The "March to Happiness" campaign by Blick leverages a compelling narrative set within the demanding context of the Swiss army’s endurance march to illustrate the brand’s core proposition: fulfilling readers’ desires transforms hardships into moments of joy. By showcasing the unexpected positive surprises given to officer candidates enduring a grueling 60-kilometer march under challenging conditions, the campaign conveys Blick's promise to be a source of happiness and fulfillment, even amidst adversity. The tagline "Heute ist alles drin" (Today, everything is possible) encapsulates this commitment to turning everyday wishes into reality, reinforcing Blick's role as an active facilitator of positive experiences for its audience.
Strategically, the campaign taps into a strong cultural and emotional insight—the resilience and collective spirit associated with Swiss military service, a shared reference point for the local audience. By intersecting this with the concept of spontaneous acts of kindness and wish fulfillment, Blick effectively humanizes its brand and deepens its connection with viewers. The use of a narrative genre and real-life scenarios enhances authenticity and emotional engagement, while the call to action inviting readers to submit their own wishes encourages participatory interaction, fostering community and loyalty. The campaign’s creative angle centers on transforming endurance and struggle into rewarding moments, aligning Blick’s media offering as more than news—a facilitator of tangible, emotional value. This approach targets Swiss consumers who value authenticity, communal values, and meaningful engagement, positioning Blick not just as a content provider but as an enabler of happiness in daily life.
FORMAT#6 BENEFIT CAUSES STORY — Builds a story where the product’s benefit is the reason for the action or twist.
This campaign centers around a narrative in which Swiss Army officer candidates experience unexpected turns during a grueling endurance march, but a surprise orchestrated by Blick transforms their ordeal and erases their fatigue. The underlying structure is not simply a story featuring the brand, but rather a scenario set up specifically to deliver the benefit—fulfilling reader wishes, which in this case brings happiness and relief during hardship. The narrative exists primarily because of Blick’s benefit (wish-fulfillment), making the campaign a classic example of "Benefit Causes Story." There’s no explicit problem-solution framing, overt symbolism, or testimonial; instead, the product’s unique offer sparks and enables the entire twist.
ADVERTISING FORMATS EXPLAINED: https://www.clapboard.com/blog/branding-and-advertising/brand-strategy/12-advertising-creative-formats
1. Tamedia – Market Positioning
Tamedia is Switzerland’s largest private media group, positioning itself as a diverse, digital-first news provider. It focuses on delivering high-quality journalism across multiple platforms, emphasizing local news, innovation in digital offerings, and strong editorial integrity to maintain trust and engagement among Swiss readers.
2. Ringier AG – Market Positioning
Ringier AG brands itself as a leading cross-media company with a strong presence in both print and digital markets. It leverages multimedia platforms, entertainment content, and a wide portfolio of magazines and newspapers to engage a broad audience, focusing on innovation, digital transformation, and audience-centric storytelling.
3. NZZ Media Group – Market Positioning
The NZZ Media Group holds a prestigious position as a provider of high-quality, in-depth journalism, catering to a premium, educated audience. It differentiates through its focus on analytical news, political and economic coverage, and intellectual commentary, maintaining a strong print and digital presence rooted in tradition and reliability.
4. SRG SSR (Swiss Broadcasting Corporation) – Market Positioning
SRG SSR operates as Switzerland’s public-service broadcaster, offering comprehensive radio, TV, and online content in multiple languages. Its market position centers on neutrality, wide accessibility, and fulfilling a public mandate to inform, educate, and entertain all Swiss demographics across diverse cultural regions.
5. 20 Minuten – Market Positioning
20 Minuten targets the younger, commuter demographic with free daily newspapers and digital content focused on quick, accessible, and relevant news updates. It differentiates by prioritizing speed, convenience, and brevity, combining entertainment and information to maintain high engagement among urban readers on the move.
Q: What is March to hapiness about?
A: March to hapiness is a 2016 campaign created by Jung von Matt for the Swiss media brand Blick. Set in Switzerland and targeting the media and entertainment market, the campaign centers on a narrative-driven video that follows Swiss Army officer candidates during a notoriously difficult 60-kilometer endurance march. The creative twist arrives when Blick orchestrates surprise moments of joy for the participants, transforming their hardship into happiness. This campaign uses real-life scenarios to reinforce Blick’s brand promise of wish fulfillment and positions the publication as an active facilitator of positive experiences for its audience.
Q: What creative device does March to hapiness use?
A: March to hapiness employs the Benefit Causes Story format, as classified by Clapboard’s 12-format taxonomy. In this approach, the entire narrative is constructed around the brand’s core benefit—in this case, Blick’s promise to fulfill reader wishes. The story exists solely because of this benefit: the surprise intervention during the grueling Swiss Army march is orchestrated by Blick to deliver happiness and relief. There is no overt problem-solution structure or testimonial; instead, the brand’s unique offer is the catalyst for the campaign’s emotional twist, making the benefit itself the driver of the story.
Q: What is the campaign proposition for March to hapiness?
A: The campaign proposition for March to hapiness is that Blick transforms everyday adversity into moments of joy by fulfilling the wishes of its readers. By placing its brand at the heart of a demanding Swiss Army endurance march and introducing unexpected positive surprises, Blick communicates its commitment to being a source of happiness and fulfillment, even in challenging circumstances. The campaign’s message, encapsulated by the tagline Heute ist alles drin, targets Swiss consumers who value authenticity, resilience, and communal engagement, positioning Blick as more than a news provider but as an enabler of happiness and meaningful participation in daily life.
Q: How does March to hapiness rank in Clapboard's archive?
A: March to hapiness holds a Clapboard Campaign Score of 72/100 in Clapboard’s global ad archive. This score reflects the campaign’s creative ambition, the quality of its execution, and its resonance within the cultural context of the Swiss media landscape.
Q: Who are the competitors in Blick's category?
A: In the Swiss media and entertainment sector, Blick competes with several prominent brands. Tamedia stands as Switzerland’s largest private media group, focusing on digital-first, high-quality journalism across platforms. Ringier AG positions itself as a leading cross-media company, leveraging entertainment content and digital transformation to engage a broad audience. NZZ Media Group caters to a premium, educated readership with in-depth analytical journalism, while SRG SSR fulfills a public-service mandate with multilingual content for all Swiss demographics. 20 Minuten targets younger, urban commuters with quick, accessible news and entertainment, emphasizing speed and convenience.
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