Erfolgsgeschichten-national

Switzerland’s largest advertising mural: MINI counts on hand-painted Out of Home Media

The British car brand is using an innovative form of Out of Home Media that combines traditional advertising with street art. The impressive, hand-painted mural adorns a façade covering 450 m² and is one of the first murals of its kind in Switzerland. Artists from WAND AG created the artwork in just a few days – come rain come shine, with precise craftsmanship. MINI’s advertising message was brought to life in an extraordinary way, giving passers-by, cyclists, car and bus drivers around Zurich’s Hardbrücke an unforgettable visual experience.

"A hand-painted advertising mural adds colour and life to the public space and creates a visual experience that touches people and enriches the place. The vibrant colours and dynamic design reflect the energy and urban spirit of the MINI brand. The location at Hardbrücke in Zurich, with its high traffic density and wide range of viewing angles, makes this mural a real eye-catcher, creatively and uniquely integrating the brand into the cityscape."

Andreas Arnold, Managing Director, WAND AG

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Artist: Fabian "Bane" Florin

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Galaxus transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries

Galaxus is highlighting Switzerland’s cultural diversity with a nationwide Out of Home campaign.

What is behind the idea of creating more than 50 designs in 42 languages? In an interview, Branko Nastic (Brand Communications) from Switzerland’s largest online retailer gives exclusive insights into how this extraordinary campaign was created.

In the new campaign, you are focussing on diversity and localness. What was the driving idea behind it?
Branko Nastic: The idea is based on our slogan “Pretty much everything for pretty much everyone”. Our range is as diverse as the people in Switzerland, and we wanted to reinforce this promise linguistically by combining it with the many cultures and languages represented in Switzerland. This gave rise to the idea of creating more than 50 designs in 42 languages in order to reach different communities in their own language.

That sounds like a real challenge. How did you manage to design the messages in such a way that they actually reach their intended target groups?
Branko Nastic: We worked closely with Supertext and other cultural experts to ensure that we used the right language and cultural references. We tested the designs beforehand with members of the respective language and cultural groups. Our aim was not to use stereotypes, but to develop relevant, authentic, understandable and also humorous messages. These range from behaviour, traditions, practises, customs, idioms and rituals to trends or current events in the respective culture. We wanted people to think: “Wow, how do they know that?!” – and maybe even crack a smile. After all, we wanted to reflect the humour of the communities in question in an unexpected and charming way.

How did you even find out which languages are spoken in which neighbourhoods? I’m sure it took a little bit of detective work.
Branko Nastic: That’s right. We drew on demographic data from the federal government and the cantons and analysed it together with our partners. This allowed us to tailor a number of designs specifically to local population groups. At the same time, however, it was also important to us that randomisation plays a central role in the display of the designs, as our message should be understandable to everyone – regardless of the language.

How has the campaign been received so far?
Branko Nastic: In all cases in which we received insights from the communities, the reactions were overwhelmingly positive, as the authenticity and cultural references have been well received. Many people feel that they are being addressed directly. It’s exciting to see how the campaign is being discussed on a wide range of platforms, in various forums and private groups. We are particularly pleased that individual communities are talking about the insights from the relevant designs and exchanging experiences and views on individual traditions and customs in their culture.

Why did you choose Out of Home? What are the advantages of this medium in such a diverse society?
Branko Nastic: In a multicultural society like Switzerland, it was important for us to achieve a broad reach while at the same time addressing communities locally and specifically. Out of Home Media offers a strong visual presence in public spaces that directly permeates people’s everyday lives – regardless of where they come from or what language they speak.

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Branko Nastic, Brand Communications at Galaxus

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Creativity meets size: Serviceplan Suisse and Swisscom set new standards for MegaPosters

In a co-creative collaboration between Serviceplan Suisse and Swisscom, an extraordinary campaign has been developed for the MegaPoster in Zurich West .

What is behind the idea of integrating a gorilla into the brick facade of a parking garage? In an interview, Raul Serrat, Chief Creative Officer & Partner at Serviceplan Suisse, provides exclusive insights into the development and realisation of this campaign.

Serviceplan Suisse, Creative agency

The idea with the gorilla on the MegaPoster in Zurich West was a great one. How did you come up with the monkey?
Raul Serrat: The idea of the gorilla, which is one of a series of characters, arose from the core message of the sure campaign, which deals with claims in a humorous and creative way. He symbolises the unexpected, chaos – and perhaps also that moment when you think: "This really can't be true!". This is exactly when the insurance message comes into play: with a simple «switch», even a gorilla tearing off the façade is no problem – provided you are properly insured.

The gorilla fitted right into the picture and the façade looked really realistic. Can you tell us something about the process of creating this MegaPoster subject, particularly with regard to its integration into the surroundings?
Nicole Grogg: The MegaPoster subject was the visual continuation of the entire sure campaign. The decision to show the gorilla on the brick façade of a multi-storey car park arose from the desire to merge reality and illustration and thus draw on the full potential of this unique advertising format.

It is remarkable that the MegaPoster subject worked from every perspective. You must have worked night shifts to create it?
Raul Serrat: The design of this MegaPoster subject was not without its challenges. The biggest creative challenge was to seamlessly integrate the textures of the brick car park façade into the subject design so that the gorilla looks as if it is really breaking open the bricks. Scaling the subject to 158 square metres was technically challenging as the level of detail and visual impact had to work both from a distance and up close. By combining illustration and artificial intelligence, we were able to overcome this challenge and bring the gorilla to life. Rumour has it that some people were even afraid to walk past Pfingstweidstrasse at night – it was so realistic! (*wink*)

In one or two sentences: How do you get the best out of MegaPosters?
Raul Serrat: An advertising space of 158 m² offers the opportunity to achieve a larger-than-life visual impact that cannot be overlooked in an urban space. The gorilla on this gigantic MegaPoster managed to create a strong presence through both its size and its visual integration into the surroundings.

Oversized advertising spaces have always broken the rules of conventional advertising. Why did you choose to emphasise this?
Raul Serrat: In general, creativity plays a decisive role in outdoor advertising campaigns – because there is a battle for attention. Large advertising spaces such as MegaPosters offer additional space for bold and visually striking ideas. In contrast to smaller advertising spaces, a MegaPoster allows for more visual storytelling and greater integration into the surroundings.

Responsible at the House of Communication Zurich: Nadja Tandler, Carina Kienzle (Art Direction), Michael Winnicki (Graphics), Kelsang Gope (Text), Marcin Baba, Micha Seger (ECD), Nicole Grogg, Edi Walker (Consulting), Barbara Meier (Realization), Nico Podgorny (Chief Client Officer), Raul Serrat (Chief Creative Officer), Nathalie Diethelm (CEO)

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Arosa Tourismus makes dreams come true

In mid-January 2024, the Graubünden tourism organisation launched an advertising campaign under the motto #Bergtraum (mountain dream) and is encouraging the public to describe their ultimate dream of a perfect holiday in the mountains. Interested people can use artificial intelligence (AI) to create their own personal dream motif. AI makes it possible to combine the interests, wishes and desires of guests and translate them into dreamlike motifs almost in real time. Within a few hours of its launch, the campaign had already spit out thousands of motifs. The best suggestions are selected each week and presented across all media – including on APG|SGA advertising spaces. For example, a fully customised bus will be rolling through the streets of Schaffhausen. The best #Bergtraum (mountain dream) images will also be honoured with attractive prizes and become a central component of the Arosa 2024 campaign.

The project is the first crowd-generated campaign in Switzerland that is supported exclusively by AI and relies on collective creative power. The video agency Yoveo, part of Team Farner, was responsible for the concept, programming and technical realisation.

Campaign facts
- Formats: eBoard, ePanel, F12, complete transport design
- Language region: German-speaking Switzerland
- Campaign period: January/February 2024

Marion Schmitz, Deputy Tourism Director and Head of Marketing & Communication at Arosa Tourismus says:
"By using artificial intelligence (AI), our #Bergtraum campaign enables all mountain enthusiasts to turn their ideal mountain holiday into images with just a few words or sentences. We use the power of outdoor advertising to bring the diversity of these visions to the world. Whether majestic mountain scenery, sports activities, a cosy fondue, après-ski or a bear – the public's multifaceted mountain dreams are given a unique stage on APG|SGA's advertising spaces. In this way, we integrate dreams directly into people's everyday lives and are sure to bring a smile or two to their faces."

Successful 3D implementation on digital APG|SGA screens

It is more important than ever for companies to engage audiences using captivating stories and visual experiences in order to attract people’s attention. 3D Out of Home Media implementations are perfect for this, transforming spots into spectacular experiences that are guaranteed to attract attention. APG|SGA has teamed up with AXA Versicherungen AG to successfully execute the first 3D implementation on digital screens in Zurich main station.

Campaign and aim
To coincide with the start of the 2023 school year, AXA launched its new prevention campaign: “Grösser als gedacht – den Schulweg wie ein Kind erleben” (Engl. “Bigger than expected − Experience the way to school from a child’s perspective”). The aim of this campaign was to allow adult road users to put themselves in children’s shoes and make them aware of the traffic dangers to which children are exposed.

Implementation
Over a period of three days, an elaborately designed, oversized replica of a traffic scenario featuring a giant car as the focal point was constructed on the concourse of Zurich main station. This installation allowed adults to view the world through a child’s eyes and gain a first-hand understanding of their perspective.

To draw commuters’ attention to this special campaign, a 3D “Max der Dachs” waved down at them cheerfully from the large Rail eBoard on the concourse.

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Enthusiastic visitors could have their photo taken alongside the giant car, thereby becoming part of the campaign, with these photos being simultaneously broadcast on digital screens in Zurich main station.

It wasn’t just these 3D spots that attracted a great deal of attention. APG|SGA posters and digital screens in Enge, Hardbrücke, Stadelhofen and Oerlikon railway stations and Zurich main station also successfully drew attention to the campaign.

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Manuela Kohler, Advertising Manager at AXA Versicherungen AG, says:
“The campaign embodies the essential role of Out of Home Media as a dynamic medium in mass communication. We were able to reach a broad target group and raise awareness of our message. The integration of innovations on APG|SGA's digital screens not only underlines the creative evolution of the advertising industry, but also the lasting impact of such approaches on a broad audience with whom interaction could be intensified.”