VBZ and Ruf Lanz: Winning Over New Public Transit Fans with a Touch of Humor
For more than two decades, VBZ and Ruf Lanz have been promoting Zurich’s public transit system—with humor rather than a lecturing tone. The new ad campaigns for 2026 show just how creative «switching to public transit» can still be.
VBZ and Ruf Lanz: Winning Over New Public Transit Fans with a Touch of Humor
Since 2001, Ruf Lanz has been positioning the VBZ’s trams and buses as a smart alternative to private motorized transportation in the city of Zurich—and the VBZ Ruf Lanz campaign continues to have an impact to this day. The unifying element is the tagline «It’s worth switching,» presented not with missionary zeal but with a touch of humor. The 2026 advertising campaign consistently continues this approach and, through four new creative concepts, demonstrates just how versatile the topic of local transit can be when approached creatively.
Four Topics, Four Reasons to Switch
The campaign «Many, Many Colorful Lines» uses a clever comparison to illustrate how everyday commuting in Zurich can be made more enjoyable. The design has already been included in Lürzer’s Archive Best Advertising Worldwide—an honor that gives the work international visibility.
The «Tram in a Blister Pack» campaign addresses the issue of traffic congestion: the tram is presented as an effective solution to traffic jams in the city. The idea behind it is that a single tram track can carry as many people as five car lanes.
The «Deck Chair in the Flexity Tram Seat Style» design was created in response to the summer heat wave and promotes the VBZ as a convenient way to reach all of Zurich’s lakeside, river, and outdoor swimming pools. The latest design, the «Chameleon» motif, promotes the VBZ’s excellent connections to the Zurich Zoo—the zoo serves as a representative example of the many institutions that can be reached conveniently via the VBZ without having to search for parking.
Posters that people want to take home
The designs appear as posters in all VBZ vehicles, occasionally as ads in the *Tages-Anzeiger*, and on VBZ’s social media channels. Elina Fleischmann, Head of the VBZ Newsroom, sums up the impact of this long-standing collaboration: «Markus Ruf and his team never cease to surprise us with fresh, creative ideas. The greatest compliment for us is that people regularly request VBZ posters for personal use.»
Responsible at VBZ: Irène Messerli (Head of Communications), Elina Fleischmann (Head of the Newsroom), Ilaria Seraina Dousse (Project Manager, Communications). Responsible at Ruf Lanz: Markus Ruf (Creative Direction & Copy), Mario Moosbrugger (Art Direction), Sherif Ademi (DTP), Natalie Seiler, Gian Marco Juon (Consulting). External partners: flaeck.ch (CGI), RoDo Works (Motion Design).
