I think that's why I advertise
Timo Kirez, new CCO at McCann-Erickson Switzerland, wants to bring the agency back into the circle of hotshots.
Timo Kirez, new CCO at McCann-Erickson Switzerland, wants to bring the agency back into the circle of hotshots.
What does a philosopher think about advertising that looks like advertising? Nothing, perhaps. For Timo Kirez, the "normal" in advertising causes "physical discomfort", says the new Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at the Swiss branch of the McCann-Erickson agency network. He therefore wants to create advertising "that has a surprise effect." The new member of the McCann-Erickson Switzerland management team is not yet willing to reveal the details of what this could be. However, the CCO, who commutes between the two agency locations in Geneva and Zurich, is thinking more intensively than before about the creative potential of his new employees from three continents. "My job will be to support these people in their creativity." The clear objective: "To get the agency back into the top three in the creative rankings."
Kirez does not want to achieve this goal "with handicrafts" at award shows. If anything, he wants to win creative prizes for major clients. "We have budgets from Opel, Microsoft and Camel - you have to be able to do good advertising with them too," he says with conviction.
It was not written in the stars that he would one day realize creative advertising campaigns. Kirez actually wanted to become a philosopher. In any case, he attended lectures on the subject at Hamburg University. But because the subject was taught "too dryly" for his attitude to life and he soon ran out of money, he turned his back on Kant and Schoppenhauer and turned to selling furniture and giving stock advice over the phone.
That was enough for an after-work beer, but not for the mind. "What else can I do professionally?" the university dropout asked himself. In this crisis of meaning, a friend put a phone number in his hand. Jean-Rémy von Matt answered at the other end of the line. That was in Hamburg in 1994. "Then everything happened very quickly and very well." Kirez became a copywriter before he even knew "what it was".
For four years, the career changer developed steadily at the agency. Until he once again held a telephone number in his hand. Her name was Géraldine, she was an "artist with a diploma" and French. But the lady of his heart felt increasingly uncomfortable at the Waterkant and one day presented the copywriter with a choice: either a woman or a job.
What does a philosopher do in such cases? He chooses both. They moved - to Geneva. They still feel at home there, even though Kirez will continue to spend half of his time in Zurich and half in French-speaking Switzerland. "There should be an intensive exchange between the two agencies."
Kirez came to McCann-Erickson in Geneva via Frank Bodin. In addition to Kirez's references, Bodin also liked the fact that he wanted to change jobs for family reasons. In the meantime, Kirez had become a celebrated copywriter at Jung von Matt.
Looking back, he believes that he only learned the art of seduction so well because he always worked with lots of interesting people. "You learn something from everyone if you've been around long enough." The important thing, however, is that you end up developing "your own style".
The CCO draws his motivation from everyday life in advertising: "You are confronted with something new every day." Everything is done quickly and purposefully. "It suits me to develop ideas within a tight timeframe." When you hear him say this, you immediately think that the antithesis of philosophy has become man. That's not wrong, "because philosophy hasn't helped me at all in advertising, on the contrary. It can get in the way." Which for Kirez does not mean that he spends 24 hours thinking about what others might buy that he has advertised. "You have to break out once a week and talk about something else," he admits. About philosophy, perhaps?
Timo Kirez from McCann-Erickson is probably only the second Swiss advertiser to hold the title of Chief Creative Officer.
Andreas Panzeri
What does a philosopher think about advertising that looks like advertising? Nothing, perhaps. For Timo Kirez, the "normal" in advertising causes "physical discomfort", says the new Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at the Swiss branch of the McCann-Erickson agency network. He therefore wants to create advertising "that has a surprise effect." The new member of the McCann-Erickson Switzerland management team is not yet willing to reveal the details of what this could be. However, the CCO, who commutes between the two agency locations in Geneva and Zurich, is thinking more intensively than before about the creative potential of his new employees from three continents. "My job will be to support these people in their creativity." The clear objective: "To get the agency back into the top three in the creative rankings."
Kirez does not want to achieve this goal "with handicrafts" at award shows. If anything, he wants to win creative prizes for major clients. "We have budgets from Opel, Microsoft and Camel - you have to be able to do good advertising with them too," he says with conviction.
It was not written in the stars that he would one day realize creative advertising campaigns. Kirez actually wanted to become a philosopher. In any case, he attended lectures on the subject at Hamburg University. But because the subject was taught "too dryly" for his attitude to life and he soon ran out of money, he turned his back on Kant and Schoppenhauer and turned to selling furniture and giving stock advice over the phone.
That was enough for an after-work beer, but not for the mind. "What else can I do professionally?" the university dropout asked himself. In this crisis of meaning, a friend put a phone number in his hand. Jean-Rémy von Matt answered at the other end of the line. That was in Hamburg in 1994. "Then everything happened very quickly and very well." Kirez became a copywriter before he even knew "what it was".
For four years, the career changer developed steadily at the agency. Until he once again held a telephone number in his hand. Her name was Géraldine, she was an "artist with a diploma" and French. But the lady of his heart felt increasingly uncomfortable at the Waterkant and one day presented the copywriter with a choice: either a woman or a job.
What does a philosopher do in such cases? He chooses both. They moved - to Geneva. They still feel at home there, even though Kirez will continue to spend half of his time in Zurich and half in French-speaking Switzerland. "There should be an intensive exchange between the two agencies."
Kirez came to McCann-Erickson in Geneva via Frank Bodin. In addition to Kirez's references, Bodin also liked the fact that he wanted to change jobs for family reasons. In the meantime, Kirez had become a celebrated copywriter at Jung von Matt.
Looking back, he believes that he only learned the art of seduction so well because he always worked with lots of interesting people. "You learn something from everyone if you've been around long enough." The important thing, however, is that you end up developing "your own style".
The CCO draws his motivation from everyday life in advertising: "You are confronted with something new every day." Everything is done quickly and purposefully. "It suits me to develop ideas within a tight timeframe." When you hear him say this, you immediately think that the antithesis of philosophy has become man. That's not wrong, "because philosophy hasn't helped me at all in advertising, on the contrary. It can get in the way." Which for Kirez does not mean that he spends 24 hours thinking about what others might buy that he has advertised. "You have to break out once a week and talk about something else," he admits. About philosophy, perhaps?
Timo Kirez from McCann-Erickson is probably only the second Swiss advertiser to hold the title of Chief Creative Officer.
Andreas Panzeri
