The CMO with the Stolen Heart

The sound of a resounding slap echoes hollowly through the scorching heat of the southern Spanish desert. An 87-year-old global superstar in a dusty Western outfit strides through the scene and delivers a genuine slap to his opponent. No digital trickery, no stunt double. In the middle of the Almería desert, a Swiss discount retailer is filming a 16-minute Western blockbuster. «The slap was real,» Raphael Werner laughed later during the winner’s interview, trophy in hand. «Dennis from the production company had to suffer a bit—but after seven or eight takes, he was just laughing.»

Right in the face

This scene, more than any résumé, captures who Raphael Werner is. As Head of Client Relations at Denner, he isn’t just a manager of advertising budgets. He is a director of emotions, a calculated free spirit, and quite simply one of the boldest marketers the country has seen in recent years. On August 20, 2026, he was named «CMO of the Year Switzerland 2026» by an 18-member panel of experts at the Schiffbau in Zurich.

Tears on the Big Stage

But anyone who looked into Werner’s eyes that evening at LaSalle did not see a hardened trophy collector. As his longtime companion Reto Ruch delivered the laudatory speech on stage, recounting nearly two decades of shared triumphs, setbacks, and wild ideas, the winner’s eyes glistened suspiciously with tears. When was the last time he’d cried out of emotion? «Probably at my own wedding 14 years ago,» a visibly moved Werner admitted shortly afterward in a conversation with Anna Kohler and Beat Hürlimann. It was the emotional highlight of an evening that proved: Behind great brands, first and foremost, are people who are truly passionate.

The Master of the Calculated Move

Werner has only been with Denner since September 2024. The fact that, after barely two years at the helm of the newly created «Customer» division—where he oversees marketing, promotions, digital business, and customer insights—he has won Switzerland’s most prestigious marketing award borders on a feat. But anyone familiar with his career knows that Werner’s success is no fluke, but rather the result of an unparalleled blend of strategic depth and mischievous audacity.

For over 16 years, he had previously shaped Lidl’s market expansion in Switzerland and Belgium. When he started as a graphic designer at the discount retailer in 2007, the company’s image was at rock bottom: a German price-breaker with no friends in the Swiss market. Werner rolled up his sleeves. He created the legendary «heart with the Swiss cross,» brought Swiss wrestling champion Chrigu Stucki in front of the camera, and, together with the Hunziker family, developed a show that held up a mirror to the Swiss people—with humor, self-deprecating wit, and on an equal footing.

The Great Heart Heist and Swiss Hockey Success

When he finally moved to Denner, he pulled off what was arguably the most audacious marketing stunt in recent Swiss business history in 2025: the «Lidl Heart Heist.» In a viral clip, he had a fictional Denner employee simply steal the Swiss heart right out of his former employer’s logo. It was a delightfully witty parody of the fact that Denner had previously poached several executives from Lidl—but above all, it was a masterstroke: The CMO with the stolen heart simply reclaimed the symbol he himself had helped create, thereby instilling even more emotional “Swissness” and genuine cult status into Denner in one fell swoop.

This was followed by a series of major announcements every month: a promotion in which customers could win «a lifetime of free shopping»—a true first in the Swiss retail sector. And then, of course, the spectacular debut as the main sponsor of the Swiss national ice hockey team. «We had extremely ambitious goals,» Werner revealed in a pre-launch interview. «Today, market research shows that Denner is the absolute top-of-mind brand in the Swiss ice hockey community, with a lead of over 20 percentage points. To achieve that within a year is overwhelming.»

Desert Dust, Terence Hill, and the «Socceritos»

However, Werner delivered his masterpiece with «The Socceritos»—that 16-minute, Western-style World Cup blockbuster that left even seasoned industry insiders in disbelief. The fact that global superstar Terence Hill appeared on camera for a brand for the first time in over 40 years was considered impossible in the industry. Werner made it happen.

And when, three weeks before filming was set to begin, the entire project threatened to fall apart because Hill’s health wouldn’t allow him to handle the high-altitude air at the planned filming location in New Mexico, Werner’s true leadership skills came to the fore. Without batting an eye, he relocated the entire production to Almería in southern Spain. 120 crew members, flights, permits, soccer stars, and a soccer-playing horse all had to be reorganized in record time. Amid this logistical whirlwind, Werner remained the picture of calm. He trusted his team, gave the filmmakers the freedom they needed, and kept his eye on the big picture.

In his post-game interview, Werner described just how absurd things had gotten on set with a broad grin: «National team captain Granit Xhaka had flown in specially from vacation and had only a tiny window of time. At 8:30 p.m., he had to head to the airport so he wouldn’t miss his flight. We kept filming until midnight and returned to the hotel completely exhausted. And who was sitting there, completely calm, in the lobby in front of the TV watching soccer? Granit Xhaka! The air traffic controllers in France had gone on strike.»

«I have to be careful not to run too fast.»

Anyone who speaks with Raphael Werner immediately senses this irrepressible inner drive. He originally studied applied computer science, started out as a website designer, and found his way into strategic marketing through visual design. This DNA—a love for measurable technology paired with uncompromising visual aesthetics—continues to shape his work to this day. «I love combining technology and tradition,» he emphasizes. «Modern technologies and automation boost efficiency, but above all, they create space for what matters most: human creativity.»

At the same time, Werner is his own harshest critic. When asked what he personally still needs to work on the most, he didn’t hesitate for a second: «I have to be careful not to move too fast. The retail industry moves at an extremely fast pace; we have to react on a daily basis. But I mustn’t overwhelm the team—I have to make sure everyone can keep up with this pace.»

His leadership philosophy is similar to that of a top athlete: «If we think we can run the 100 meters in 15 seconds, then I say, »No, today we’ll run it in 13, next time in 12.5, and eventually in 12.’ But here’s what’s really important: As a coach, you must never just stand on the sidelines and yell instructions. You always have to run alongside them on the track and prove that it can be done.”

The Triumph of Humanity

At a time when algorithms, artificial intelligence, and performance dashboards dominate the marketing landscape, Raphael Werner’s victory also sends a powerful cultural and political message to the entire industry. It proves that in the fierce competitive battle of the Swiss retail sector, it is not the loudest discount war that wins, but rather the ability to tell authentic stories and create relevance in people’s everyday lives.

When Werner finally held the trophy in his hands, he immediately dedicated the award to his colleagues, agencies, and employees. It takes «a few total nutcases» to pull off campaigns like «The Socceritos.» And it takes a solid foundation at home: In the acceptance speech, he gave a very special thank-you to his wife, Regine, who has had his back for 14 years and has probably heard more about discount store marketing than anyone should have to endure.

Raphael Werner is not the type of CMO to hold back when it comes to brands. But he’s a leader with heart, courage, and tears in his eyes at just the right moment. Denner will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year. With this CMO of the Year at the helm, the Swiss advertising world can rest assured: the next big story is already in the bag.