This summer, Serviceplan Suisse and Swisscom joined forces in a co-creative collaboration to produce an extraordinary campaign for the MegaPoster in Zurich West.
What’s the thinking behind the idea of incorporating a gorilla into the brick façade of a multi-storey car park? In an interview, Raul Serrat, Chief Creative Officer and Partner at Serviceplan Suisse, offers an exclusive insight into the development and implementation of this campaign.
The idea of having a gorilla on the MegaPoster in Zurich West was absolutely brilliant. How did you come up with the idea of using a monkey?
Raul Serrat: The idea of the gorilla, which is one of a series of characters, stemmed from the core message of the sure campaign, which tackles claims in a humorous and creative way. It symbolises the unexpected, chaos – and perhaps also that moment when you think: ‘This can’t possibly be true!’ That’s exactly when the insurance message comes into play: with a simple ‘switch’, even a gorilla tearing down a façade is no problem – provided you’re properly insured.
The gorilla fitted perfectly into the picture and the façade looked really realistic. Could you tell us a bit about the creative process behind this MegaPoster design, particularly with regard to how it was integrated into its surroundings?
Raul Serrat: The MegaPoster design was a visual extension of the entire sure campaign. The decision to depict the gorilla on the brick façade of a multi-storey car park stemmed from a desire to blend reality and illustration, thereby making the most of this unique advertising format.
It’s worth noting that the MegaPoster worked from every angle. I’m sure there were some late nights in the creative department?
Raul Serrat: In fact, designing this MegaPoster motif was no mean feat. The biggest design challenge was to seamlessly integrate the textures of the car park’s brick façade into the motif design, so that the gorilla looks as though he is actually breaking the bricks. Scaling the image up to 158 m² was technically demanding, as the level of detail and the visual impact had to work equally well from both a distance and up close. By combining illustration with artificial intelligence, we were able to overcome this challenge and bring the gorilla to life. Rumour even has it that some people were too scared to walk past Pfingstweidstrasse at night – that’s how realistic it was! (*wink*)
In a sentence or two: How do you get the most out of MegaPosters?
Raul Serrat: An advertising space measuring 158 m² offers the opportunity to create a larger-than-life visual impact that cannot be overlooked in an urban setting. The gorilla on this gigantic MegaPoster managed to make a strong impression, both through its size and the way it blended into its surroundings.
Oversized advertising spaces have always broken the rules of conventional advertising. Why have you chosen to emphasise this?
Raul Serrat: Generally speaking, creativity plays a crucial role in outdoor advertising campaigns – because there is a battle for attention. Large advertising spaces such as MegaPosters offer additional scope for bold and visually striking ideas. Unlike smaller advertising spaces, a MegaPoster allows for more visual storytelling and greater integration into the surroundings.
Person in charge at House of Communication Zurich: Nadja Tandler, Carina Kienzle (Art Direction), Michael Winnicki (Graphic Design), Kelsang Gope (Copy), Marcin Baba, Micha Seger (ECD), Nicole Grogg, Edi Walker (Consultancy), Barbara Meier (Production), Nico Podgorny (Chief Client Officer), Raul Serrat (Chief Creative Officer), Nathalie Diethelm (CEO)