The motz of Butz: D'Migros posts now an äne a dr Gränze

The Migros subsidiary Interio has stabbed itself in the Swiss advertising scene by terminating the account with Neue LGK and awarding the advertising tasks to the Munich agency Fashioncom. It makes me salivate. Retailers are complaining that consumers are doing their shopping abroad. It's said that Migros, Coop and the rest are missing out on billions.

Neue LGK, a classic advertising agency that has outgrown the good agencies Y&R or WHS and has provided Interio with an excellent advertising job in recent years. Somewhere I read: "The Interio anniversary campaign doubled the frequency at the POS." It is said to have been a complete success. Even Migros boss Bolliger replied in an interview with the SonntagsZeitung on February 1 on the subject of "Shopping tourism has nothing to do with patriotism" when asked whether the problem child Interio was finally making a profit again. "Interio is now clearly gaining market share. Sales have increased by ten percent in a slightly shrinking overall market." Nevertheless, the agency owners are now forced to lay off 15 employees after 21 years and close the agency.

My theory: Switzerland's graphic design industry is world-famous and its roots can still be felt today. Internationally, the Swiss advertising scene enjoys an outstanding palmarès in terms of size (see Cannes). I worked in advertising in Germany for six years. A country ten times the size of Switzerland, but only about as creative as the Swiss. Nobody really understands why Interio, an exclusively furniture store with no fashion items, got involved with an agency whose core business is in the fashion business. Above all, nobody in the advertising industry understands that the Interio budget is now being managed by Bavaria and that the fee is going abroad.

Migros, Interio, Globus, Denner and whatever else belongs to this giant lives from a clientele that is exclusively at home in Switzerland. All these subsidiaries and affiliates are 100 percent purely Swiss companies. Why should Munich-based companies generate better advertising for Interio? Maybe they just do it more cheaply.

If you are one of my regular Motz readers, you know that anyone who saves money when creating advertising is already on the losing end. As a Motz columnist, I will be taking a close look at the advertising continuation for Interio. For ecological reasons, I am not yet considering doing my shopping in Weil am Rhein instead of Globus Bellevue. For my stand, see Chapeau.

Chapeau!
For the Super Bowl spectacle in the USA, where the highest advertising prices are paid, Fiat has created an original commercial for the 500X with plenty of Italianità and an apt punchline about the product benefits. Advertising as it should be:
 

Theophil Butz, graphic designer, advertising agency owner, inspirer and, for more than three years now, also a mothballs for Werbewoche readers. Please send any relevant information to [email protected].