For more than eight years, I have been living in a war-torn country. In 2014, russia* invaded and illegally annexed Crimea and started a hybrid war in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Our country was really weak after the "Revolution of Dignity" back then. For a few weeks there was a turbulent situation in the East and South of Ukraine and russia used it to push further with its sneaky imperialistic purposes. For me as a Ukrainian it's very important to talk about that, because many people around the world think that this war has started only February 24th, 2022. But actually, we are experiencing the second part of this war now.

The situation was really tense for about two months before February 24th. Reading the news was the first thing I did every morning when I woke up. Many people were expecting the worst - and then, it happened.

I'll never forget the call from my mother on the day of the attack; I will never forget her words: "Wake up! russia has declared war, there are explosions all around Ukraine." It was crazy! I opened the window and heard the air raid sirens in my city. To say that me and my wife were in a panic would be much more than an understatement. I recall the first three days when there was chaos everywhere. Some of my friends went to the Polish border in order to move their families to safety, others signed up for the territorial defense forces or the army. The stores were crowded, the lines to the gas stations and ATMs were huge.

On the third day, however, I suddenly felt that my mind calmed down a bit and the process of adaptation to the new reality started. A lot of people became volunteers. My friends and I joined as well: We help our army and refugees by providing them with different supplies, from food to body armor and cars. I live in Lviv in the very West of Ukraine, and the city has become a center of refuge and - at least a certain - safety for the rest of the country. Despite that, russia fired powerful missile strikes on Lviv too, so there's no fully safe place in Ukraine now. But there is a strong feeling of unity, as all the citizens of Ukraine are working as one towards a common goal: We want freedom and victory! Everyone feels his contribution to this fight. That's why russia has already lost the deplorable war that it has started.

As a Ukrainian, I'm very grateful to all the countries that stand in solidarity in our fight and support my motherland. For many years I've worked as a commercial illustrator and graphic designer with a lot of companies from all over the world. I can safely say that there are many very creative and talented people in my country who perform at a qualitatively high level. I also know a lot of people who are great musicians, artists and talents from the production industry. The Ukrainian creative market is young, but truly open-minded, free and courageous. Now is a great opportunity for the Swiss market to start cooperating with Ukrainian artists; not just because we need your support, but also because we can provide a breath of fresh air and a new vision. I truly believe in the creative industry of Ukraine! Because, as I said before, there are a lot of talented and motivated people. I could even say it's in our genetic code.

Ukraine will never give up! Switzerland, stand by Ukraine! Slava Ukrajini!

m&k: Sascha Heiniger, Polestar is an exciting brand. In your own words: What does your brand stand for, what values are associated with it?

Sascha Heiniger: We are the new Swedish brand for all-electric, dynamic vehicles. We have a strong focus on design and sustainability. As a brand, we want to make a decisive contribution to improving our society by accelerating the shift towards electric and climate-neutral mobility.

What sets Polestar apart from its market competitors?

We are still a young automotive brand with a clear focus on all-electric vehicles. And as such, we don't carry a backpack from the past with us. For example, we don't have to promote combustion engine and electric models at the same time. This makes us much more consistent and also more credible in our appearance. I am convinced that this consistency is also very important to many of our customers.

You want to build the world's first climate-neutral car by 2030. What challenges are associated with this?

A climate-neutral car is the only logical next step. Simply installing an electric motor is not enough. The real goal must be to eliminate CO2 emissions from production through operation to recycling of the vehicle. That is of course a huge challenge, because for us it also means that we have to trace back all the supply chains and produce them in a climate-neutral way. Because by climate-neutral, we don't mean CO2 compensation, but a set-up in which no CO2 emissions are produced. For example, factories and transports operated with green energy or the use of recyclable materials.

What is your vision of "mobility in the future"?

Future mobility will be much more sustainable and flexible. We will choose the appropriate means of transportation for each situation even more consciously - be it the car, other individual means of transportation or public transport. I think that personal ownership of vehicles will still play a role, but in urban centers new car-sharing-based offerings will grow.

With which campaigns will Polestar make a name for itself in Switzerland in the future?

We have just opened our first Polestar Space in Zurich and the first Polestar Destination in Geneva. In addition to our exclusively online sales model, a physical presence is very important to us: people should also be able to drive our vehicles and experience them live. With our "2 on Tour" concept, we are also offering test drives of the Polestar 2 at various locations throughout Switzerland. In our communication, we want to continue to challenge entrenched opinions and structures. And finally, in the second half of the year, we look forward to introducing the Polestar 3, our performance SUV.

This interview first appeared in the m&k print edition 5/2022.

SDV: Thomas, in your opinion, has the handling of data become more important in today's dialog marketing than creative solutions in implementation?

Thomas Engeli: Neither. A smart approach to data can lead to a creative solution. And a creative solution can lead to better data. Ultimately, the discussion about the elements of a good idea is irrelevant. What is important is a clearly formulated goal of what a measure should achieve. Then you can join forces to knit a procedure that best guarantees the achievement of this goal on the one hand and provides insights for future measures on the other. And one more thing: nothing is misinterpreted as often in our industry as the word "creative".

You are jury president in Switzerland and on the MAX jury in Germany. How do these two dialog marketing competitions differ?

Actually, the competitions are not that different. The judging process is slightly different. At the end of the day, people from agencies and clients discuss the quality of the work submitted for both the MAX and the SDV-DM Award. At the MAX, however, the public decides the winners by voting. Here in Switzerland, the jury makes all the decisions. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages that can be discussed at length. I would tend to say - and I say this very cautiously - that a public vote tends to push emotionally oriented works to the front rather than works with a clear commercial focus.

What have the two years of the pandemic done to the way we approach customers in the DM? Are there now more physical campaigns or does everything now only take place in multichannel?

A lot has changed. Mainly because our living conditions have changed. If you want to look at it soberly, you can say that the pandemic has proven that the most valuable characteristic of the Homo sapiens species is its ability to adapt. This has played a role in all areas of life, including our overall modest corner. There is no one-size-fits-all solution in communication, even if this is repeatedly suggested. A great deal of confusion is created, especially under the label of "digitalization". Today, no company can survive without a multichannel approach. The mix of what this consists of, or how much of it is analog and how much is digital, is the magic mix that needs to be developed and continuously adapted for every company and every goal.

"Creative solutions are those that make a difference for the customer on the market. How and through which channels this happens is ultimately irrelevant."

The judging - an interactive interaction

The popularity and relevance of the DM Awards is reflected, among other things, in the fact that this year, compared to 2021, a total of 40% more entries were submitted in the eight media categories, the four special categories and the seven industry categories. A truly pleasing development. On March 31, 2022, the 22-member jury met in the inspiring premises of the 25hours Hotel in the heart of Zurich's Kreis 4 district. For the first time, the diverse jury consisted equally of representatives from agencies/clients, women/men and creatives/data specialists. A combination that proved its worth - and was also a lot of fun. The idea, degree of novelty, creation and inclusion of data were assessed for each piece of work, first individually and then together in plenary. What was not always easy and was the subject of lively discussion and scrutiny: the responses and results of the dialog work and campaigns. After all, successful dialog marketing must inevitably trigger action and activate the people and target groups addressed.

Thanks to a structured process, intensive and exciting discussions took place within the jury, during which the favorites gradually emerged. These favorites then found their way onto the shortlist, which can be found at sdv-award.ch. All of the entries will also be on display at the Award Night on June 30, 2022, so that visitors can see them for themselves. The award ceremony will be the grand finale. It will be interesting to see who makes it onto the podium after the jury's further and more in-depth assessment discussions and takes home one of the trophies.

The Award Night 2022 will take place on June 30 at the MAAG Halle Zurich. You can look forward to a lavish celebration with an awards ceremony, dinner and party - and to the proud winners. All shortlisted works can also be viewed and judged: Who deserves your personal prize?

Thomas Engeli is Executive Creative Director and Partner at Ammarkt St. Gallen. He is a member of ADC Switzerland and has extensive national and international experience as a juror, including in Cannes and at Eurobest. In addition to his position as jury president for the SDV Award, he is currently also a member of the jury for the MAX Award in Germany.