"We don't need advertising agencies"
Nicolas G. Hayek is awarded "Advertiser of the year" at the International Advertising Festival in Cannes
Nicolas G. Hayek is awarded "Advertiser of the year" at the International Advertising Festival in CannesThe "Advertiser of the year" award is presented in Cannes to Nicolas G. Hayek for Swatch's innovative product development and creative advertising. At the presentation of Swatch's 2004 Olympic commitment in Athens, WerbeWoche interviewed Nicolas G. Hayek, Nick Hayek junior and Swatch President Michele Sofisti about the secret of Swatch advertising. The "Advertiser of the year" in Cannes is considered to have the best advertising of all global players. Why does this award go to you, of all people, and therefore to advertising for Swatch?
Nicolas G. Hayek: Because we are very close to the people. We have a dynamic message that we convey ourselves. This message is understandable for everyone, provocative and truthful.
As Chairman and CEO, to what extent do you take care of the advertising concepts yourself?
N. G. Hayek: A lot. One hundred percent at our prestige brand Breguet, fifty percent at Swatch and around seventy percent at Omega. I am just as involved in product design as I am in technical product design and, of course, in advertising.
What makes the everyday watch a lifestyle product?
N. G. Hayek: Watches are like paintings, sculptures and music: watches are art. When you look at the Breguet on my wrist, it's a work of art like a Picasso. It also costs a similar amount. Watches are emotional consumer goods and not normal objects. And as a watch manufacturer, you have to communicate that.
What is so special about Swatch advertising that your father was awarded international "Advertiser of the year" in Cannes?
Nick Hayek junior: Because we are not advertisers, but because we have a real message, and because we always do extraordinary and innovative things - without advertising agencies.
Everything in-house?
N. Hayek jr.: Yes, everything in-house. The entire concept for this event here in Athens or the recent proclamation of the 27th canton on Star TV as part of Expo.02 were developed in-house. We don't need advertising agencies.
So advertising agencies are too bad for you as suppliers of ideas?
N. Hayek jr.: Not at all. Advertising agencies are good. It's just that many of them don't help a company to develop its message, but have their own interests. The advertising agency wants to market itself first - and only then the client. Of course, we also work with advertising agencies at an advanced stage of a project. But the advertising agencies are not the ones who tell us what is important for Swatch. We only engage them for specific tasks.
How big is your internal team?
N. Hayek jr.: Initially, it could be five people, then all the specialists in the countries that will later be involved in the campaign will be included. In the end, we might be a team of 20 to 30 creative people.
In Athens, you are now working with the connection between sport and art. What is the message here?
N. Hayek jr.: Art can move and touch people. Sport does the same. In sport, we see performances by individuals and teams that inspire and inspire people all over the world. If we now bring art to the people, the effect is the same. People are inspired and drawn into the event.
The event runs under the name "Kaleidoscope". What does this name mean?
N. Hayek jr.: It's more a connection to Swatch than to Athens. In other words, you can look at something from different angles. The 150 invited artists and personalities such as Peter Fonda, Vivienne Westwood, Claude Nobs, No Angels and many international sports stars had to transform sports equipment into works of art with the help of various components from our watches.
Is Athens the biggest event in this style so far?
N. Hayek jr.: No, Athens is in line with other events. We launched Internet Time on a glacier. In Sicily, we once presented our Olympic commitment with horse racing in the style of "Ben Hur". We were at the Château de Versailles with our luxury brand Breguet. Swatch always looks for unusual locations for its events.
How much does the Swatch sponsorship of the Athens Olympics cost?
N. Hayek jr.: It's a give and take. Swatch works on two levels here. With Swiss Timing, we supply the data for official timekeeping. That is a contract. We have a contract as timekeeper and data trader until 2010 and are responsible for the official timekeeping for Athens, Turin in winter 2006 and the Summer Games in Beijing in 2008, as well as for the yet to be determined winter city in 2010. We are paid for this. At the same time, we are making a sponsorship contribution with Swatch. But this will also pay off, because in return we can sell Swatch watches specially developed for Athens worldwide.
You won the pitch against the Japanese competition.
N. Hayek jr.: Switzerland has long been responsible for official timekeeping. In addition, there is no other brand that can guarantee the perfect functioning of timekeeping and at the same time offer a marketing concept around it that appeals to people.
Your Olympic ambassador will be Carl Lewis. What do you expect from the nine-time Olympic gold medal winner and fastest man in the world to date?
N. Hayek jr: Carl Lewis is the ideal ambassador for us. He conveys the message because he is an exceptional sportsman who has triggered a great deal of emotion and positive provocation. He is also a man who has always paid attention to design and style. He stands out. He is not only our figurehead, but is also involved in the design and styling of events. He will also be involved in timekeeping as an expert. We have been working with him since 1984. His club in Los Angeles tests our facilities during training and gives us feedback for further development. So Carl Lewis isn't just coming to sign autographs.
When will you sign your first autograph as CEO of the Swatch Group?
N. Hayek jr.: Titles are not important to us. But I will probably take over as CEO on January 1, 2003.
Many companies around the world sell everyday watches - but only Swatch has the image of a lifestyle accessory. Nicolas G. Hayek didn't want to tell us: What is the secret of this branding, Mr. Sofisti?
Michele Sofisti: The secret is emotion and a lot of creativity. This has been the case since the first day of Swatch and will always be the case. In addition to the watches, we give our customers certain emotions and colors that they can be happy about. We want to get straight into people's hearts with our watches and with everything we do.
Swatch organizes such events in-house, without external advertising agencies. What do you personally think of this do-it-yourself concept?
Sofisti: Everyone who works at Swatch is a collector of our watches or at least very passionate about them. So it's a pleasure for our staff when we organize a meeting where everyone can participate with their skills. The whole idea for this event here in Athens was born and grew within us, and for something like this, I believe - without being arrogant - that you can work internally at least on the same level as an advertising agency. We have the passion and the heart for our product. We also work in direct contact with Nick Hayek senior and junior. I don't think there are more creative people to work with in an agency.
How much of Swatch is emotion and image in relation to the pure material of the watch?
Sofisti: I believe that emotion is the main thing. The emotion through the product. You can work with advertising from this point. But the emotion remains the main thing. Interview: Andreas Panzeri
Nicolas G. Hayek: Because we are very close to the people. We have a dynamic message that we convey ourselves. This message is understandable for everyone, provocative and truthful.
As Chairman and CEO, to what extent do you take care of the advertising concepts yourself?
N. G. Hayek: A lot. One hundred percent at our prestige brand Breguet, fifty percent at Swatch and around seventy percent at Omega. I am just as involved in product design as I am in technical product design and, of course, in advertising.
What makes the everyday watch a lifestyle product?
N. G. Hayek: Watches are like paintings, sculptures and music: watches are art. When you look at the Breguet on my wrist, it's a work of art like a Picasso. It also costs a similar amount. Watches are emotional consumer goods and not normal objects. And as a watch manufacturer, you have to communicate that.
What is so special about Swatch advertising that your father was awarded international "Advertiser of the year" in Cannes?
Nick Hayek junior: Because we are not advertisers, but because we have a real message, and because we always do extraordinary and innovative things - without advertising agencies.
Everything in-house?
N. Hayek jr.: Yes, everything in-house. The entire concept for this event here in Athens or the recent proclamation of the 27th canton on Star TV as part of Expo.02 were developed in-house. We don't need advertising agencies.
So advertising agencies are too bad for you as suppliers of ideas?
N. Hayek jr.: Not at all. Advertising agencies are good. It's just that many of them don't help a company to develop its message, but have their own interests. The advertising agency wants to market itself first - and only then the client. Of course, we also work with advertising agencies at an advanced stage of a project. But the advertising agencies are not the ones who tell us what is important for Swatch. We only engage them for specific tasks.
How big is your internal team?
N. Hayek jr.: Initially, it could be five people, then all the specialists in the countries that will later be involved in the campaign will be included. In the end, we might be a team of 20 to 30 creative people.
In Athens, you are now working with the connection between sport and art. What is the message here?
N. Hayek jr.: Art can move and touch people. Sport does the same. In sport, we see performances by individuals and teams that inspire and inspire people all over the world. If we now bring art to the people, the effect is the same. People are inspired and drawn into the event.
The event runs under the name "Kaleidoscope". What does this name mean?
N. Hayek jr.: It's more a connection to Swatch than to Athens. In other words, you can look at something from different angles. The 150 invited artists and personalities such as Peter Fonda, Vivienne Westwood, Claude Nobs, No Angels and many international sports stars had to transform sports equipment into works of art with the help of various components from our watches.
Is Athens the biggest event in this style so far?
N. Hayek jr.: No, Athens is in line with other events. We launched Internet Time on a glacier. In Sicily, we once presented our Olympic commitment with horse racing in the style of "Ben Hur". We were at the Château de Versailles with our luxury brand Breguet. Swatch always looks for unusual locations for its events.
How much does the Swatch sponsorship of the Athens Olympics cost?
N. Hayek jr.: It's a give and take. Swatch works on two levels here. With Swiss Timing, we supply the data for official timekeeping. That is a contract. We have a contract as timekeeper and data trader until 2010 and are responsible for the official timekeeping for Athens, Turin in winter 2006 and the Summer Games in Beijing in 2008, as well as for the yet to be determined winter city in 2010. We are paid for this. At the same time, we are making a sponsorship contribution with Swatch. But this will also pay off, because in return we can sell Swatch watches specially developed for Athens worldwide.
You won the pitch against the Japanese competition.
N. Hayek jr.: Switzerland has long been responsible for official timekeeping. In addition, there is no other brand that can guarantee the perfect functioning of timekeeping and at the same time offer a marketing concept around it that appeals to people.
Your Olympic ambassador will be Carl Lewis. What do you expect from the nine-time Olympic gold medal winner and fastest man in the world to date?
N. Hayek jr: Carl Lewis is the ideal ambassador for us. He conveys the message because he is an exceptional sportsman who has triggered a great deal of emotion and positive provocation. He is also a man who has always paid attention to design and style. He stands out. He is not only our figurehead, but is also involved in the design and styling of events. He will also be involved in timekeeping as an expert. We have been working with him since 1984. His club in Los Angeles tests our facilities during training and gives us feedback for further development. So Carl Lewis isn't just coming to sign autographs.
When will you sign your first autograph as CEO of the Swatch Group?
N. Hayek jr.: Titles are not important to us. But I will probably take over as CEO on January 1, 2003.
Many companies around the world sell everyday watches - but only Swatch has the image of a lifestyle accessory. Nicolas G. Hayek didn't want to tell us: What is the secret of this branding, Mr. Sofisti?
Michele Sofisti: The secret is emotion and a lot of creativity. This has been the case since the first day of Swatch and will always be the case. In addition to the watches, we give our customers certain emotions and colors that they can be happy about. We want to get straight into people's hearts with our watches and with everything we do.
Swatch organizes such events in-house, without external advertising agencies. What do you personally think of this do-it-yourself concept?
Sofisti: Everyone who works at Swatch is a collector of our watches or at least very passionate about them. So it's a pleasure for our staff when we organize a meeting where everyone can participate with their skills. The whole idea for this event here in Athens was born and grew within us, and for something like this, I believe - without being arrogant - that you can work internally at least on the same level as an advertising agency. We have the passion and the heart for our product. We also work in direct contact with Nick Hayek senior and junior. I don't think there are more creative people to work with in an agency.
How much of Swatch is emotion and image in relation to the pure material of the watch?
Sofisti: I believe that emotion is the main thing. The emotion through the product. You can work with advertising from this point. But the emotion remains the main thing. Interview: Andreas Panzeri
