It's a busy morning at the Google premises on Zurich's Europaallee. While countless "Zooglers" - the employees of Google Zurich - make their way to the coffee bar in the background and the typical tech campus buzz is in the air, there is a crackling tension in the event area. Today, it's not primarily about algorithms, but about the judgment of people who know the internet like the back of their hand. The question of the day is emblazoned as a large number on the screen: 3.4 billion.
Is it prize money? Is it minutes? No. It's the number of views that the seven-member jury has collectively accumulated. The message is unmistakable: whoever sits here is an expert on attention.
And it is precisely this attention that is at the heart of the new format. January 23 the Swiss Creator Choice Award as an award for the best YouTube commercials of the year 2025 in Switzerland. The basis was a Shortlist of ten clipsThe winners were compiled using an algorithm that took into account paid views, organic reach, viewer loyalty, clicks and sentiment. However, the final decision was not made by a traditional jury of experts - but by creators.
The composition of the jury reads like a "who's who" of the Swiss creator scene. And on closer inspection at the latest, it becomes clear that this is not a panel of influencers for photos - this is a panel of personalities who not only speak the language of the platform, but also build it.
In the middle of the action Alessandra Spatarowhich is available on YouTube via one million subscribers achieved. She has long been more than just a creator: a best-selling author (Me against me) and director at Spataro Media GmbH. Her content has evolved from tutorials to self-love & lifestyle. And it is precisely this mix of personality and strategy that sharpens her view of advertising.
Next to her Kyurin Diary an academic depth into the round. Follow her on YouTube 544,000 subscribers. Her world: Asian pop culture, K-Beauty and the "glow up" - combined with a second life as a PhD student in neuroscience. A creator who not only feels trends, but can also analyze them.
For the craftsmanship - in the truest sense of the word - stands Thispronto (Oluyomi Scherrer). On YouTube he has 316'000 subscribers, on TikTok a range of over 16 million followers. The trained chef from Bern became world-famous with his trademark: Cutting ingredients on an iPad. He values visual language and editing rhythm like no other.
Pop culture is characterized by alishquiche (Alisha de Munk) represented. On YouTube she comes to 228,000 subscribers. The self-proclaimed "Switzerdutch girl" and co-author of the "Content Creator's Compass" is deeply rooted in Disney, Avatar and BookTok. She understands how emotional connections are created - not through arguments, but through worlds, characters and feelings. A core competence when advertising suddenly no longer has to look like advertising.
Also part of the expert panel is Mrs. Flury (Doris Flury)which is available on YouTube 137'000 subscribers follow. As a nutritionist, she has built up a brand with healthy, family-friendly recipes, ranging from cookbooks to her own online store. Her view: What really works in everyday life - and how do you turn it into content that still generates desire?
The committee is completed by two sports and action specialists. Modern Goalkeeping (Mike Bolvin) brings on YouTube 2.29 million subscribers with - and is also on TikTok with 7.6 million followers a global force. His Gripmode brand has long been part of the content universe. And then there is Michaela Carrot (Michaela Scalisi)which is available on YouTube 39'700 subscribers follow: former figure skater, pioneer of "wild ice skating" - a visually strong niche between sport, nature and cinematics.
These seven professionals had a clear mission: to select the best three from a shortlist of ten commercials - determined in advance on the basis of data. They were judged on creativity and entertainment factor. But it quickly became clear: this is not a freestyle competition, but real jury work.
Instead of the planned hour, the creators debated passionately for hours. They analyzed the "hooks", the first few seconds that have to be captivating. They discussed color saturation, tonality, timing, authenticity. And they talked about what is sometimes difficult to measure in the meeting room - but is immediately decided outside in the community: Whether something comes across as honest.
"We discussed why we believe a certain ad should be in a certain place," said the panel.
The award ceremony showed impressively that very different approaches work on YouTube - as long as they take the mechanics of the platform seriously.
Bronze went to the WIR Bank for its VIAC app (pillar 3a). The jury particularly praised the dynamic implementation: fast animations, a clear introduction, an understandable approach to what is actually a complex financial topic. The spot showed that even dry content works on the platform if the editing is right and the focus is immediate.
Then things got emotional. Silver secured itself Coop with the Christmas commercial "Great things lie in small things". Here, the retailer proved that storytelling remains the most direct route to the heart. Kyurin Diary was deeply impressed during the jury talk: "I thought it was amazing that they managed to make you feel sorry for a pea." The jury agreed: Coop had transformed everyday products into unforgettable characters - and that's exactly what sticks with you.
The undisputed winner of the evening, however, was Galaxus Switzerland. With the Christmas commercial "The table is wobbling", the online retailer Gold.
Why Galaxus? Alessandra Spataro put it in a nutshell: "I just found it very authentic and very creative." The commercial is not over-staged - "not this huge complicated video" - but hits the core of the target group with honesty and humor.
The creators appreciated that Galaxus obviously understood how to pick up the community. "Being authentic, not wanting to be what you're not," says Spataro. Followers immediately notice when a brand is not being honest.
On the sidelines of the event, Marco Krättli, Senior Industry Manager at Google Switzerland, explained the significance of the award. For him, this award is proof of a new symbiosis between platform and creativity. "The idea was to let those who are most involved with the platform - namely the creators - decide: What makes a really good advertising medium in the Swiss market?" explained Krättli.
He emphasized that creators pay attention to details that pure marketing teams often miss: "There are a lot of spontaneous, subjective factors that go beyond analytics." Krättli himself sees YouTube as a platform with incredible depth. "You can be briefly inspired, but above all you can delve into topics for hours," he said. This fascination for the ecosystem in which creators and advertisers find each other is what drives him.
While the Google employees continued to get their coffee in the background, the event ended on a pragmatic note. As the marketing teams of the winning brands were unable to attend in person, the prize was sent to them - in the form of a large delivery of YouTube cupcakes.
The first Swiss Creator Choice Award has shown one thing above all: In a world full of high gloss, the audience - and the jury of professionals - longs for authenticity. Whether you are explaining financial products or making peas cry: Whoever speaks the language of the creators wins.
Or as Alessandra Spataro gave the brands as a final tip: "It's really worth it. Brands often underestimate YouTube." Galaxus understood this - and won gold for it.
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