Heimat Zurich launched a major image campaign for Sky Switzerland
by Christian Beck
Mr. Megdiche, which do you prefer: “House of the Dragon” or “Tschugger”?
Mehdi Megdiche: I think both series are great, but I have a small preference for “Tschugger” because it is our first Swiss Sky original and is quickly becoming a Swiss cult series.
And you, Mr. Ammann?
Nico Ammann: The two series couldn’t be more different. Personally, I also prefer «Tschugger» – Valais police officers vs. Drachen 2:0.
Whether “House of the Dragon” or “Tschugger”, both series run on Sky in Switzerland. In other countries, Sky is one of the really big streaming providers. Not so in Switzerland. Why is that?
girl: First of all, Sky Switzerland’s history is much younger compared to our other major European markets. We only started five years ago. In addition, Sky in Switzerland is a pure streaming provider – in contrast to Sky in Great Britain or Italy, where we have a much broader offer in addition to streaming, with linear television, subscription video on demand, telecommunications services and so on. However, due to the quality and variety of our fiction and sports content, we believe that we need to be better positioned in terms of brand awareness in the Swiss market as we bring real value to customers.
Where is Sky Switzerland at the moment? Behind Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Play Suisse and Oneplus?
girl: We’re about to become one of the most likely players in the streaming market in Switzerland – and we’re growing fast.
Other streaming providers cut their spots from film material from so-called “originals”. To be honest, I had the same impression at first when I saw the new Sky spots (personal.com reported). Where does it come from?
girl: “Content is king” in our industry, that’s true. We’ve been promoting our fresh and exclusive sports and movies content for years, and we will continue to do so. However, this marketing campaign is a bit different as it is our first dedicated branding campaign through which Sky delivers a branded message. We came up with a creative concept to enhance this message by pairing it with our best content, which will be shown as a compilation at the end.
amman: Sky offers world-class entertainment. Consequently, that was also our claim to advertising. We can only convince Switzerland of the quality of Sky if the advertising keeps what the brand promises: the most exciting streaming in Switzerland. Not least because of this, we wrote for the implementation of our films with the director Nalle Sjöblad. His commercials feel more like movies than commercials.
Doesn’t Sky have enough good “originals” to advertise with?
Ammann: This campaign is Sky’s first major brand campaign in Switzerland. We want to significantly increase brand awareness. In the long term, this can only be achieved by raising the brand’s profile, giving it its own identity and giving it a voice. If we only advertise with content or the originals, we are not building a brand. Audiences come and go – watch the show and then bounce off.
“At Sky we approach the fans”
The image campaign started on Monday. The claim is “Switzerland’s most exciting streaming”. What makes it so exciting?
girl: We see ourselves as a “lean forward brand”, in contrast to a more traditional content provider where people simply consume content passively. At Sky, we reach out to fans, giving them the thrills they’re looking for, over and over again – whether it’s with the English Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A or HBO’s exclusive hit series like House of the Dragon », «Euphoria», «And Just Like That» or Sky Originals like «Tschugger», «Babylon Berlin» or «Gangs of London». Basically, Sky promises goosebumps.
The idea of the campaign: you want to convince someone to watch a certain series. Where did you get the inspiration for this storytelling?
girl: The creative idea is based on insight that speaks to everyone: our inability to effectively retell emotional experiences, such as watching the grand finale of a hit series or an exciting football match.
amman: Our protagonists are so enthusiastic about a film, a series or a sporting event that they saw on Sky that they want to infect others with their passion. But they don’t succeed: “It’s best to experience it yourself.” Did you see Embolo’s goal against Cameroon? Not? Shaqiri also runs outside the box, fits in the middle and then Embolo just says there and bam! 1-0 for Switzerland!
“The streaming industry is growing fast”
Where does it come from that more and more is streamed? Because there are commercial breaks on analogue television?
girl: It’s evident that the old, time-bound, linear television model is losing traction versus the flexible model being pushed by streaming platforms like Sky. This makes it much easier to find and watch the content you want, whenever you want, on the device of your choice – on a big screen at home or on a smartphone or tablet on the go.
And which other streaming provider should be snatched up market share?
girl: The streaming industry is growing rapidly as consumers’ TV and content consumption habits are radically changing – a real revolution is underway. And people choose and use a streaming platform very differently than, for example, a telecommunications provider. If you look at more mature streaming markets like the US or Scandinavia, you see more and more people using multiple streaming services for different needs. So it’s not about stealing each other’s market share, it’s about defining who we are and what consumers can get from us – and that’s exactly the purpose of this branding campaign.
