It's never too late for a good idea".
Philippe Hansen likes being his own boss. That way, he can put his ideas into action however he sees fit and take the time he needs to be creative. On August 1, 2009, Hansen co-founded the Bold agency in Bern. And the first year went pretty well.
Philippe Hansen is a musical man. He is not only the guitarist and songwriter of the Bernese band "Brothertunes", he also masters the keyboard of advertising. At Bold, he is the bandleader, the consultant and manager who sells clients the ideas and implementation proposals hatched by the team. Hansen develops sparkling ideas "in lively exchange" with the other two Bold owners, CD Lindo Ganarin and AD Tino Niederberger, as well as their first employee, Dominique Wittwer. When Hansen says "lively," he means that the four men fundamentally disagree. No wonder: Ganarin comes from classic advertising; he is Bold's copywriter and idea machine. Niederberger was head of creation at Maxomedia and combines art know-how with broad experience in new media. Wittwer supports the creation in the area of design. And Hansen is the consultant and conceptualizer, the agency's calming influence and diplomat. "We are four character barks, have very different points of view and ideas, all of which are good," says Hansen. "This creates friction, and we have to find a consensus. That's exhausting. But a healthy culture of dispute is extremely important for us, because the discussions spur us on to top performance. The idea is our capital."
At Bold, a surprising, viable concept emerges from creative exchange, dispute and mutual approach. In all discussions, the team is guided by the conviction that it is never too late for a good idea. This is how the four at Bold create advertising that, after just over a year in business, is already being relied on by clients such as Die Post, Hotellerie-suisse, the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology BBT, Promoton and Swisscom. Most Bold customers are currently SMEs from the Bern area. "Of course, we also target large companies, nationwide, because today it doesn't matter where you are," Hansen says. "But we first have to fight for a place in the market and with good work cause that we are invited to pitches. That takes time."
The courage to stand out
Bold's core services are conception, copywriting and design for offline and online communication. Although full-service agencies have long been frowned upon, Bold still wants to be one. "Full service doesn't mean we can do everything but we can solve everything," says Hansen, explaining the agency's approach. "We understand full service to mean that we find a professional solution for all of our clients' concerns. When we take care of a project, our customer can assume that we know how to handle the task, think ahead and also get competent support when we need it. That's better and more efficient than having a team in which one person knows a bit more about text, the second a bit more about online, and the third a bit more about something or other.
understands something. With the full-service offering, we want to create security and trust."
Hansen also understands that clients don't care about every intermediate step, especially if it causes problems. "The client simply wants everything to work out in the end, and for goals to be met or exceeded," he says. "If something doesn't work, it's our job to find a solution without burdening our customer with it." At key decision points, however, Hansen seeks immediate discussion with the client, such as when he realizes that two more days would make the result three times as good. Then he tries to get a postponement, because that's also part of his job as a consultant. Hansen
has good arguments: "Customers pay money for our work and have a right to expect to get a perfect result." "Good enough" doesn't seem to exist at Bold.
With its name, the agency has given itself a credo that promises big pieces. "Bold" means daring, bold, or eye-catching, courageous. "We put the emphasis on bold above all else," Hansen says. "We opened in the middle of the crisis, in Bern, which is considered rather reserved, not only in advertising, and we try to do good work without compromise, without scissors in the head. What we do, we do right." The Bold men's cause seems to be neither blöff nor false modesty.
Free space for flashes of inspiration
All three agency owners have already gained experience with self-employment, Hansen the
first time at the age of 24, after training as a typographer and advertising assistant. Together with three like-minded people, he opened a small design and publishing studio in 1999. After three years, music gets in the way. "I had been playing music a lot on the side, and the desire to become a rock star just wouldn't let me go," Hansen recalls. He wants to make music his profession, but it doesn't really work out with his first band. So Hansen rides his second hobbyhorse again, advertising. This time he wants to do "real" advertising and joins Contexta in Bern: "I was at Contexta for just over three years, worked a lot, learned a lot, had a great team and a great time."
At the same time, Hansen devoted himself to music, and in 2002 he helped launch Brothertunes. 2005 then finally the record contract. Two Brothertunes albums are released. Hansen leaves Contexta, but works part-time at the communications agency Formeldrei, on the one hand to finance himself, and on the other to keep his foot in the door of the advertising industry, because he enjoys advertising. And: "Music is very short-lived, dreams fly high, and reality often looks less rosy. Besides, there's a lot of competition, even more than in advertising. As I got older, I had a desire for greater security."
At 30, Hansen takes stock and sets the course for his future. At Formeldrei, he lets himself be convinced to work more again. But more and more often, the now eighty percent advertiser thinks, "If I'm going to create so much, at least create it for me and according to my ideas." He talks to Lindo Ganarin about his thoughts. Ganarin, with whom Hansen had worked at Contexta, has been self-employed for several years. The two teamed up in the fall of 2008 and found the missing piece of the puzzle with Niederberger in early 2009. Together, the three are preparing to open the Bold advertising agency, which will open in
August 2009. Hansen is thus once again staying true to his resolution: "Whatever it's about, it's important to me never to have to say: I wish I'd tried!"
Today, four people work at Bold, but perhaps not for long: "We want to grow," says Hansen.
"However, everything slowly. Maybe in ten years we'll be ten people. If not, it doesn't matter. When we hire someone, we want to offer them a secure job. If it's not enough for that, we prefer to work with freelancers." In any case, the three owners have already rented enough space for new employees on Schwarztorstrasse in Bern. There is also room for a Crealounge. This will be designed and furnished in the next few weeks. Because Hansen wants to offer his people an inspiring space without telephone ringing and e-mail chirping, where crisp ideas can just bubble up. Hansen: "This is a statement to the inside: You have foolproof freedom if the output is right and deadlines are met." A retreat is also important for Hansen himself. He needs absolute quiet for the flashes of inspiration to spark. And weekends remain work-free whenever possible. "Each of us has a life outside the agency," Hansen emphasizes. "Lindo is a perfumer, Tino experiments with digital entertainment, and I make music. There has to be room for that even if it's not easy to keep it up. But that's the only way we can recharge our batteries, stay creative and have fun at work. Anything else is hard on the mind."
Journey on two continents
Hansen still plays guitar with the Brothertunes, and the band is just launching a new record in France. But since the birth of his new baby, Bold, Hansen has cut back on the strings. "Music is extremely important to me, once as a purpose in life, now as a balance to work," he says. "Next to music, none of my other hobbies can exist.
After all, I once wanted to be a rock star. Nevertheless, my attention is now focused on building up and expanding Bold. That's where I'm going full throttle, and it's huge fun." And yet the listener gets the impression that Hansen can't really be happy without either advertising or music. He needs both, in his time. In advertising, the client is the conductor; Hansen plays first fiddle for him. In songwriting, he has to find every note within himself, shape it and make it sound. Undisputed: Hansen plays on two weddings. But being a virtuoso has never been a disadvantage.
Anne-Friederike Heinrich
At Bold, a surprising, viable concept emerges from creative exchange, dispute and mutual approach. In all discussions, the team is guided by the conviction that it is never too late for a good idea. This is how the four at Bold create advertising that, after just over a year in business, is already being relied on by clients such as Die Post, Hotellerie-suisse, the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology BBT, Promoton and Swisscom. Most Bold customers are currently SMEs from the Bern area. "Of course, we also target large companies, nationwide, because today it doesn't matter where you are," Hansen says. "But we first have to fight for a place in the market and with good work cause that we are invited to pitches. That takes time."
The courage to stand out
Bold's core services are conception, copywriting and design for offline and online communication. Although full-service agencies have long been frowned upon, Bold still wants to be one. "Full service doesn't mean we can do everything but we can solve everything," says Hansen, explaining the agency's approach. "We understand full service to mean that we find a professional solution for all of our clients' concerns. When we take care of a project, our customer can assume that we know how to handle the task, think ahead and also get competent support when we need it. That's better and more efficient than having a team in which one person knows a bit more about text, the second a bit more about online, and the third a bit more about something or other.
understands something. With the full-service offering, we want to create security and trust."
Hansen also understands that clients don't care about every intermediate step, especially if it causes problems. "The client simply wants everything to work out in the end, and for goals to be met or exceeded," he says. "If something doesn't work, it's our job to find a solution without burdening our customer with it." At key decision points, however, Hansen seeks immediate discussion with the client, such as when he realizes that two more days would make the result three times as good. Then he tries to get a postponement, because that's also part of his job as a consultant. Hansen
has good arguments: "Customers pay money for our work and have a right to expect to get a perfect result." "Good enough" doesn't seem to exist at Bold.
With its name, the agency has given itself a credo that promises big pieces. "Bold" means daring, bold, or eye-catching, courageous. "We put the emphasis on bold above all else," Hansen says. "We opened in the middle of the crisis, in Bern, which is considered rather reserved, not only in advertising, and we try to do good work without compromise, without scissors in the head. What we do, we do right." The Bold men's cause seems to be neither blöff nor false modesty.
Free space for flashes of inspiration
All three agency owners have already gained experience with self-employment, Hansen the
first time at the age of 24, after training as a typographer and advertising assistant. Together with three like-minded people, he opened a small design and publishing studio in 1999. After three years, music gets in the way. "I had been playing music a lot on the side, and the desire to become a rock star just wouldn't let me go," Hansen recalls. He wants to make music his profession, but it doesn't really work out with his first band. So Hansen rides his second hobbyhorse again, advertising. This time he wants to do "real" advertising and joins Contexta in Bern: "I was at Contexta for just over three years, worked a lot, learned a lot, had a great team and a great time."
At the same time, Hansen devoted himself to music, and in 2002 he helped launch Brothertunes. 2005 then finally the record contract. Two Brothertunes albums are released. Hansen leaves Contexta, but works part-time at the communications agency Formeldrei, on the one hand to finance himself, and on the other to keep his foot in the door of the advertising industry, because he enjoys advertising. And: "Music is very short-lived, dreams fly high, and reality often looks less rosy. Besides, there's a lot of competition, even more than in advertising. As I got older, I had a desire for greater security."
At 30, Hansen takes stock and sets the course for his future. At Formeldrei, he lets himself be convinced to work more again. But more and more often, the now eighty percent advertiser thinks, "If I'm going to create so much, at least create it for me and according to my ideas." He talks to Lindo Ganarin about his thoughts. Ganarin, with whom Hansen had worked at Contexta, has been self-employed for several years. The two teamed up in the fall of 2008 and found the missing piece of the puzzle with Niederberger in early 2009. Together, the three are preparing to open the Bold advertising agency, which will open in
August 2009. Hansen is thus once again staying true to his resolution: "Whatever it's about, it's important to me never to have to say: I wish I'd tried!"
Today, four people work at Bold, but perhaps not for long: "We want to grow," says Hansen.
"However, everything slowly. Maybe in ten years we'll be ten people. If not, it doesn't matter. When we hire someone, we want to offer them a secure job. If it's not enough for that, we prefer to work with freelancers." In any case, the three owners have already rented enough space for new employees on Schwarztorstrasse in Bern. There is also room for a Crealounge. This will be designed and furnished in the next few weeks. Because Hansen wants to offer his people an inspiring space without telephone ringing and e-mail chirping, where crisp ideas can just bubble up. Hansen: "This is a statement to the inside: You have foolproof freedom if the output is right and deadlines are met." A retreat is also important for Hansen himself. He needs absolute quiet for the flashes of inspiration to spark. And weekends remain work-free whenever possible. "Each of us has a life outside the agency," Hansen emphasizes. "Lindo is a perfumer, Tino experiments with digital entertainment, and I make music. There has to be room for that even if it's not easy to keep it up. But that's the only way we can recharge our batteries, stay creative and have fun at work. Anything else is hard on the mind."
Journey on two continents
Hansen still plays guitar with the Brothertunes, and the band is just launching a new record in France. But since the birth of his new baby, Bold, Hansen has cut back on the strings. "Music is extremely important to me, once as a purpose in life, now as a balance to work," he says. "Next to music, none of my other hobbies can exist.
After all, I once wanted to be a rock star. Nevertheless, my attention is now focused on building up and expanding Bold. That's where I'm going full throttle, and it's huge fun." And yet the listener gets the impression that Hansen can't really be happy without either advertising or music. He needs both, in his time. In advertising, the client is the conductor; Hansen plays first fiddle for him. In songwriting, he has to find every note within himself, shape it and make it sound. Undisputed: Hansen plays on two weddings. But being a virtuoso has never been a disadvantage.
Anne-Friederike Heinrich
