The Stoz agency celebrates its 30th anniversary - and completes the generation change
The Zurich Oberland-based advertising agency Stoz is celebrating its 30th anniversary. For founder Gusti Stoz, this is a good time to hand the business over to his sons.
Stoz celebrates its 30th anniversary. On October 1, 1987, Gusti Stoz founded the agency as a sole proprietorship and one-man operation. With creative ideas and a great deal of personal commitment, the agency quickly built up a loyal clientele and a good reputation as a partner for effective communication. Today, Stoz is known as a powerful team with a wealth of experience and fresh blood - familiar with the requirements of modern marketing and the latest online and offline marketing tools. With the integration of his sons into the company, Gusti Stoz has ushered in a new, promising era for his advertising agency and arranged succession planning. Dennis and Michael have been working in the team for several years and will now continue to run the company. This will ensure the continued existence of the agency in the future.
Gusti Stoz and his sons have spent the last few years preparing for the smooth handover of the business and practising working together. The 32-year-old Michael Stoz joined the Stoz team in 2005 as a trained graphic designer. Today, he is the creative head of the agency. When 29-year-old Dennis joined the agency in 2011, succession planning became a concrete project. Since then, father and sons have been working together at the agency. Dennis Stoz trained as a polygrapher and further trained as a communications planner.
From the first time to many more first times
Advertising history is contemporary history. It's hard to imagine a time without computers. In the early years, the Stoz advertising agency was actually still completely analog: with an IBM ballpoint typewriter and colored pencils. The telephone was still on a spiral cable and the CD was just replacing the video cassette. Final artwork and clichés were created for production.
One of the very first customers was the company Record Türautomation. "Don't open an office. Lease one!" was the striking message for leasing office furniture in the early 1990s. With "Aazelle, Bölle schelle, d Chatz gaat uf Walliselle ...", Stoz designed and implemented a successful personnel recruitment project for Reishauer Wallisellen.
A great deal of empathy was required when designing various advertising campaigns for Kanebo Cosmetics. Gusti Stoz also needed a fine touch as a model for the Avag Betriebsverpflegungs AG brochure. The former chipboard manufacturer Homoplax counted on the expertise from the Zurich Oberland for many years. The slogan "More than just chipboard" was a household name for every carpenter.
"Uf eigene Füess und sicherem Bode" was the slogan for the "Tigerfinkli-Subjet" for the Sparkasse Zürcher Oberland (now Clientis), whose advertising Stoz managed for over 15 years.
The second generation in first place
After 30 years of intensive advertising work, the time has come for Gusti Stoz to hand over the management of the agency to his two sons. However, he and his many years of advertising experience will remain with the agency: Stoz will contribute his passion for effective advertising in the future as a libero and board member.
The agency team also includes Josi Stoz (Presents, member of the Board of Directors), Vanessa Di Gennaro (graphic designer) and apprentice Noé Wazzau (polygraph) as well as many other long-standing partners.
Fast forward from 1987 to 2017 and the 30 years are as follows: 1987 the first clients and companions | 1988 the first employee | 1989 the first brochure | 1990 the first computer | 1994 admission to the ASW I association 1995 relocation to Barzloo | 1997 the first stopover | 1997 the first smartphone |1998 joining the Rotary Club | 1999 the first digital printer | 2000 the first open cinema on Lake Pfäffikon | 2002 the Stoz advertising agency becomes a public limited company | 2003 the first apprentice | 2005 Michael Stoz, the first son at the agency | 2007 the first 20 years | 2011 son Dennis Stoz joins the agency | 2012 the first power of attorney for the Stoz sons | 2017 the first 30 years. With the handover of management to sons Dennis and Michael, there will certainly be many new "firsts" under the new leadership. It will be exciting.
