Laax was to be positioned as an experience-oriented, innovative meeting and event destination in the Alps with an urban flair. The Chur agency Yes Creative Digital Marketing designed an attention-grabbing campaign that precisely meets the tastes of the target group, is adaptable and, above all, works in the long term.

"Laax made our day"

With a mix of visually strong and emotionally charged design and accurate punchlines, the campaign aims to convey the unmistakable Laax feeling. A place where meetings become experiences and new ideas arise from new perspectives. The message: "In Laax you'll find the perfect setting for ideas to take flight. Because different views inspire new perspectives."

"Where ideas take flight"

All headlines from "Get Down To Business." to "Laax made our day." are designed to put themselves in the perspective of the target group and their needs. Targeted print and digital measures create a strong presence in the public space and ensure maximum attention and reach.

Responsible at Yes: Corina Calonder (project management, concept), Dominik Kurmann (art direction).

The Grisons vacation region of Flims Laax Falera is changing its brand identity after almost 20 years. While the destination in the Surselva region previously operated under the two brands "Flims" and "Laax", it is now only called "Flims Laax".

"The two brands are thus following the perception that guests have long taken for granted: Flims Laax is one destination," the tourism organization of the three vacation villages announced on Monday. Together, the two brands are stronger than each on its own. With the one-brand strategy, the vacation region wants to position itself as a year-round destination. The new destination brand should not only have a touristic effect, but also establish the region as an attractive and modern place to live and work.

Return to single-brand strategy

However, the tourism organization is not reinventing the wheel with its single-brand strategy. Until 2005, the vacation region operated under the "Alpenarena" brand. However, marketing studies showed that the name could neither be positioned as a brand nor sufficiently publicized.

It also became apparent at the time that the guests in summer were not the same as those in winter. As a result, the region switched to two brands. The winter offer was positioned under the "Laax" brand. "Flims" became the collective name for vacations and leisure in summer. (sda)

Anyone who has been to Laax once longs for it again and again. Director Alexander Tank has turned this feeling into a film with the production Schau. He tells the story of a young couple that can hardly wait to meet again in Laax - to party, dance, ski through the snow or climb over the rocks. In short: to be able to experience unique moments in Laax again and again.
Mona and Mateo have formulated this feeling in a campaign motto: "Every second Laax". This motto forms the platform for the campaign, which takes the film as its basis and translates it into advertising material. Because longing is a big thing - but one that can be wonderfully told in short moments.

Focus on individual seconds

Thus, the campaign does not show the big events, but the individual seconds that make Laax unique: seconds on the slopes, seconds on the dance floor, seconds on the hiking trail - "Every second Laax" in fact. With this message, the campaign aims to convey the intensity of the resort in a short form.

Added to this are graphic elements that can be used flexibly - and perfectly link message, vacation destination and film. In this way, every advertising medium in the campaign is intended to become a declaration of longing for Laax. The campaign has been in use on social media, digitally out of home, and in cinemas since December 22.

Responsible at Laax: Eliane Bernasocchi-Volken, Isabel Rester, Dominik Baumgartner, Mathias Wittwer. Responsible with Mona and Mateo: Nicole Waldis, Hannah Mey, Tabea Ott, Otis Horiuchi, Mona Fluri, Mateo Sacchetti. Responsible for show: Anne Sommer, Elia Mannhart, Jeremy Marugan, Constantin Popp, Manuel Sieber. Director: Alexander Tank, DoP: Fabio Tozzo.

"Spar is proud to be a part of the prestigious Swiss Epic," said Gary Alberts, Chief Operating Officer of Spar Switzerland. "Like Spar, the Swiss Epic strives to bring families and friends together while promoting an active and healthy lifestyle. We look forward to working closely with the Swiss Epic team to make our dream a reality. To further establish the Spar Swiss Epic as one of the world's largest and most sought-after mountain bike events."

"We are excited about the possibilities that the partnership with Spar brings," Felix Eichenberger, managing director of the event, elaborates. "It is safe to say that Spar's sponsorship will take the food stations on the course to a whole new level. With more than 250 SPAR stores throughout Switzerland, the strong presence of the retailer Spar will also help to increase the visibility of the "Spar Swiss Epic" beyond mountain biking circles," Eichenberger added. "Graubünden and the venues - Davos, St. Moritz, Lenzerheide, Laax, Arosa - will continue to play a crucial role in the success of the Spar Swiss Epic," Eichenberger emphasizes.

The SPAR Swiss Epic is part of the global Epic Series - a mountain bike series with first-class stage races, which also includes the Cape Epic in South Africa. Over the course of five days, 400 teams of two - ranging from professionals to passionate recreational mountain bikers - will take to the trails in Graubünden. This year's edition will take place from August 16 to 20, 2022, and will run from Arosa via Laax to Davos. The teams will cover 363 kilometers and climb 11,650 meters in altitude.

For the first time, an OOH campaign in an alpine area relies entirely on environmentally friendly materials such as textile mesh or PVC-free films.

Skiing, snowboarding, freestyling, sledding, snowshoeing or hiking: Laax wants to position itself as an innovative and dynamic tourist destination that appeals to a colorful mix of visitors from Switzerland and abroad. The aim is to create ideal conditions to showcase the most famous pilot's watch from Schaffhausen - since last year also available with an ergonomic case diameter of 43 millimeters. Already at the valley station near the Rocksresort, a billboard sets the mood for the motto "Time to Fly". Several gondolas, the underside of the aerial tramway and a complete ski lift mountain station at Crap Sogn Gion were also covered with various Big Pilot motifs. The gigantic billboard with spectacular 3-D effect in Plaun is also not to be overlooked.

"Both IWC Schaffhausen and Laax are highly committed and passionate about sustainability. I am therefore particularly pleased that we are consistently using innovative and environmentally friendly materials for the big Big Pilot campaign in Laax - bringing our iconic pilot's watch to the Swiss Alps in a particularly sustainable way," explains Franziska Gsell, CMO of IWC Schaffhausen and Chair of the brand's Sustainability Committee.

For the first time, an OoH campaign in an alpine area was realized entirely with PVC-free materials. A resource-saving textile mesh is used for the outdoor billboards. This Ecotex® fabric is free of heavy metals, phthalates, plasticizers and isocyanate-containing compounds. The gondolas and the ski lift station were covered with a special film that contains neither PVC nor phthalates and is printed with environmentally friendly latex ink. The complete installation of the campaign is coordinated by the Alpdest agency.

Consistent focus on sustainability

The Weisse Arena Flims Laax Falera has set itself the goal of becoming the world's first self-sufficient alpine destination. In the future, the entire energy demand is to be covered by regionally produced and 100 percent renewable energy. With an ambitious seven-point plan, the region wants to complete the transformation from energy consumer to energy producer. The cornerstones for this were drawn up by the Greenstyle Foundation. This comprehensive sustainability initiative is also the reason why Laax has very strict environmental protection requirements. All projects in the region must reflect the Greenstyle philosophy.

But sustainability is also essential for IWC Schaffhausen. A mechanical watch lasts for generations and is therefore an inherently sustainable product. However, IWC aims to manufacture its watches as responsibly as possible - for example, by minimizing the impact of its business on the environment and sourcing raw materials responsibly. For example, the company now sources only renewable energy worldwide. IWC has also introduced a new packaging concept with a reusable travel case. In 2020, the company published its second sustainability report in accordance with GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) standards. It defines nine targets that IWC aims to achieve by 2022.

The appearance of the "Senda dil Dragun" was integrated into the image of the Laax brand and given an independent character through a clear visual language. In the launch campaign, a bridge was created between the longest trail and the experience for the whole family. This bridge was implemented via image, moving image, text, format and implementation forms.

The campaign was seen on posters, advertisements and various digital channels.

How do you communicate with the young freestyle scene and appeal to adults and families alike? How do you position a winter sports area that, with Rocksresort and Riders Palace, also has a lot to offer before and after a day in the snow?

Since the 2012/2013 season, the Zurich agency Rod Kommunikation has been responsible as lead agency for the positioning and thus the branding and communication of the Grisons winter sports resort Laax. Under the claim "Happy Up", which was successfully introduced a year ago, the image campaign of what is probably Switzerland's most varied and innovative winter sports destination with 235 kilometers of pistes is now appearing. The integrated campaign, consisting of cinema spot, mega posters and billboards, digital advertising media as well as ads not only differentiates the concise promise, but also breaks with the common clichés of destination advertising with its black and white look.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=evn2YEdXPB8

The online store for day lift tickets created by Unic boasts a clear design that is reduced to the essentials. Thanks to the user-friendly structure, based on flight booking websites, navigation is extremely simple, according to a press release. Customers can save as many key cards as they like and enter their payment details for quick booking.

Laax+ offers added value for both customers and the winter sports region. "With Laax+, we have created a unique sales solution and can offer our guests attractive offers at short notice. This gives us the opportunity to actively influence demand," explains Andreas Bärtsch, member of the Weisse Arena Group Executive Board responsible for marketing and sales.

This is done by means of three to four posters per business, on which a recipe is presented very briefly. The very different recipes address all target groups - at the same time, the culinary diversity of the region is emphasized. Further information, for example on the location of the restaurant, can be obtained by the lift user directly via cell phone using M.laax.com request

Responsible at Weisse Arena Group: Andreas Bärtsch (Executive Board, Marketing and Sales), Tobias Treichler (Marketing and Communications). Responsible at four. Advertising agency: Björn Brinkmann, Philipp Sträuli (CD), Sandra Genge, Manon Gesess (consulting), Claudio Hagmann (DTP). Photography: Gaudenz Danuser.

(The first three pictures are not in the right order due to technical problems)