Axel Eckstein and Alexander Kranz-Mars found their own agency Atoll

Axel Eckstein and Alexander Kranz-Mars (from left).

In doing so, they make a point of putting companies and consumers on the same footing. Kranz-Mars: "We carefully prepare both sides to have great experiences - with each other." For them, it's about "not seeing consumers as victims who are being digitally stalked, but as human beings like the rest of us. And as such, most of us prefer equal dialogue. Regardless of whether you're wearing the buyer's hat or the seller's hat."

The two agency owners say they score points by combining their experience from advertising and design agencies. "Alex is a 360-degree designer and he has known the digital sector for more than 20 years. As a lecturer, he also passes on his UX knowledge to students," Eckstein said. Kranz-Mars on his business partner: "Axel was at BBDO, Jung von Matt, Havas and Leo Burnett and has made a name for himself not only as a top creative but also as a brand strategist."

The agency already serves large clients from the industrial and service sectors, as well as smaller companies and start-ups. According to the statement, the range of services demanded has become ever greater and the process is increasingly leading up to the development of business models. "We're comfortable with the fundamental questions," Axel Eckstein explains, "and unlike a traditional management consultancy, we always keep an eye on whether problem-solution fit and value proposition ultimately turn into successful communication."

The agency founders demonstrate what this can look like right away in their own cause. For their first project under the name Atoll, they didn't develop a campaign, but a product: a glove wiper from the 3D printer. A pro bono project to improve hygiene in hospitals and wherever protective gloves need to be changed frequently. Thanks to the collaboration with two specialized companies from the field of additive manufacturing, the glove wiper could be made available in the shortest possible time, also as a free download under Atoll.cc/gloveremover.

Axel Eckstein

Founder and partner of Atoll. Member of the Account Planning Group Switzerland, ADC Switzerland and ADC Germany. 350 creative awards. Stations: Executive Creative Director at Leo Burnett and Havas in Zurich, Art Director at Jung von Matt in Zurich and Frankfurt and at BBDO in Düsseldorf.

Alexander Kranz-Mars

Founder and partner of Atoll. Lecturer in graphic and screen design, book author and game developer. Stations: Owner of plusgestaltung, senior consultant at Nose and partner at Crafft in Zurich. Digital art director at Stuttgarter Zeitung. Designer in London and Sydney.