André Hefti is "Advertiser of the Year 2023

In an election that was exciting right up to the last second, André Hefti, Chief Marketing Officer and member of the Management Board of Switzerland Tourism, prevailed over fellow nominees Andrea Bison, Thjnk Zurich, Manuel Wenzel, TBWA\Zurich and Andy Lusti, independent Creative Director.

Hefti was nominated for the coveted industry award for the first time. Following Beat Mühlemann, head of advertising at Migros and "Advertiser of the Year 2005," and Martin Walthert, CMO of Digitec Galaxus and "Advertiser of the Year 2020," this is the third time in the award's history that an advertising client has been honored - instead of, as is usually the case, a personality from a Swiss agency. The "Werber:in des Jahres" jury is thus honoring the extraordinary successes that Hefti has achieved with Switzerland Tourism in recent years - as well as the globally successful campaigns of his organization, which he has significantly shaped and driven forward.

The new "Advertiser of the Year" received his well-deserved "Egon" statue on Monday evening at an intimate award ceremony on Lake Zurich in front of almost 60 colleagues from the marketing and agency industry. His predecessor, "Advertiser of the Year 2021/22" David Schärer, paid tribute to him with a laudatory speech - and reminded Hefti, who like Schärer has Basel roots, of their school days together: "Who would have thought more than thirty years ago in the playground of the Spiegelfeld schoolhouse near Basel that we would one day meet again at what is probably the most honorable moment our industry has to offer? That I could pass the baton to you because you are now 'Advertiser of the Year'?" With Switzerland Tourism, Hefti has demonstrated time and again "what modern communication is. Communication that delights the audience and brings results." And this in special times: Promoting a destination during a pandemic in which extensive travel bans are in place is at least as impressive as the campaigns around testimonial Roger Federer, for which co-stars such as Robert DeNiro, Anne Hathaway, and now Trevor Noah could be won.

André Hefti's path to the marketing and advertising industry was by no means preordained. In his parents' house, he recalls, there was no television set - and therefore no TV advertising. Nevertheless, his fascination with well-made advertising, which he saw outside the four walls of his home, grew so strong that he applied to two agencies during his studies. Both turned him down. "Maybe," the newly crowned "Advertiser of the Year" joked at the awards ceremony, "I should apply there again now?!" Hefti was then initially drawn to the consumer goods industry before accepting the post of Chief Marketing Officer at Switzerland Tourism in 2018. For this role, he commutes between Zurich and French-speaking Switzerland, where he lives with his wife and three children.

In his role as "Advertiser of the Year," André Hefti wants, among other things, to ensure that Swiss advertising also receives more recognition on the global stage. At international awards, the supposedly "small Switzerland" is often treated somewhat stepmotherly - even though our country also has creative excellence to offer. "I would like to focus on this," Hefti announced.

Also nominated were...

Andrea Bison

Six years ago, Andrea Bison founded Thjnk Zurich with Alexander Jaggy. Before that, she worked in Hamburg at Jung von Matt, Springer & Jacoby, Kkempertrautmann and Thjnk for clients such as Bild, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and McDonald's. She was nominated "Advertiser of the Year" for the third time. The German-Swiss native is the mother of three children and lives with her family in Zurich.

Andy Lusti

Five years ago, Andy Lusti set up his own business as a creative director and concept designer/copywriter. "Drawers are for furniture, not for me," he says, and developed his own creative collective with insighters, working with clients and agencies from the DACH region. Previously, the Grisons native worked at FCB, Jung von Matt, Advico Y&R, KSP, KNSK and Publicis.

Manuel Wenzel

Manuel Wenzel has been part of the management team at TBWA\Zurich since August 2016 and has been solely responsible for creative since 2019. Before moving to Switzerland, he was a creative for Jung von Matt, DDB and Serviceplan and a lecturer at the Miami Adschool in Berlin for five years. He has had the privilege of representing Switzerland internationally on juries at Clio (film), OneShow (audio) and ADCE (brand experience). In the context of the LSA Bootcamp as well as the Young ADC, he is also committed to the up-and-coming generation of the industry.

More links

• The article about this year's nominees can be found at here.
• The interview with the freshly elected "Advertiser of the Year 2023" can be found at here.
• The Hall of Fame of all previous "Advertisers of the Year" can be found at here.

About the award

Werbewoche has been awarding the "Advertiser of the Year" since 1977, and since 2001 the winner has received the "Egon" designed by Zurich artist Max Grüter. The three candidates were nominated by the jury of experts. The final decision as to who would win the title was then made 50 percent by the readers of Werbewoche.ch via online voting and 50 percent by the jury. Each jury member was allowed to cast one vote. m&k Werbewoche.ch itself, as the organizer of the award, abstained from voting.

The jury of experts

The "Advertiser of the Year" jury is made up of former "Advertisers of the Year", representatives from French-speaking Switzerland, nominees from previous years, as well as personalities from science and the media. The 2022 jury members (in alphabetical order):

• Alexander Jaggy (Thjnk Zurich)
• Andrea Bison (Thjnk Zurich), Anja Janoschka (HLSU)
• Anja Janoschka, Professor Marketing & Multichannel Communication HSLU
• Curdin Janett, David Schärer (Rod Communication)
• Dennis Lück (Brinkertlück Creatives)
• Gabriel Mauron (Havas Genève)
• Livio Dainese (Wirz)
• Martin Walthert (Digitec Galaxus)
• Maurizio Rugghia (Sir Mary)
• Michael Kamm (Agence Trio)
• Peter Brönnimann
• Petra Dreyfus (Wirz)
• Regula Bührer Fecker (Rod Communication)
• Thomas Wildberger (Prophet)