Cembra and Bagels of Berkeley orchestrate brand experiences at the Swiss Music Awards

Cembra has been the new presenting partner of the Swiss Music Awards since this year. With this commitment, the financial services provider is translating its brand promise into tangible proximity to the lives of its customers and making music accessible as a unifying force across generations - both online and at the event itself.

From open mic to karaoke: three months of activations

In the run-up to the Swiss Music Awards, Cembra was already focusing on brand encounters at eye level. An open mic session was held in Zurich, where tickets for the award show were raffled off.

On site at the Hallenstadion, Bagels of Berkeley accompanied the evening in various formats - from the red carpet to the show. The agency developed a matching goodie: a soap in the shape of an SMA trophy with Arven fragrance for the stars backstage and the VIP guests.

Emoji quiz on the red carpet

On the red carpet, an emoji quiz hosted by Cembra brand ambassador Christa Rigozzi provided additional entertainment. Arriving stars were greeted with emoji combinations and asked to guess which song they were looking for. The sequences were recorded parallel to the TV production and used as inserts in the award show and as social media assets.

This was complemented by story formats with corporate influencer Pasquale Stramandino. Brand ambassador Christa Rigozzi and corporate influencer Pasquale Stramandino were involved as a common thread throughout the entire three-month campaign.

Technology accent with PayChip nail bar

With the support of the company Nailchip, Cembra set a technological highlight in the foyer with a «nail bar»: visitors were able to have a «PayChip» attached - a smart chip that is linked to a credit card account and enables contactless payment with the fingernail. This activation was also captured in a video with Pasquale Stramandino: from the manicure to the payment process, including the purchase of snacks in the Hallenstadion.

Over 3000 guests sing Swiss songs together

Another highlight was the karaoke activity during the Swiss Music Awards: together with the artist Cachita, over 3,000 guests sang Swiss songs in the hall - including «Alperose», «079», «W. Nuss vo Bümpliz» and «Bringen hei». To make the audience an active part of the show, specially branded Cembra cardboard microphones were handed out at the entrance.

The activations were brought together in several content pieces on Instagram - including a video for the karaoke campaign, the emoji quiz from the red carpet, the nail bar/PayChip video, «Winner Moments» as a best-of of the award show and an aftermovie. The new partnership will not only be visible at the award show itself, but will also be extended beyond the event via social media.

Responsible at Cembra: Elisa Heinecke, Biljana Milovanovic, Ornella D'Andrea, Andreas Schärer, Christopher Moll, Daniel Rickenbach, Pascal Aubry. Responsible at Bagels of Berkeley: Rahel Dürsteler, Naomi Louis, Julianna Stricker, Lara Zehnder (Consulting & Project Management), Aita Hasagic, Kevin Hy, Monia Rosenow, Marco Klein, Matteo Attanasio (Creative & Production), Luciano Hagge Dias (Agency Lead). Responsible at Saatchi & Saatchi: Ingrid Brun Del Re (Consulting & Project Management), Berni Brungs (Creative), Sören Schröder (Creative Lead). External partners: Swiss Music Awards (PR/Production/TV Direction), CH Media (TV), Joël Stähli (Freelance).