To bed with the useful beat
Contexta pokes fun at tabloid competitors with a TV commercial series for the Swiss family
Contexta pokes fun at the tabloid competition with a TV commercial series for the Swiss family By Luca Aloisi
The family magazine Schweizer Familie, positioned among a rather conservative reading public, is on the upswing again thanks to its value-for-money strategy. In the new TV commercial campaign, it confidently and ironically sets itself apart from the competition. Contexta directed the ad.
After years of decline, Schweizer Familie (SF) has found its way back onto the growth path. From 1996 to 2001, the circulation of the newspaper, which belongs to the Tamedia Group, fell by an alarming 22.8 percent. Only in 2001 was it able to increase again by 0.1 percent compared to the previous year.
Although SF has regained its footing, the distance between it and its competitor from Dufourstrasse (Schweizer Illustrierte) must be painful; the latter grew from just under 27,000 to almost 99,000 copies in the same period.
Nevertheless, SF has been able to halt the downward trend with an editorial reorientation towards a strongly service-oriented title. Coupled with the proven content of topicality and (not only Cervelat) celebrities, seasonal do-it-yourself sections and from puzzles to children's pages, the family magazine has once again lived up to its name. At the same time, SF has remained true to its line and continues to appeal to a target audience that is family-oriented in the best sense of the word. It clearly distinguishes itself from trend and tabloid magazines, which is also the core message of the TV commercial campaign that has been launched.
The subtle irony beckons from Werdstrasse to Seefeld
After an advertising offensive that proved the increased utility value of the Tamedia title via press and posters, the publisher is now presenting the best sides of SF to a wider TV audience. The result is a series of short, charming commercials that were filmed in the "Lüthi & Blanc" set in Glattfelden. The four strips make use of a wittily cunning principle that is reminiscent of the loud headlines of the tabloid press: a lead story read by Leon Huber leads viewers to speculate on a surprising story involving a celebrity. But the denouement is then literally taken by surprise.
For example, the teaser "Today in bed with Beat Schlatter" is simply resolved with a reader reading an issue of SF in her bed with Beat Schlatter on the cover. "The concept deliberately plays with the ever-functioning and tabloid-like testimonial mechanism and the personalities on the front", explains Marco Mesot, consultant at Bern-based Contexta. The choice of locations creates a natural bridge to the actual main message as well as an ironic comparison with the relevant competition: Schweizer Familie - the most useful magazine in Switzerland.
The family magazine Schweizer Familie, positioned among a rather conservative reading public, is on the upswing again thanks to its value-for-money strategy. In the new TV commercial campaign, it confidently and ironically sets itself apart from the competition. Contexta directed the ad.
After years of decline, Schweizer Familie (SF) has found its way back onto the growth path. From 1996 to 2001, the circulation of the newspaper, which belongs to the Tamedia Group, fell by an alarming 22.8 percent. Only in 2001 was it able to increase again by 0.1 percent compared to the previous year.
Although SF has regained its footing, the distance between it and its competitor from Dufourstrasse (Schweizer Illustrierte) must be painful; the latter grew from just under 27,000 to almost 99,000 copies in the same period.
Nevertheless, SF has been able to halt the downward trend with an editorial reorientation towards a strongly service-oriented title. Coupled with the proven content of topicality and (not only Cervelat) celebrities, seasonal do-it-yourself sections and from puzzles to children's pages, the family magazine has once again lived up to its name. At the same time, SF has remained true to its line and continues to appeal to a target audience that is family-oriented in the best sense of the word. It clearly distinguishes itself from trend and tabloid magazines, which is also the core message of the TV commercial campaign that has been launched.
The subtle irony beckons from Werdstrasse to Seefeld
After an advertising offensive that proved the increased utility value of the Tamedia title via press and posters, the publisher is now presenting the best sides of SF to a wider TV audience. The result is a series of short, charming commercials that were filmed in the "Lüthi & Blanc" set in Glattfelden. The four strips make use of a wittily cunning principle that is reminiscent of the loud headlines of the tabloid press: a lead story read by Leon Huber leads viewers to speculate on a surprising story involving a celebrity. But the denouement is then literally taken by surprise.
For example, the teaser "Today in bed with Beat Schlatter" is simply resolved with a reader reading an issue of SF in her bed with Beat Schlatter on the cover. "The concept deliberately plays with the ever-functioning and tabloid-like testimonial mechanism and the personalities on the front", explains Marco Mesot, consultant at Bern-based Contexta. The choice of locations creates a natural bridge to the actual main message as well as an ironic comparison with the relevant competition: Schweizer Familie - the most useful magazine in Switzerland.
