Switzerland in autumn is a feast for the senses even when you’re missing one, says charming tourism ad

New work from Zurich agency Metzger Rottmann Bürge features blind comedian Jamie MacDonald

Published On
Sep 25, 2023
Blind comedian Jamie McDonald in a new Swiss tourism ad

Editor's Pick

Switzerland Tourism found a clever way to talk about how autumn visits to the country are a feast for the senses—by recruiting Scottish comedian Jamie MacDonald, who is blind, for a charming new spot.

Sound, touch, taste and smell are all highlights of the new ad, as McDonald and his companion Julia Sutherland explore the Swiss countryside. MacDonald is quietly amusing throughout, and toward the end adds a joke about his lack of sight. “It’s impossible to take a bad photo in Switzerland—it’s a blind photographer’s dream,” he says.

 

Worldwide Partners agency Metzger Rottmann Bürge (MRB), based in Zurich, created the new spot, which was directed by Jon Barber. The focus on autumn is part of a trend in Europe—as climate change is extending the visitor season, with warm days even as the nights grow chilly. (Hotel bookings in Switzerland were up almost 4% last fall compared to 2019.)

“Who can tell us more about senses than a senses expert?” said Silvan Metzger, partner at MRB. “We needed to get away from the typical testimonial or pretty-pictures campaign. Our collaboration with Jamie brought our awareness for our senses to a whole new level. Not because he’s blind but because he’s a funny guy who lives his life to the fullest and enjoyed sharing his experience with the Swiss autumn.”

The campaign is running in France, Austria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and the U.K. on YouTube and Netflix. The full-length video will also run on Times Square billboards throughout the week of Oct. 16.

Credits

Date
Sep 25, 2023
Client :
Switzerland Tourism
Agency :
Metzger Rottmann Bürge
CMO :
André Hefti
Head of Campaigns :
Martin Pally
Head of Media :
Dominic Stöcklin
Campaign Manager :
Priska Reynold
Campaign Manager :
Alexandra Schedler
Campaign Manager :
Sabina Brack
Campaign Manager :
Monica Danuser
Marketing Distribution Manager :
Katharina Frede
Content Manager :
Nicole Meier
Social Media Content Manager :
Anja Liebe
Social Media Content Manager :
Monika Häfliger
Corporate Communications :
Nina Villars
Corporate Communications :
Julian Thorner
Live Communication :
Lilian Stalder
Marketing :
Niklaus Notter
Multimedia :
Nicola Fürer
Trainee Campaigns :
Giulia Rossi
Strategy :
Christoph Bürge
Consulting :
Silvan Metzger
Creative :
Frederick Rossmann
Creative :
Fabian Zahner
Creative :
Cyrill Wirz
Creative :
Martin Arnold
Creative :
Peter Bronnimann
Director :
Jon Barber
Production :
stories
Executive Producer :
Yves Bollag
Photography :
Jan Mettler
Producer :
Alexander Wyssling
Post-Production :
Edoardo Moruzz
Edit :
Celine Bundy
Media :
SirMary
Strategy :
Fabian Habisreutinger
Media & Technology :
Vanessa Habisreutinger
Media Planning :
Katharina Günther
Digital Operations :
Céline Zemp

Need a credit fix? Contact the Creativity Editors

Project Type