Neue Luzerner Zeitung becomes Luzerner Zeitung
After a project phase lasting one and a half years, the time has finally come: All of the NZZ Media Group’s regional publications are now being published with a redesigned layout. Central Switzerland’s largest newspaper is also now called the Luzerner Zeitung. The word «Neue» has been dropped from the name. A new marketing campaign is also being launched at the same time.
The newspaper that has long been popularly known as Luzerner Zeitung or LZ is now officially adapting its name. On Monday, September 19, it will appear - like the regional editions Zuger Zeitung, Nidwaldner Zeitung, Obwaldner Zeitung and Urner Zeitung - in a revised layout, with a new name and logo in the newspaper header. Sven Gallinelli, layout project manager and visual page designer at LZ Medien, explains: "A layout is like a person: Getting older doesn't pass you by without leaving a trace. Our previous appearance is 20 years old. It was time to fundamentally overhaul the look of our newspaper titles."
Joint layout of regional titles in Central and Eastern Switzerland
The new layout was developed by those responsible for the project at LZ Medien together with colleagues from Tagblatt Medien and the Bodara agency, which specializes in editorial design. "Our adapted layout is calmer. It relies on strong typography and gives more weight to the text, the core of our work. At the same time, it creates space for visual information transfer," explains Jürg Weber, Head of Regional Media at the NZZ Media Group.
The St. Galler Tagblatt, the Thurgauer Zeitung, the Appenzeller Zeitung, the Wiler Zeitung, the Toggenburger Tagblatt, the Werdenberger & Obertoggenburger and the Rheintaler are already appearing today in a refreshed layout. The Sunday titles Ostschweiz am Sonntag and Zentralschweiz am Sonntag will follow on September 18 and 25 respectively.
The revised layout corresponds to the changed reading needs. The project team conducted various reader surveys and tested different layout variants. The content of the newspaper titles remains unchanged for the time being. Pascal Hollenstein, Head of Journalism Regional Media: "The regional titles in Central and Eastern Switzerland will cooperate more closely in the national section in the future. The joint layout is an important step in facilitating this cooperation."
New brand identity
Simultaneously with the relaunch of the newspaper titles in Central and Eastern Switzerland, the regional titles of the NZZ Media Group are launching a new joint marketing campaign. The campaign idea dramatizes the consequence of a lack of information. This is done by means of a surprisingly bold and direct statement by a testimonial.
The editors-in-chief of the Luzerner Zeitung and the Zuger Zeitung and the editorial managers of the regional editions, together with the CEO of the NZZ Media Group, Veit Dengler, as well as Jürg Weber and Pascal Hollenstein, will distribute the newly launched newspaper in various squares and train stations in Central Switzerland on Monday, September 19.
