In Underwear Through Bern
Diary entry from May 9, 2023
Today we want to create our new videos for the deodorant cream. We know that a social media user's attention span is less than two seconds. Wow, that's short! So we came up with something daring.
This was a difficult decision for us, as we were moving from the familiar into the unknown.
To capture users' attention in the first few seconds, a man in his underwear stands in Bern and rubs our deodorant cream into his skin...
09:02 Arrival of the crew
It's a pleasantly warm May morning when we gather at Bern train station. A diverse group of creatives and adventurers – the crew behind this somewhat daring project. Among them is Cyrill, our brave amateur model, ready to plunge into the unknown.
09:07 Briefing with coffee and croissants
Over a cup of coffee and a delicious croissant, we share our thoughts. We know we're a small fish in the big deodorant ocean. That's why we want to be bold and make our voices heard.
We ask Cyrill: "Are you aware that you're about to walk through the city wearing only your underwear?" We want one thing above all else: to stand out 😊. We achieve this by breaking expectations and pulling people out of their everyday routine with something unexpected."
09:34 Everything okay, Cyrill?
But why does Cyrill do this at all? His answer impresses us: "If I can choose between two lives in which I did this or not, then I'll choose the life in which I did this." What a beautiful attitude.
Admittedly, we're a little nervous. Will everything go as we imagined? What could happen? How will we behave if...?
But enough of the talk—we're ready. Let's go.
Setting up and the big kick-off
9:52 a.m.
Our first filming location: Bern train station.
Beneath the canopy— right in the middle of the crowd.
The tension rises.
Fäbu sets up the camera.
Reto keeps a watchful eye. Yannick takes his position.
Meret supports the model, while Cornelia watches over the gear.
Then comes the big moment:
Cyrill steps into the spotlight.
Roll the film – what happened next nobody could have guessed
9:56 a.m.
And there he stands—our man in underwear, holding our deodorant cream.
Curious glances, surprised passersby… and then suddenly—**that other man**.
We had barely filmed for what felt like 30 seconds when we found ourselves right in the middle of an uncomfortable scene.
This was definitely not part of the plan.
09:59 Appearance of the Bern City Police
Police officers on their morning rounds notice this loud man. What happens next? We don't speak to each other, just exchange uncertain glances. We didn't expect that our plan could end after just the first five minutes.
We explain our plan to the law enforcement officers. After a brief conversation, a smile and a shrug – all good. We haven't done anything wrong and are allowed to continue our day of filming. The police officers simply recommend that we continue filming our videos at a different location.
10:08 Said and done - relocation to new location
We laugh along with the sun and move on. Our destination: Bern's Old Town. We breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that we have a story to tell that won't be easily forgotten.
Self-talk and selfies
10:22 a.m.
City visitors, tourists, pedestrians... they all turn their heads.
Their faces reflect the same unspoken question: What on earth is that man in his underwear doing?
They stop and watch us.
Some smirk, others shake their heads in disbelief, while still others show clear signs of confusion and curiosity.
Filming location Kirchenfeld Bridge
10:41 a.m.
We have great values that we'd like to share with the world, but somehow we're missing that special "transport charm" to truly stand out. So we thought: Why not take matters into our own hands and showcase our values right in the middle of the Kirchenfeld Bridge?
Final photo of the crew
11:13 a.m.
So, the clips are in the can. Before we wrap things up, we'll take the opportunity to reveal our cinematic crew to the camera one more time...
Maybe Hollywood will call! 🎬
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
At this point, we'd like to thank everyone who made this day possible: Cyrill, our courageous model; Fäbu, the talented cameraman; Yannick, the attentive photographer; and last but not least, our organizers, helpers, and supervisors: Meret, Reto, and Cornelia.
We hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we did on this May day.