Fnac and Numéro 10 are behind Happy Basel

 
The secret of Monday's Happy Basel guerrilla advertising campaign has been revealed: the French chain Fnac advertised the new store, which will be the first branch in German-speaking Switzerland to open its doors in Basel on April 17. Anonymous stickers, ribbons and posters with the inscription Happy Basel caused a stir at various locations throughout the city. They were pinned to walls, floors, garbage cans and traffic signs. The campaign was organized by the Bern-based agency Numéro 10. With regard to the references to Basel's culture in the campaign, the Fnac press release on Wednesday states that the colourful campaign is also a tribute to the city of Basel, which is characterized by the quality and diversity of its cultural offerings. "We wanted the campaign to be a charming introduction to Basel", said Fnac spokesperson Daniel Bader to the Basler Zeitung. Playing with Basel's culture is part of Fnac's corporate philosophy, which is closely linked to culture. The branch will provide a forum for cultural activities.
The guerrilla action was illegal. According to the Basler Zeitung, Fnac was aware of this and deliberately used easily removable stickers that leave no residue. "If we had obtained a permit, it would not have been a surprising action," says Bader. Fnac will receive a warning for this. Photos and a video of the action can be found at: Happy-Basel.ch.