"Freshly Repaired" Campaign: Zurich Sells Repairs as "Fresh Goods"

The "Freshly Repaired" campaign turns repairs into a promise of freshness

The Zurich-based agency Die Antwort is launching the «Frisch geflickt» campaign on behalf of Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich (ERZ). The campaign features damaged everyday items displayed like fresh produce, thereby promoting repair. It will launch digitally, followed in November by a wave of posters throughout the city.

Instead of lecturing with a wagging finger, the campaign displays damaged everyday items—a pair of jeans with a torn-off button, a broken Discman, worn-out shoes—wrapped in plastic wrap on a pink display tray, each bearing a freshness seal: «Freshly patched,» along with the defect and the repair location in the respective city district. A sticker reading «100.– repair bonus» and the mascot «Flick-it» —a pin cushion that transforms into a screwdriver depending on the subject—complete the picture. The district numbers deliberately anchor the campaign in the local context: Repairing is a neighborhood affair, not a worldview.

«Throwing things away is a reflex, not a decision. That’s why we display repaired items just like fresh goods—on a display tray, with a »fresh’ seal and a circle number. When you have your favorite item mended, you don’t get something new—you get something fresh back,” says Sarah Hiltebrand of Die Antwort AG.

Advertising materials delivered right at the moment of decision

Die Antwort has not only developed visuals for the campaign but also a modular toolkit. Repair shops receive stickers, posters, and templates, enabling them to become promoters themselves. In addition, promotional materials are placed at collection points and recycling centers—the very places where the decision between throwing something away and repairing it is actually made. According to the agency, this transforms a campaign into a network of advocates within the neighborhood. The agency is responsible for the naming, logo, concept, design, copy, and implementation.

Digital first, posters in November

The campaign will launch digitally on social media and through online advertising that links directly to flick-it.ch. A wave of billboards will follow throughout the city in November. The ad creatives will be continuously optimized based on performance data.

The campaign promotes the City of Zurich’s repair bonus. Residents can find participating businesses through the flick-it.ch portal. Currently, the bonus can be redeemed for repairs of electrical appliances, textiles, and shoes at 39 eligible repair shops.

The video for the social media campaign is available at https://vimeo.com/1226880182/f93271016c?fl=pl&fe=sh retrievable.

For more information about the campaign and the participating repair shops, visit https://flick-it.ch.

Contact person at Die Antwort AG: Sarah Hiltebrand
Responsible at Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich (ERZ): Campaign Client