ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO THAT?

Attract attention in the village of Thusis, with you and the locals, where the "STORY" is created!
A report on our advertising campaign appeared in the Südostschweiz edition of Wednesday, November 16, 2022.

We sprayed the phrase "What's your story?" with stencils and chalk paint in several places on the sidewalk of Neudorfstrasse in a night-and-fog campaign...

You can find out what exactly is behind it and what the newspaper Südostschweiz thinks in the report from November 16, 2022. You can also find the link to the article here.

Thank you Silvia Kessler for the report.

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Report of the Bündner Zeitung from Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Advertising with question marks puzzles Thusis

A question, painted in white paint on an asphalt-grey background, has been all over Thusis for around two weeks. Behind the campaign is a local company with a flair for surprises.

from Silvia Kessler

They suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "What's your story?" shines out at the pedestrian from the sidewalk on Neudorfstrasse in white paint on an asphalt-grey background. The matter would have been quickly forgotten, but the same question appears again after just a few steps. The same lettering accompanies them throughout Neudorf, on the sidewalks on both sides of the street, from Migros down to the "Bernina" restaurant. Train and Postbus passengers literally bump into this one question all the time on the station square too. Some people look puzzled, on the lookout for a clue that might explain the meaning of the question, but there is nothing for miles around.

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"Action in the gray area"

The solution to the riddle leads via the word "story" to a current construction project in Thusis. A three-storey building is being built on the Rosenbühl at the entrance to the Viamala Gorge, which will combine sport and co-working as well as various courses and events under one roof and is set to become a new meeting place for locals and guests (issue of 7 May). The project is being realized by the Viamala team Sportwerkstatt, which is also behind the enigmatic advertising campaign.

On November 5, the team led by Johannes Nidecker launched the newly designed website, which is entirely dedicated to the renaming of the Viamala Sportwerkstatt to "Story". While looking for ways to make the news visible in Thusis, the idea of placing the message on the sidewalks and squares was born. It turned into a "campaign in the gray area" because the advertising campaign has not been approved. "Because no one would have approved it," says Nidecker straightforwardly. "We had a long internal discussion about what we were legally allowed to do and what we weren't, and ultimately decided on this campaign."

The lettering was finally put up in the village in stages and "at night and in fog". But if the campaign were to disturb anyone, it would quickly disappear again, as Nidecker emphasizes. "A bucket of water and a brush would be enough, because we used ordinary street chalk, like children use."

Fleeting appearance

According to Nidecker, there are some people who are on to the creators of the advertising campaign. He and the other members of the team are repeatedly approached by people who want to know whether Sportwerkstatt is behind the lettering and what the meaning behind it is. "One question that almost always comes up is about the permit," continues Nidecker. But in his opinion, advertising can also take unusual paths. He believes it is quite unlikely that the sidewalks in Thusis could suddenly be used by other organizations or businesses for advertising messages. "Unusual advertising campaigns only work once," Nidecker is convinced. The "Story" campaign surprised people as desired and the goal of arousing curiosity was achieved. With the next rain or snowfall, the lettering will disappear just as it appeared. And the question of legality will also disappear.

You can find the link to the article here.