tested the tool with a focus on climate change and the environment. "Spinoza" enabled them to efficiently synthesize large amounts of data and substantiate it with reliable sources. However, the editorial classification of the results remains the task of the journalists using the tool.

"RSF attaches great importance to taking an ethical and responsible approach to AI," says Thibaut Bruttin, Director General of RSF. Innovation should not lead to the marginalization of journalism, but rather strengthen its technological sovereignty, Thibaut continues.

The tool will be published on the open source platform Hugging Face so that media professionals can adapt it to their own needs. In the test phase, "Spinoza" is available in English and French. In future, it could also be used and further developed in Switzerland.

Read the RSF report on SpinozAI here

With Larilux, Forst Goms focuses on regional craftsmanship and contemporary design. Each luminaire is made from larch wood from the Valais high valley and produced as a unique piece. The brand is not only intended to emphasize the natural aesthetics of the raw material, but also to strengthen local value creation.

Metaloop supported the forestry company with strategic brand development - from the concept and logo design to the social media strategy. The appearance of "Larilux by Forst Goms" combines sustainable production with modern design and positions the lights as high-quality home accessories.

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Responsible at Forst Goms: Bernhard Greil. Responsible at Metaloop: Flavio Lauber (conception and consulting), Jonas Hauser (creative direction) Rachel Pfaffen (creation).

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Barilla is launching the heart pasta as a limited edition in selected Coop stores. The market launch will be accompanied by an influencer campaign that focuses on storytelling and community engagement. Three Swiss content creators are developing recipes with the special pasta and telling personal stories about interpersonal relationships.

For example, @anaundnina meets 80-year-old Nonna Anna for a cooking evening and talks to her about the secrets of fulfilling love. In a reel, @cookingwithjey recalls the situation in which she unexpectedly met her best friend. And @alinemade shows how eating together can strengthen a relationship. The campaign uses Instagram, TikTok and blog posts to spread the stories to the target group.

With this approach, Barilla is focusing on emotional brand loyalty. "Love and good food simply belong together," says Ronen Dimant, Managing Director of Barilla Switzerland. The campaign is intended to position the heart pasta not just as a product, but as part of shared moments of pleasure.