The name sounds a bit technical at first hearing. But it stands for the innermost core of creativity. Alpha 245 is the name of the lead in this pencil, which has been used for years as a symbol for the creative work in Leo Burnett's network in various appearances. "At the moment, many colleagues actually still react a bit surprised when we mention the name of the new agency. But that should change soon," the two leading minds at Alpha 245 are convinced.

Martin Spillmann and Peter Felser have found the solution in a second agency. "Continue to grow in a new location," says Pam Hügli. Alpha 245 is now also part of the international Leo Burnett Group and is represented with the same name in 15 countries on 4 continents. The newly founded branch in Zurich offers all the services of a full-service agency. Alpha 245 also operates its own photo studio in Zurich and is fully equipped for all pre-press work.

The Alpha 245 team includes some former employees from the head office on Aemtlerstrasse. But Pam Hügli and Diana Rossi are determined to be able to give their agency its own face soon. "We need to acquire ourselves and already have new business in the pipeline." Although Alpha 245 is not yet that big, they also want to compete for the really big budgets. Among others, the portfolio already includes budgets such as Manor Food, Sympany or Kantonsspital Aarau. Alpha 245 will enter the race with Pam Hügli and Diana Rossi "very close to the customer" as an owner-managed agency. Their trademark is to be "the most personal agency in Switzerland." "With 14 employees, we have a manageable size and thus very short decision-making paths." If necessary, however, Alpha 245 can simultaneously offer its clients all the advantages of an international network while remaining agile and nimble.

The managing director of Alpha 245 actually wanted to become a graphic designer. However, her career counselor "got something wrong" here and said that standing work on a drawing board was not ideal for Hügli's back. So she was sent to an information evening at Sawi and, at 16, came to the conclusion that it should be a career as an advertising assistant. Until she was "old" enough for the day course at Sawi at 19, Pam Hügli used the time to take her Matura. This also helped her with her application, because unlike today, at Sawi back then you had to pass a tough, multi-stage entrance exam and beat out a whole range of competitors. For the subsequent internship year, Pam Hügli would have preferred to join Advico or Wirz straight away. But because her roommate at the time snatched the job at Advico right out from under her nose, Hügli ended up at Edelweiss Werbung. The good mood in the flat-sharing community lasted nonetheless, and six months later Advico was again looking for an intern.

Rolf Zimmermann had not forgotten the obvious qualities of the first application and once again sought contact with Pam Hügli. So she became an assistant and consultant in Gockhausen. Later, she was involved in the founding of Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett from the very beginning.

In her ten years at SFLB, Pam Hügli soon evolved into a consulting group leader and member of management. But she not only shaped many campaigns that won national and international awards for outstanding creativity and effectiveness. Pam Hügli was also an important person responsible for the good spirit in the agency. She organized many events for employees that had a lasting impact on team building. Hügli was also concerned about promoting young talent. "In grateful memory of my own opportunity back then, I also trained many interns myself."

For her own further education, Hügli took the Federal Diploma in Communications Management and also successfully completed the Master of Advanced Studies in Marketing Management and Business Administration at the University of Basel in 2012. Just as Diana Rossi describes Martin Spillmann as her key supporter on the creative side, Pam Hügli sees strategist and CEO Peter Felser as her mentor. "He also suggested that I take a chance on my own agency with Alpha 245." It was exactly at that point that Hügli herself also became increasingly aware that she now wanted to "make a bit more of a mark on a company" with more responsibility in her job. After a few months for the organization, Managing Director Pam Hügli then requested Diana Rossi as CD. "I would have been very disappointed if I had been turned down," Hügli says, while Rossi affirms, "I would have been very offended if I hadn't been approached by Pam." In Diana Rossi's case, her entry into advertising was just the opposite. She applied to be an advertising assistant after a brief period of study. Due to a lack of other work samples, she submitted a few essays from her high school days. That's how her talent as a copywriter was discovered. A recommendation from the BSW association landed Rossi at a small agency in Solothurn. Here, in 18 months, she really learned the copywriting trade from scratch. "There, I mainly wrote. And lots and lots of brochures. For that, I could then do it from the FF."

Both Alpha women have been able to benefit a lot from their teachers at SFLB

She was then released from her daily commute from Zurich to Solothurn with a job offer from Euro RSCG. She worked here for four years, the first of which was before Frank Bodin joined the company. Today, Diana Rossi considers her first Cannes Lion for the Arena Fitness Clubs a "lucky start". A shortened measuring tape made people feel fatter - in other words, they wanted to go to the gym.

In 2005, Rossi moved to Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett. Silver Lion numbers 2 and 3 have since been added. "It was a special moment to sit in the cinema and see a whole auditorium laughing at the SMS spots for Sunrise." She won the other Lion for the broken vase for Fleurop. WOZ, Emmentaler and Migros are just some of the clients for whom Rossi has also won numerous awards at Eurobest, Epica, The Cup, ADC Europe, ADC Germany and, of course, as a member of ADC Switzerland.

Many of these works were created in close teamwork with Peter Brönnimann. Diana Rossi considers the current creative director of Spillman Felser Leo Burnett to be her mentors, just like Martin Spillmann. "I was able to work with the best people. That was a super time, and I've been able to take a lot from it now." Over a fondue dinner for four, Martin Spillmann, Peter Felser and their two young female entrepreneurs recently talked about the fact that now, after ten years, the success story could be repeated once again. "Simply in the female version." The two heads at the top are good friends. And both, like their predecessors, are convinced of the same business model: "The mindset has to be creative. The result solution-oriented for the benefit of the customer."

Andreas Panzeri

Pam Hügli originally wanted to become a graphic designer and then ended up in consulting. The managing director of Alpha 245 is now a federally certified communications specialist and holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Marketing Management and Business Administration from the University of Basel.

Diana Rossi wanted to become an advertising assistant, but then ended up in copywriting. After a brief stint in German studies, she learned the trade on the job at leading agencies and was CD at Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett for two years until she was elected Alpha Woman. Diana Rossi has won three Silver Lions in Cannes in addition to various prizes.

An article from the current print edition of Werbewoche.

The name sounds a bit technical at first hearing. But it stands for the innermost core of creativity. Alpha 245 is the name of the lead in this pencil, which has been used for years as a symbol for the creative work in Leo Burnett's network in various appearances. "At the moment, many colleagues actually still react a bit surprised when we mention the name of the new agency. But that should change soon," the two leading minds at Alpha 245 are convinced.

Martin Spillmann and Peter Felser have found the solution in a second agency. "Continue to grow in a new place," says Pam Hügli... Alpha 245 is thus also part of the international Leo Burnett Group and represented with the same name in 15 countries on 4 continents. The newly founded offshoot in Zurich offers all the services of a full-service agency. Alpha 245 also operates its own photo studio in Zurich and is fully equipped for all prepress work.

The Alpha 245 team includes some former employees from the head office on Aemtlerstrasse. But Pam Hügli and Diana Rossi are determined to be able to give their agency its own face soon. "We need to acquire ourselves and already have new business in the pipeline." Although Alpha 245 is not yet that big, they also want to compete for the really big budgets. Among others, the portfolio already includes budgets such as Manor Food, Sympany or Kantonsspital Aarau. Alpha 245 will enter the race with Pam Hügli and Diana Rossi "very close to the customer" as an owner-managed agency. Their trademark is to be "the most personal agency in Switzerland." "With 14 employees, we have a manageable size and thus very short decision-making paths." If necessary, however, Alpha 245 can simultaneously offer its clients all the advantages of an international network while remaining agile and nimble.

The managing director of Alpha 245 actually wanted to become a graphic designer. However, her career counselor "got something wrong" here and said that standing work on a drawing board was not ideal for Hügli's back. So she was sent to an information evening at Sawi and, at 16, came to the conclusion that it should be a career as an advertising assistant. Until she was "old" enough for the day course at Sawi at 19, Pam Hügli used the time to take her Matura. This also helped her with her application, because unlike today, at Sawi back then you had to pass a tough, multi-stage entrance exam and beat out a whole range of competitors. For the subsequent internship year, Pam Hügli would have preferred to join Advico or Wirz straight away. But because her roommate at the time snatched the job at Advico right out from under her nose, Hügli ended up at Edelweiss Werbung. The good mood in the flat-sharing community lasted nonetheless, and six months later Advico was again looking for an intern.

Rolf Zimmermann had not forgotten the obvious qualities of the first application and once again sought contact with Pam Hügli. So she became an assistant and consultant in Gockhausen. Later, she was involved in the founding of Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett from the very beginning.

In her ten years at SFLB, Pam Hügli soon evolved into a consulting group leader and member of management. But she not only shaped many campaigns that won national and international awards for outstanding creativity and effectiveness. Pam Hügli was also an important person responsible for the good spirit in the agency. She organized many events for employees that had a lasting impact on team building. Hügli was also concerned about promoting young talent. "In grateful memory of my own opportunity back then, I also trained many interns myself."

For her own further education, Hügli took the Federal Diploma in Communications Management and also successfully completed the Master of Advanced Studies in Marketing Management and Business Administration at the University of Basel in 2012. Just as Diana Rossi describes Martin Spillmann as her key supporter on the creative side, Pam Hügli sees strategist and CEO Peter Felser as her mentor. "He also suggested that I take a chance on my own agency with Alpha 245." It was exactly at that point that Hügli herself also became increasingly aware that she now wanted to "make a bit more of a mark on a company" with more responsibility in her job. After a few months for the organization, Managing Director Pam Hügli then requested Diana Rossi as CD. "I would have been very disappointed if I had been turned down," Hügli says, while Rossi affirms, "I would have been very offended if I hadn't been approached by Pam." In Diana Rossi's case, her entry into advertising was just the opposite. She applied to be an advertising assistant after a brief period of study. Due to a lack of other work samples, she submitted a few essays from her high school days. That's how her talent as a copywriter was discovered. A recommendation from the BSW association landed Rossi at a small agency in Solothurn. Here, in 18 months, she really learned the copywriting trade from scratch. "There, I mainly wrote. And lots and lots of brochures. For that, I could then do it from the FF."

Both Alpha women have been able to benefit a lot from their teachers at SFLB

She was then released from her daily commute from Zurich to Solothurn with a job offer from Euro RSCG. She worked here for four years, the first of which was before Frank Bodin joined the company. Today, Diana Rossi considers her first Cannes Lion for the Arena Fitness Clubs a "lucky start". A shortened measuring tape made people feel fatter - in other words, they wanted to go to the gym.

In 2005, Rossi moved to Spillmann Felser Leo Burnett. Silver Lion numbers 2 and 3 have since been added here. "It was a special moment to sit in the theater and see a whole auditorium laughing live at the SMSSpots for Sunrise." She won the other Lion for the broken vase for Fleurop. WOZ, Emmentaler or Migros are just a few of the clients for whom Rossi has also won numerous awards at the Eurobest, Epica, The Cup, ADC Europe, ADC Germany and, of course, as a member of ADC Switzerland.

Many of these works were created in close teamwork with Peter Brönnimann. Diana Rossi considers the current creative director of Spillman Felser Leo Burnett to be her mentors, just like Martin Spillmann. "I was able to work with the best people. That was a super time, and I've been able to take a lot from it now." Over a fondue dinner for four, Martin Spillmann, Peter Felser and their two young female entrepreneurs recently talked about the fact that now, after ten years, the success story could be repeated once again. "Simply in the female version." The two heads at the top are good friends. And both, like their predecessors, are convinced of the same business model: "The mindset has to be creative. The result solution-oriented for the benefit of the customer."

Andreas Panzeri