Standing Ovation stages "Unwritten" for Helvetia Baloise
In January 2026, approximately 7,000 Helvetia Baloise employees gathered in Basel for their first joint event following the merger. Standing Ovation created the «Unwritten» dialogue platform, which brought to life the transition from two companies to a shared identity. In just 14 weeks, a format was developed that brings together strategy, culture, and employer branding.
A merger is not a single moment, but a process. On January 5, 2026, Helvetia Baloise made this transition visible: around 7,000 employees from Switzerland and the international Group environment came together for the first time as a joint company in Basel - one month after the legal merger to form Helvetia Baloise Holding.
The event deliberately marked the step away from a formal merger towards a living organization. The focus was not on the structure, but on the question of how two strong companies can develop a common self-image - with orientation, clarity and participation.
A new chapter - not explained, but experienced
Under the leitmotif "Unwritten - we are writing a new chapter", the merger was not categorized retrospectively, but opened up to the future. The dramaturgical structure followed a clear strategic logic: from a blank page to shared values and a collective commitment.
The employees were part of the experience right from the start. Their voices, perspectives and contributions formed the core content of the events. Culture and values were not communicated, but made tangible - as a process that creates identification and provides orientation.
"The collaboration with Standing Ovation impressed us: under great time pressure, a production was created in a joint process that exceeded our expectations. Their professionalism, creativity and flexibility made the difference and were crucial in setting this milestone in the company's young history," says Urs Schwegler, Head of Sponsoring & Experience Marketing.
Ambition meets culture
Instead of figures and structures, the focus was on key questions: What remains? What is changing? What is growing together? What are our ambitions? And how does each and every individual contribute to the new chapter? The concept saw the merger as an unwritten chapter - as a deliberately open page: a framework for thought and experience that creates space for dialog, responsibility and joint design. Customer voices, employee perspectives and clear leadership impulses formed the dramaturgical backbone.
Co-creation meets 14-week sprint
The "Unwritten" dialog platform was designed and implemented by Standing Ovation, the agency for brand experiences. In an intensive co-creative process with the management board, management, communications and the event team, a format was created within 14 weeks that consistently brings together purpose, culture and experience.
From a formal merger to a lived identity
A reduced visual identity, a clearly guided journey and targeted interactions ensured proximity and comprehensibility - without pathos or simplification. The transition from two brands to a common identity was not staged as a break, but as a continuous development.
"Despite the size of the event and the large number of participants, it was important for us to make the closeness between us tangible, a culture that has characterized us in the past and will continue to be our strength in the future. We succeeded very well," says Jens Wiesenhütter, Head of Market Communication & Content Marketing Helvetia Baloise Switzerland.
The first visible chapter of the new Helvetia Baloise was created with "Unwritten" - not as a finished story, but as a common starting point. The events showed how transformation can have an impact when strategy, culture and employer branding work together. January 5, 2026 was therefore more than just an employee event: it became the moment when a common "we" emerged from a merger - supported by 7,000 people.
Responsible at Helvetia Baloise: Urs Schwegler (Head Sponsoring & Experience Marketing), Jens Wiesenhütter (Head of Market Communication & Content Marketing Switzerland), Tobias Ritter (Market Communication & Content Marketing), Benjamin Thoma (Head of Event Management), Luca Conrad (Project Manager Event Management), Fabienne Amrein (Senior Manager Group Internal Communications | Helvetia Baloise Group), Jonas Grossniklaus (Head of Corporate Communications at Helvetia Insurance Group). Responsible agency: Standing ovation.
