Situation:

Swisscom has been the main sponsor of the Swiss national ski team for 20 years. The winter 22/23 is the last season as a partner of Swiss-Ski.

Brief:

To finish the long-term partnership with a big bang Swisscom is looking for a 360 degree campaign that will have an impact beyond its sponsorship and will keep Swisscom associated with alpine ski racing for a long time to come.

Objectives:

The campaign has to work online and offline. With a strong focus on TV, social media (TikTok, Instagram, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter) and live communication online (TikTok live, Insta live) and on-site at the world-famous Swiss World Cup races along the course and in the finish arena including events, promotions and giveaways.

The idea: The official blue and red slope colors that mark every Ski World Cup Course are 100% identical to Swisscom's brand colors. Let's brand and own them!

The Insight: In 2002, Swisscom joined the Swiss national ski team (Swiss-Ski) as its main sponsor. In the same season, the International Ski Federation (FIS) introduced the blue and red slope colours at all Ski World Cup races all over the world.

From this true insight, Swisscom creates a fictional legend about the origin of the slope colors with an original slope painter and brands all FIS SKI World Cup races live – and for free.

With the up to five kilometers long slope painting, the telco firm creates the probably longest advertising space in the world. And all active Swiss ski-stars plus numerous -legends are becoming influencers of the campaign.

Skiing is the number one sport in Switzerland. At the end of the Swiss national ski team's 20th anniversary, skiing is to be forever associated with Swisscom among all skiing enthusiasts from 0 to 99.

We invent and spread the legend about the origin of the slope color. In it, the original slope colorist of the Swiss World Cup races claims that Swisscom had invented the piste colors - that's why the slopes are in Swisscom blue and Swisscom red.

Because Swisscom is going to quit as a sponsor, the slope colorist finally can reveal this twenty-year-old secret. The goal is to create an urban legend to have an impact beyond the Swisscom sponsorship and demonstrate the long-standing bond of the national telco-brand with winter sports.

In addition, the campaign itself is perfect proof of what is possible with the Swisscom mobile network and its 99 percent coverage.

The legend is spread across the whole country with TV-commercials, online films and active support from the Swiss Ski-Stars via social media posts and PR.

At the Swiss FIS Ski World Cup races, the legend is already talk of the town, and numerous live promotions on- and offline fuel the myth. The revealing mockumentary «The Coup» shows how the legend of the slope colors is being discussed by international ski stars (= influencers) over the last 20 years – before it is dissolved by the CCO of Swisscom himself: as a promotion for the 20th anniversary of the Swisscom-sponsorship.

At the world-famous Swiss Races, the official chief slope painter (and main character of our campaign) is accompanied by cameras. In almost 100 different roles, stories and live stories on TikTok and Instagram, we show the work of the unknown hero and he becomes the most popular star of the races.

The results exceed all our expectations:

- 72% of Swiss ski fans associate the slope colours with Swisscom.

- 59% of the Swiss associate the slope colours with Swisscom.

- And the best: Even after Swisscom's sponsorship everyone knows: Always follow the colours of Swisscom.

The media figures are also huge for a tiny country (of only 8.78 million inhabitants):

- 97 different films, reels, stories, banners and much more make the story an urban legend.

- 36 real Ski-Stars and -Legends as Influencers

- 51.5 million impressions

- 10 million views

- 220K comments, likes and shares

+ 1000% comments, likes and shares (compared to campaigns with identical budget)

+ 400% positive comments