The buzz surrounding the creator economy has long since taken center stage in Switzerland’s media and business worlds. Just recently, at the Zurich Film Festival, it became clear how platforms like TikTok are completely reinventing the red carpet experience with creators, while YouTube stars have long been acting like professional media companies through direct engagement with brands. It is precisely within this dynamic zeitgeist that a new event highlight is now taking center stage: the official kickoff to the seventh edition of the Smile Swiss Influence Award.
When Attention Becomes Hard Currency
We're all too familiar with shows like «Die Höhle der Löwen.» But when it comes to the Creator Tank The motto is «Mail Instead of Cash.» Young companies present their ideas to a jury of prominent figures—including Roland Brack, Sara Leutenegger, Steve Merson, and Stella-Sophia Castelli. If a pitch is convincing, the jury members don’t pull out a checkbook—instead, they use their personal networks to give the startup the ultimate turbo boost.
«A single strong recommendation can have an enormous impact on a young company,» explains co-founder Fabian Plüss. Creators are thus definitively becoming strategic reach investors.
The Premiere's Star-Studded Startup Quartet
Four very different Swiss startups have made it into the first edition and will face the high-caliber jury:
First up is Soully Matcha Soda. Co-founders Camille Zingg and Maresa Tennigkeit reinterpret the Japanese principle of perfection and bottle matcha as a refreshing soda—no frills, but with long-lasting energy.
In addition, HERA organics is fully committed to sustainability and women's health. The Swiss company markets natural menstrual sponges as a reusable, zero-waste alternative to conventional tampons.
feelgood Condoms® comes from the sexual wellness sector. Since 2023, founder Martina Hammer has been combining safety, high-quality materials, and a positive outlook on life to promote a mindful approach to sexuality.
VIVICASE rounds out the quartet. The new home and living platform seamlessly integrates interior design, social media, and e-commerce, allowing users to discover home decor ideas from real Swiss homes and purchase them directly.
Whether e-commerce pioneer Roland Brack and multi-talented Sara Leutenegger are paired with products in a stereotypical way or whether surprising alliances emerge, the stage is sure to be electric.
Tickets for the first Creator Tank are available here at the Online Shop
A Gathering Place for the Creative Elite
The Creator Tank is part of the Creator & Brands Convention, which will bring together industry professionals and brands at the Kongresshaus Zürich on the afternoon of October 27, 2026. In addition to talks by Meta, TikTok, and LinkedIn, the day will culminate in the glamorous Smile Swiss Influence Award ceremony.
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It was a moment of quiet symbolism: A young woman from Eastern Switzerland stood on stage at the Smile Swiss Influence Award in Dübendorf and accepted the trophy as the first recipient of the AI Media Award 2025. Her work Ocean Mirror, a fictional promotional film about ocean pollution, combines technical precision with poetic insight—and shows just how closely art, technology, and social commentary can be intertwined.
With her victory, Yanina de Sapio, a 25-year-old student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Content Creation at the SAE Institute in Zurich, not only won the Swiss special category Best Swiss Content Creator, but also in the international category AI Advertising convinced. She is thus the first Swiss woman to prevail in a global competition of this kind—a success that extends far beyond the moment itself.
After all, de Sapio represents a generation of young creatives who view artificial intelligence as an artistic tool. A generation that is redefining the relationship between humans and machines—not as competition, but as dialogue. Their success also marks the beginning of a new era of digital creation, in which AI content creation is gaining importance worldwide and is now taking root in Switzerland as well.
More than 3,500 visitors witnessed international creatives, pioneers, and thought leaders pushing the boundaries of digital creation. A 15-member jury of experts from the fields of media, technology, education, and design evaluated the entries anonymized – without any information about the participants’ names, gender, or background, so that the focus was solely on the entry itself. The key criteria were creativity, technical execution, originality, and emotional impact.
A Film as a Mirror of Society
Ocean Mirror is a fictional commercial—a symbolic parable about consumption, responsibility, and the fragile balance between humans and nature. Through images that are both hypnotically beautiful and unsettling, the film shows how the toxic residues of human activity find their way back into the food chain—a powerful metaphor for the circular nature of our actions.
«I didn’t want to preach,» says de Sapio. «I was interested in creating a visual experience that evokes emotion. When viewers feel a mix of unease and fascination, that’s when they start to reflect.»
The film was created using a novel AI technology that allows artificial intelligence to be specifically employed as a creative tool. Apart from the screenplay, the entire project was created through the interaction of various systems—Midjourney, KLING AI, ElevenLabs, and SUNO AI—whose functions work together seamlessly. This project required interdisciplinary expertise and weeks of intensive conceptual refinement. Post-production was carried out in Adobe Premiere.
The fact that de Sapio was able to prevail against more than 300 international entries is a testament to an emerging creative movement: AI content creation.
Interview with Yanina de Sapio
What is your creative background?
I come from a background in traditional design. After completing my training as a 3D Poly Designer I initially worked in the field of visual communication. Even back then, I was fascinated by the interplay of space, color, and materials. During my studies Content Creation & Online Marketing at the SAE Zurich I have consciously intensified this move into the digital world. For me, AI is not a break with the past, but rather an extension of my creative thinking.
What inspired you to choose the theme of your socially critical film Ocean Mirror Inspired?
I grew up in a generation that is constantly confronted with the consequences of environmental crises—yet at the same time lives in a consumer culture that exacerbates these problems. Ocean Mirror was my attempt to bring this paradox to light. The idea of portraying the sea as a mirror of our own actions arose from the thought that, while we humans are technologically advanced, we are still treading water morally.
How do you view the new movement among AI filmmakers, and how do you see the future of this development?
We are only at the beginning of a new creative era. This movement is characterized by remarkable momentum—entirely new forms of visual storytelling are currently emerging around the world. I am convinced that artificial intelligence will permanently transform the role of humans in the creative process: a democratization of production is taking place. Creative professionals are gaining access to new technologies and methods that enable a level of artistic freedom that was previously almost unimaginable—independent of traditional production structures.
What is an AI film production like?
At its core, the process is similar to traditional film production—but the tools are different. It always starts with a storyboard and a screenplay, which I write myself. Then I design the visual world using Midjourney, animate the scenes with Kling AI, and add voices and sound effects via ElevenLabs. I compose the soundtrack with Suno AI before merging all the elements into a cohesive whole in Adobe Premiere.
How do you view this trend in relation to the voice-over profession?
This is a sensitive issue. It requires legal clarity and fair compensation models. Platforms like ElevenLabs allow voice actors to license their voices—much like photographers license their images. This can create new sources of income if handled transparently and respectfully.
Do you already have plans for your next movie?
Right now, I'm focusing on, Ocean Mirror to submit it to other international festivals and AI awards. In the long term, however, I would like to focus more on developing narrative formats—perhaps a series of short films that explore various aspects of environmental issues.
Is artificial intelligence a substitute for human creativity?
No, it’s an amplifier. AI can generate ideas, but it can’t feel. It responds to patterns—not to intuition. Humans remain the emotional core, the source of meaning. I see AI as a partner, not a competitor.
How is AI changing your perspective on aesthetics and design?
It has taught me to think more precisely. A prompt is like a film score—every word, every nuance shapes the visual result. AI forces us to phrase things more deliberately and to think more clearly in conceptual terms. This is not a technical discipline, but a linguistic one.
What is your take on the ethical debate surrounding AI art?
I believe transparency is key. We must clearly communicate which parts of a work were generated by AI. This does not diminish the value of the work; on the contrary, it makes it transparent. This is the only way to build trust.
What does the Best Swiss Content Creator Award mean to you personally?
It sends a strong message—especially to young creatives. It shows that Switzerland is part of this global movement and that quality remains more important than origin or reach. For me, it confirms that art and technology are not opposites, but rather enrich each other.
This year’s Creator & Brand Convention was—unsurprisingly—all about artificial intelligence (AI). The event, considered Switzerland’s largest business-and-entertainment gathering for creators, brands, and communities, offered a rich program. The m&k video captures the atmosphere of the afternoon—vibrant and inspiring. The convention kicked off a full day dedicated to the creator industry, culminating in the evening at the grand Smile Swiss Influence Award Night culminated in an event where the country's best creators were honored.
AI in Focus: Visionaries and the New Era of Content Creation
The dominance of AI was reflected in the launch of the AI Media Award 2025 . As part of the SSIA Smile Swiss Influence Award platform, the award serves as a showcase and interface between the creative avant-garde and the advertising and media industries. Its goal is to promote groundbreaking AI-generated content—with a focus on quality, responsibility, and innovation.
The highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of Mark Wachholz, an AI filmmaker and screenwriter who, with his video essay «The Cinema That Never Was» won first prize in the Narrative category. His work was created entirely with AI—from images to music and voice to the script. Wachholz, who taught himself the necessary skills, described the process as AI Creation: AI is actively involved in the ideation process, and its autonomy is part of the creative experiment.
Production took around a week. Wachholz used numerous tools in a kind of "symphony", as no single tool could do everything. He used Midjourney (images), Klingen, Runway and Hun (video AI), 11 Labs (voice), ChatGPT (script) and Udio (music). For him, AI is a way to bring ideas directly from the mind into the finished product - without gatekeepers. He sees limits in terms of controllability, as AI often brings in its own impulses - for Wachholz a characteristic of the AI Creation Space.
Content Strategies and Efficiency in the Creator Economy
Despite the hype surrounding AI, traditional topics remained prominent—especially Efficiency and Authenticity. One trend that’s here to stay: authentic, personal content—even as the line between it and artificial AI-generated content becomes increasingly blurred.
Timo Wäschle, a multi-award-winning storytelling expert, demonstrated in his masterclass «From My First Sony to Storyworld Pioneer – Efficiency, Emotion, and AI in Content», how storytelling, emotion, and AI can be combined into an effective trio. His conclusion: If you want to increase visibility, you have to consider emotion and technology together.
Romina Menzel on TikTok emphasized that in the creator era, brands must become part of the community—because TikTok thrives on the creativity of its users.
Brands and Collaborations: Interaction, Strategy, and a Bath
The convention served as a platform for forging new connections between brands and creators—with support from partners such as SMILE Insurance and Samsung.
Samsung demonstrated how technology can enhance creativity—from AI-powered editing to Nightography. Pekka Blanc, Senior Marketing Manager for Switzerland, described the convention and the Smile Influencer Award as a powerful platform for the brand, but noted that creators were hardly capable of generating direct leads.
A compelling real-world example was provided by SPAR Switzerland (Schirin Fässler, Marketing) and Equipe One AG (Siria Berli, Co-Founder & CEO). Both explained that, for them, TikTok primarily provides reach among younger target groups—not primarily revenue, but brand awareness. The goal is to establish SPAR as an integral part of the Swiss retail sector.
It caused a stir Weleda with an interactive activity: The brand showcased its new Booster Drops in a bathtub where guests could sit. m&k Editor Beat Hürlimann didn't miss the chance to take a dip in the crowd of influencers and spontaneously conducted an interview with Elisabeth Acket of Weleda – straight from the tub. Weleda uses influencers strategically to raise awareness and has partnered with, among others, "B" by the Elevator Boys for the campaign promoting the new drops.
They provided deep insights into sustainable collaboration Tamara Glück (GLÜCK Influencer Management & Consulting) and Loris Zimmerli. They demonstrated how a deal can evolve into a genuine partnership—through clear communication and a balance between market demands and creative freedom.
Public Institutions in the Creator Space
The public sector was also represented at the convention—a sign that the Creator Space has long been relevant to society as a whole. An unexpectedly exciting highlight was Martin Kaiser, Staff Adjutant of the Swiss Army. The army not only made its presence felt at the event but also showcased its equipment—including a drone that attracted the interest of many guests.
In his remarks, Kaiser emphasized how formative military service can be: He said that the age at which young people perform their military service is crucial for personal development and a sense of responsibility. According to Kaiser, the 20 weeks of military service should not be considered wasted time—but rather a lesson for life.
The Creator Economy Summit: The Smile Swiss Influence Award Night
When the lights go out and the stage lights up, the grand finale begins: the Smile Swiss Influence Award Night – The Creator Economy's Oscar Night.
The show honored the country's best and most influential creators and reflected the diversity of the Swiss influencer scene. Younes Saggara, known for his keenly observed lifestyle content, won the Smile Swiss Influence Award 2025 as Influencer of the Year. In the category Newcomer sat down Nathalie Schmid with its distinctive blend of fashion, mindset, and authenticity. The Entertainment Award brought Zeki Bulgurcu, who reaches millions with his humor and poise.
The topics of sustainability and purpose were also addressed: Nina Burri received the Social Impact Award for her dedication to mental health, while The Swiss Wanderer was honored for his content on conscious tourism.
By embedding the AI Media Award The Award Night also served as a bridge between creator culture and AI art—a sign that the Swiss influencer scene not only entertains but also inspires and pushes the boundaries of thinking.
Overall, the combination of the convention and the awards night lasted 3,000 guests . It reaffirmed the event’s reputation as Switzerland’s premier stage, where the brightest minds and boldest ideas of the creator economy come together—from the first beats of the afternoon to the final moments of applause at night.
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On October 17, The Hall Zurich will once again become a stage for digital creativity. The Smile Swiss Influence Award is entering its next round - for the first time with an international flair. With the DACH Award as a new category, outstanding creators from Germany, Austria and Switzerland will step into the spotlight in direct competition. The nominees in the new category include Daniela Djokic, winner of Germany's Next Topmodel 2025, and Basel-based creator Aditotoro. The Smile Swiss Influence Award is thus establishing itself as the leading platform for influencers and content creators throughout the German-speaking world.
As before, a top-class jury will select the top 10 from the areas of lifestyle, entertainment, food, family, beauty, music, travel, fashion, sport, business & finance, podcast, luxury, artificial intelligence, cross media, newcomer - and new: DACH. In cooperation with the naming partner Smile Versicherungen, the "Newcomer of the Year" will also be sought - attractive prizes, reach and visibility await.
The Creators & Brands Convention - the one-day event for all those who actively shape social media - starts at 1 pm. In workshops, panels and master classes, creators and brands will meet, exchange ideas and share their expertise. The Brands Challenges are a first highlight. Here, influencers demonstrate their talent live, exchange ideas, get inspired - and increase their chances of winning an award.
The red carpet will be rolled out from 6 p.m. - as a prelude to a night full of emotion, inspiration and glamor. The big award show starts at 8 pm, where the winners will be announced. The DACH Award will also make its first big appearance by honoring the best creators of the year. The evening ends with the Creator After Party from 9.30 pm.
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