Rollout for an advertising agency that has not yet been founded
Laurent Ulrich, Michel Alraun und Susanne Riegler haben einen Traumjob für die Berner Airline SkyWork bekommen.
It's the kind of job that can later be described as an almost unsurpassable anecdote in the history of an advertising agency. "We were asked if we could shoot a movie commercial for an airline in ten days," say Laurent Ulrich and Michel Alraun. The two have been in business as videographers with their company Maybaum for around five years. Image films, commercials and company portraits are among their core competencies. The fact that they actually made it into Bern cinemas with the above request in just ten days with a 3D animation has since earned them the contract for a comprehensive advertising campaign including a new CI for the rebranding of an entire airline.
SkyWork at Belpmoos Airport decided this summer to go on the offensive with a new image. The regional airline from Bern wants to present itself as a "modern, flexible and personal airline" on the market in future. SkyWork was aware that the company needed a new, uniform image in order to achieve its goals. Having already had a positive experience with the cinema film, SkyWork asked Maybaum for support once again. Alraun and Ulrich recommended graphic designer Susanne Riegler. She has her own studio right next door to the film people in the "Creative Center" in Baden. In the former premises of the Grey advertising agency, around a dozen different start-ups from the creative sector have now found a shared address with a suitable infrastructure. Ulrich, Riegler and Alraun have not yet decided whether three of them will merge to form a "real" advertising agency following the success of SkyWork. "It is an option."
Because Riegler's new logo was appealing and the newly acquired investors wanted to get started immediately, the management decided to forego another pitch. "Take off in one minute" was the new strategy for SkyWork. Then an uncomplicated management team with aviation pioneer Alex Gribi, son Nicholas and the young managers Daniel Borer and Tomislav Lang pushed all the levers forward.
"Within a month, we developed a dossier with a two-year marketing plan that convinced the Board of Directors and the SkyWork management," Ulrich, Alraun and Riegler summarize the further development. What is needed for a campaign? How can a regional airline advertise throughout Europe even with a small budget? How many resources do we want to use for which target groups?
In the end, the creative trio from Baden presented three possible models "where the client could see exactly what and how much he could expect for his money". Various media plans were drawn up. A concept has now been chosen in which posters will be put up in the Bern region as far as Fribourg and Neuchâtel. In the city of Berne, a bus and a streetcar will feature SkyWork's design. The same buses will be used in Biel, Thun and Emmental. SkyWork will have a regular presence in local cinemas and on Tele Bärn. Megaposters will be put up directly at the airport. Railboards on public transport. The "take-off" for all these print media is scheduled for next spring when flights begin. There will also be guerrilla campaigns, social media and a text message competition. The very broad mandate also includes a motivational brochure for employees as well as various gadgets, from pens with logos to sugar sachets. The many building signage, vehicle lettering, aircraft paintwork, uniforms and a planned in-flight magazine are also complex special jobs. The trio in Baden also designed SkyWork's new website.
The new corporate design in all these measures combines long-standing tradition with dynamism and innovation. "At the same time, different colors in the logo draw attention to the different divisions," explains designer Susanne Riegler. The blue color refers to all of SkyWork's activities, the green color reflects freshness and environmental friendliness - the aircraft are newer in this respect than many of its competitors - and finally, the gold color represents the exclusive and elegant business aviation segment.
On this new basis, an unprecedented marketing campaign is being implemented for SkyWork, which includes a new claim: "Your personal way to fly" in addition to the livery and refurbishment of the aircraft.
A "dream job" for the Ulrich, Riegler, Alraun team, where the three of them were constantly faced with new challenges. Where do you print a ballpoint pen at low cost? Which parts do we use to add which color to the new uniforms? What needs to be considered when an airplane is resprayed? Who can embroider our logo onto the leather of the seat upholstery? Who can produce a miniature model of the new aircraft as a gadget for merchandising as quickly as possible?
In this sense, much of the job was also "learning by doing" and this in a record time of just four months. The successful completion on time for a media conference last week at Belpmoos was only possible "thanks to a very constructive and open collaboration" with the similarly young management team at SkyWork. From the very beginning and throughout the entire development period, the customer showed just as much trust in the ideas of the creative team as they did in the business practices of the airline. "We only signed a joint briefing with order confirmation towards the end. New ideas and tasks were simply added every day." In the meantime, the new advertising agency in Baden, which has not even been formally founded yet, has been rewarded with a two-year contract for SkyWork.
"Your personal way to fly"
Many people have already flown on a SkyWork plane on vacation. Tunisia, Greece and the Balearic Islands have so far been popular destinations with departures from Bern. However, very few passengers are likely to have noticed during their flight who they took off with. This will change in the future. SkyWork is not only expanding with additional aircraft. For the first time in its history, the long-established Bern-based company is now launching a comprehensive marketing campaign with ideas from Maybaum. SkyWork's growth course is to receive an additional boost with the newly launched claim: "Your personal way to fly".
The company owned by the aviation pioneer family Gribi has been operating at Belpmoos for 27 years. During this time, SkyWork Airlines has become the home carrier of the small airport in the Swiss capital. In addition to the local hero, Air France, Lufthansa, Cirrus Airline, Darwin and flyBE also offer flights to Paris, Southampton and Munich, for example. Helvetic will also land in Bern in the summer. SkyWork intends to strengthen its growth strategy in this attractive regional airport environment and will be opening new or competing destinations with Berlin and Hamburg from January 2011. To this end, the frequencies of the existing services to Barcelona, Berlin and Hamburg will be increased. The carrier also intends to continue working with vacation providers as a charter. As a visible sign of the "take-off", a dedicated travel agency will be opened in Berne. All in all, SkyWork intends to create a further 50 new jobs by 2013, with 60 employees to date.
Alex Gribi, the Bernese aviation pioneer and senior partner of SkyWork, has brought additional investors on board for this expansion. As their representative, Daniel Borer has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of SkyWork. As CEO of the holding company, founder's son Nicholas Gribi will also lend wings to the generational change at SkyWork. "We are trying to exceed our customers' expectations," promises the medical and business administration graduate. Tomislav Lang is CEO of the airline division. For him, the new logo, in which the previous nostalgic font has given way to a modern design, is a "departure for new horizons".
Andreas Panzeri
Laurent Ulrich
He presents himself on the Maybaum.ch website as a "communications expert, camera virtuoso, initiator, globetrotter". Ulrich started out in the retail trade and then trained in communications planning at Sawi. Nevertheless, he did not end up in an advertising agency. In 2006, he became self-employed and began his business activities in the field of video production with Alraun in Burgdorf.
Susanne Riegler
The trained polygrapher is the only member of the SkyWork team with a real past in an advertising agency. Riegler has worked in various larger and smaller agencies in Zurich, including Jung von Matt/Limmat. Since April 1 of this year, Riegler has been based at the Creative Center in Baden. As part of the independent mix of creative start-ups concentrated here, she offers "concept, graphics and implementation" as a one-woman show under the name Unikom. The collaboration with office neighbors Alraun and Ulrich has "intensified quite a bit" with the contract for SkyWork.
Michel Alraun
He introduces himself on the Maybaum.ch website as a "master cutter, visionary, fairy godmother, camera connoisseur, bon vivant". Alraun began his professional training with advertising technology at the Bern Trade School. Even earlier, however, he "shot a short film in every spare minute". He was a permanent guest at all kinds of film festivals. His first job was working on a new CI for Migros Genossenschafts-Bund Aare. Michel Alraun became self-employed at the age of 25.
SkyWork at Belpmoos Airport decided this summer to go on the offensive with a new image. The regional airline from Bern wants to present itself as a "modern, flexible and personal airline" on the market in future. SkyWork was aware that the company needed a new, uniform image in order to achieve its goals. Having already had a positive experience with the cinema film, SkyWork asked Maybaum for support once again. Alraun and Ulrich recommended graphic designer Susanne Riegler. She has her own studio right next door to the film people in the "Creative Center" in Baden. In the former premises of the Grey advertising agency, around a dozen different start-ups from the creative sector have now found a shared address with a suitable infrastructure. Ulrich, Riegler and Alraun have not yet decided whether three of them will merge to form a "real" advertising agency following the success of SkyWork. "It is an option."
Because Riegler's new logo was appealing and the newly acquired investors wanted to get started immediately, the management decided to forego another pitch. "Take off in one minute" was the new strategy for SkyWork. Then an uncomplicated management team with aviation pioneer Alex Gribi, son Nicholas and the young managers Daniel Borer and Tomislav Lang pushed all the levers forward.
"Within a month, we developed a dossier with a two-year marketing plan that convinced the Board of Directors and the SkyWork management," Ulrich, Alraun and Riegler summarize the further development. What is needed for a campaign? How can a regional airline advertise throughout Europe even with a small budget? How many resources do we want to use for which target groups?
In the end, the creative trio from Baden presented three possible models "where the client could see exactly what and how much he could expect for his money". Various media plans were drawn up. A concept has now been chosen in which posters will be put up in the Bern region as far as Fribourg and Neuchâtel. In the city of Berne, a bus and a streetcar will feature SkyWork's design. The same buses will be used in Biel, Thun and Emmental. SkyWork will have a regular presence in local cinemas and on Tele Bärn. Megaposters will be put up directly at the airport. Railboards on public transport. The "take-off" for all these print media is scheduled for next spring when flights begin. There will also be guerrilla campaigns, social media and a text message competition. The very broad mandate also includes a motivational brochure for employees as well as various gadgets, from pens with logos to sugar sachets. The many building signage, vehicle lettering, aircraft paintwork, uniforms and a planned in-flight magazine are also complex special jobs. The trio in Baden also designed SkyWork's new website.
The new corporate design in all these measures combines long-standing tradition with dynamism and innovation. "At the same time, different colors in the logo draw attention to the different divisions," explains designer Susanne Riegler. The blue color refers to all of SkyWork's activities, the green color reflects freshness and environmental friendliness - the aircraft are newer in this respect than many of its competitors - and finally, the gold color represents the exclusive and elegant business aviation segment.
On this new basis, an unprecedented marketing campaign is being implemented for SkyWork, which includes a new claim: "Your personal way to fly" in addition to the livery and refurbishment of the aircraft.
A "dream job" for the Ulrich, Riegler, Alraun team, where the three of them were constantly faced with new challenges. Where do you print a ballpoint pen at low cost? Which parts do we use to add which color to the new uniforms? What needs to be considered when an airplane is resprayed? Who can embroider our logo onto the leather of the seat upholstery? Who can produce a miniature model of the new aircraft as a gadget for merchandising as quickly as possible?
In this sense, much of the job was also "learning by doing" and this in a record time of just four months. The successful completion on time for a media conference last week at Belpmoos was only possible "thanks to a very constructive and open collaboration" with the similarly young management team at SkyWork. From the very beginning and throughout the entire development period, the customer showed just as much trust in the ideas of the creative team as they did in the business practices of the airline. "We only signed a joint briefing with order confirmation towards the end. New ideas and tasks were simply added every day." In the meantime, the new advertising agency in Baden, which has not even been formally founded yet, has been rewarded with a two-year contract for SkyWork.
"Your personal way to fly"
Many people have already flown on a SkyWork plane on vacation. Tunisia, Greece and the Balearic Islands have so far been popular destinations with departures from Bern. However, very few passengers are likely to have noticed during their flight who they took off with. This will change in the future. SkyWork is not only expanding with additional aircraft. For the first time in its history, the long-established Bern-based company is now launching a comprehensive marketing campaign with ideas from Maybaum. SkyWork's growth course is to receive an additional boost with the newly launched claim: "Your personal way to fly".
The company owned by the aviation pioneer family Gribi has been operating at Belpmoos for 27 years. During this time, SkyWork Airlines has become the home carrier of the small airport in the Swiss capital. In addition to the local hero, Air France, Lufthansa, Cirrus Airline, Darwin and flyBE also offer flights to Paris, Southampton and Munich, for example. Helvetic will also land in Bern in the summer. SkyWork intends to strengthen its growth strategy in this attractive regional airport environment and will be opening new or competing destinations with Berlin and Hamburg from January 2011. To this end, the frequencies of the existing services to Barcelona, Berlin and Hamburg will be increased. The carrier also intends to continue working with vacation providers as a charter. As a visible sign of the "take-off", a dedicated travel agency will be opened in Berne. All in all, SkyWork intends to create a further 50 new jobs by 2013, with 60 employees to date.
Alex Gribi, the Bernese aviation pioneer and senior partner of SkyWork, has brought additional investors on board for this expansion. As their representative, Daniel Borer has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of SkyWork. As CEO of the holding company, founder's son Nicholas Gribi will also lend wings to the generational change at SkyWork. "We are trying to exceed our customers' expectations," promises the medical and business administration graduate. Tomislav Lang is CEO of the airline division. For him, the new logo, in which the previous nostalgic font has given way to a modern design, is a "departure for new horizons".
Andreas Panzeri
Laurent Ulrich
He presents himself on the Maybaum.ch website as a "communications expert, camera virtuoso, initiator, globetrotter". Ulrich started out in the retail trade and then trained in communications planning at Sawi. Nevertheless, he did not end up in an advertising agency. In 2006, he became self-employed and began his business activities in the field of video production with Alraun in Burgdorf.
Susanne Riegler
The trained polygrapher is the only member of the SkyWork team with a real past in an advertising agency. Riegler has worked in various larger and smaller agencies in Zurich, including Jung von Matt/Limmat. Since April 1 of this year, Riegler has been based at the Creative Center in Baden. As part of the independent mix of creative start-ups concentrated here, she offers "concept, graphics and implementation" as a one-woman show under the name Unikom. The collaboration with office neighbors Alraun and Ulrich has "intensified quite a bit" with the contract for SkyWork.
Michel Alraun
He introduces himself on the Maybaum.ch website as a "master cutter, visionary, fairy godmother, camera connoisseur, bon vivant". Alraun began his professional training with advertising technology at the Bern Trade School. Even earlier, however, he "shot a short film in every spare minute". He was a permanent guest at all kinds of film festivals. His first job was working on a new CI for Migros Genossenschafts-Bund Aare. Michel Alraun became self-employed at the age of 25.
