Farewell to advertising

Willi Bühler has had enough of advertising: The trained window dresser and long-time drummer of various bands, including the Harlem Ramblers, who began his advertising career in the late seventies as a final artist at Wirz, is retiring early. The 58-year-old creative director rose to prominence at Wirz, Aebi und Partner, Lesch+ Frei, GGK Basel and Lowe|GGK, Zurich, where he worked on numerous major campaigns, including appearances for Toni, Toggenburger, the NZZ, Weltwoche and Cash. "I was lucky," says Willi Bühler, "to experience advertising at a time when you could make really great campaigns. But when you've been at it for so long, you only encounter déjà vu experiences. The desire just gets lost." Besides, he says, advertising is something for younger people. "It's not really possible to grow old in this industry."
Now Willi Bühler emigrated with his partner Ursula Büchler to southwestern France, to the Armagnac region. Bühler succumbed to the lifestyle of the locals. He got to know their savoir-vivre at the home of a vine grower friend, whom he helped several times. When a house happened to be up for sale in his neighborhood, Bühler jumped at the chance without hesitation.
Essential will be Willi Bühler's new purpose in life: Nature, art, and science. As long as he still can, he wants to return to the things he sacrificed for success: music, painting, astronomy, and quantum mechanics. Furthermore, there are quite a few trees on his land that he wants to cultivate. But first, Willi Bühler is taking six months to a year to remodel his house. After that, the creative director out of service might think about designing a few good campaigns for the few good friends he has made in advertising.
"I know that I am privileged," says Willi Bühler, who will also live off the preserves in France. (ew)