Jung von Matt stages Ricola as an everyday companion
Ricola is launching a comprehensive 360-degree campaign that positions the brand as more than just a cough drop—it’s an everyday companion. The Swiss adaptation of the European «Feel Good Candy» campaign was created by Jung von Matt and features professional skier Niels Hintermann to highlight the theme of winter sports.
Familiar creative signature
All campaign assets, including the TV commercial, originate from the collaboration with Jung von Matt. The agency has a long and formative collaboration with Ricola: Jung von Matt was the brand's lead agency for more than 20 years and developed the still iconic claim "Who invented it?" in 1998. This history forms the creative and communicative context of the current campaign.
In the new TV commercial by Jung von Matt LIMMAT, stressful everyday moments are illustrated through a quintessentially Swiss memory: ski school. Amid the loud and chaotic chatter of the ski school kids, reaching for a pack of Ricola brings a moment of calm—after which the world seems just a little bit less stressful.
«Ricola’s advertising sticks in people’s minds, not least because of its dry Swiss humor,» says Dominique Magnusson, Creative Director at Jung von Matt LIMMAT. «That’s exactly the tone we wanted to capture again with the current campaign—honest, straightforward, and quintessentially Ricola.»
"Ricola is often associated with coughs and hoarseness and is therefore very top-of-mind, especially in the winter months. With this campaign, we want to show that Ricola is also a suitable companion for small mental moments in various everyday situations throughout the year. The aim is to bring the brand closer to the daily lives of our consumers and thus create broader consumption occasions," says Sandra Payer, Head of Marketing Ricola Switzerland.
Integrated presence across all channels
The campaign is designed as an integrated presence and is played out across all channels: via TV, out-of-home, social media, YouTube, digital touchpoints and at the Ski World Cup. The TV spot is part of the overall appearance, but does not act as the sole content carrier. Rather, all measures pick up on the central theme and translate it into different everyday situations and usage contexts.
The media presence is complemented by a presence at the Ski World Cup highlight races in Adelboden and Wengen. As part of the campaign, the events serve as high-reach meeting places where Ricola can be experienced in people's everyday lives. The focus is on brand presence and the campaign experience on site.
Commitment in the Nordic sector
In addition to the campaign, Ricola is also strengthening its involvement in the Nordic sector. Ricola is now supporting cross-country skier Nicola Wigger, a member of the Swiss-Ski B squad, as a side sponsor. The partnership is intended to be long-term and close to everyday life: Wigger stands for discipline, down-to-earthness and daily commitment on the way to big goals - qualities that match Ricola's role as a companion in everyday life.
The 23-year-old is currently working towards qualifying for the 2026 Winter Olympics and provides insights into training, competition and everyday life via his social media channels. Ricola will be accompanying him throughout the coming season.
"I'm really happy to be part of Team Ricola. It's great to know that I can count on this support, whether I'm training or competing. Working on the season together and working towards the Olympic Games step by step motivates me every day," says Nicola Wigger.
With the launch of the campaign at the beginning of January, Ricola is sending a deliberately broad communicative signal: the brand remains true to its roots, but at the same time opens itself up to new moments of use and everyday contexts. The 360-degree campaign thus marks a further step in the strategic development of Ricola as a relevant, approachable everyday brand.
