700-page declaration of love to Zurich

Zurich fans will love this book. Designed down to the smallest detail, it is a pleasure to leaf through the 1.3 kilo ham. The three different colored ribbons are decorated with colorful stickers. The large pop art pictures by artist Gergana Rohner show sights in a new light. They take up as much space as the concise texts and tips about Switzerland's secret capital.

As colorful as the city of Zurich is the Zurich Insider Guide both inside and out. In addition to informative texts, QR codes provide further links.

Anyone expecting to be a comprehensive Zurich expert after reading this book will be disappointed. There are not much more than four tips for going out in each district. Much is described on the surface. The Zurich Insider Guide but also not be. Rather, the colorful book is a lifestyle piece, an eye-catcher on the bookshelf and, above all, a source of inspiration. Newcomers to Zurich will get an impression of how diverse the city is, where only 360,000 souls live. For Zurich natives, the book encourages them to get off the couch and discover the city they live in. Be it to enjoy the end of the working day in a new pub, to visit a different flea market than usual or to discover the street art in the city with friends, which invests a million francs every year to completely remove illegal graffiti.

Readers will be delighted to find anecdotes about Zurich as well as recommended addresses in the sections "Art, culture and museums", "Beauty, spa and fitness" and "Shopping, eating and drinking". As a Zurich resident, you will already know many of the places, but certainly not all of them. And one or two of the background stories will certainly be new to you.

When print and digital complement each other

But the combination of print and online is particularly exciting. 300 QR codes in the book link to the web, for example to current ship timetables or theater programs. A small test of the Advertising Week shows, however, that there is still room for improvement in the implementation of this good idea.

For example, a link leads to an archive from 2012 instead of the desired current theater program and, at least for the time being, quite a few links display the message "We are still working on this and you will find the content you are looking for shortly". The codes that can be used to open podcasts, music and films are a welcome addition. The codes that link to a PDF with text and images, on the other hand, are well-intentioned as a supplement to the book and the content is certainly exciting, but could certainly be implemented in a technically more attractive way. So there is still a little room for improvement when it comes to digital.

In the end, however, the book is fun, a great gift idea for all Zurich lovers and the price of 39.90 is quickly recouped thanks to the many 2-for-1 vouchers. Not to forget: Publishers are complaining about slumping sales. The Basler Stadtbuch, for example, will only be available virtually from this year. Editor Peter Bührer was actually unable to find a publisher for his elaborate book project. And yet the former master chef and current communications expert believes in his self-publishing strategy. After all, his successful city guide My New York City known. So he knows how it can work.

Like the other images in the book, the advertisements are designed in a pop art style. The mixing of advertising and content is borderline, but on the other hand the book appears coherent despite the advertising.

How Peter Bühler started the big book project Zurich Insider Guide Bührer reveals in the current print issue of Werbewoche 10 from June 2, 2017 why he is financing the project himself, how he is approaching distribution and how he wants to turn "Zürich Welcome Home" into a brand for much more than just books. Advertising Week have not yet subscribed, you can do this here and order a trial subscription. (aks)