Werner Belmont
Werner Belmont (born March 12, 1915 in Cham ; † September 27, 2011 in Bern ; resident in Basel and Schwyz ) was a Swiss lawyer , copywriter , actor , pantomime and painter . From 1954 to 1978 he was the style- defining advertiser for the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) and in this role played a key role in shaping the company's public image.
Life
Belmont, born in Cham in 1915, initially worked as a doctor of law at courts and public prosecutors before embarking on a career as a playwright, director and actor and a member of the Cabaret Cornichon . In 1954, under Oskar Kihm, he joined the SBB's "Publicity Service", of which he was head from 1974.
Belmont's job as advertising consultant, creative director and copywriter in one person was to give SBB a friendly face, which he succeeded in achieving in the long term. The slogan he coined, “The smart travels in the train”, is still part of the common Swiss language and has long been emblazoned as neon letters above the Basel train station entrance. His other advertising messages (often written in rhyme form according to the taste of the time) were also characterized by a catchy pun. These include B. “Good Idea - SBB”, “Ice and Snow - SBB”, “Wellbeing in the dining car”, “Resting in a hurry” or “Old age begins at the ticket counter”. Belmont's slogans were translated into posters by leading graphic artists such as Herbert Leupin and Donald Brun , many of which were named “Best Posters of the Year”.
Belmont formulated his view of advertising a state-owned company as follows:
“In state-run businesses, even humor is serious. Coming from the office, the cheerful tone is more than an advertising style. It is the expression of our Swiss relationship between state and citizens. Not that from top to bottom, but that on the same level. The state as a citizen, the citizen as a state. The state enterprise derives great benefit from this. A happy audience is more than a won customer. They are good-humored Confederates who are well-disposed towards their SBB, who stand by them - also as voters, as taxpayers, as parliamentarians - even as drivers and carriers. "
Werner Belmont died at the age of 96 on September 27, 2011 in Bern. His estate is in the Bern Burger Library .
Works
- Werner Belmont: Bureaucratia dell'arte: satirical images and texts. Scherz , Bern / Munich / Vienna 1996, ISBN 3-502-12050-1 .
- Jacques Carelman, Werner Belmont (translation): Catalog of amazing things (original title: Catalog des objets introuvables ). Benteli, Bern / Bärmeier & Nikel, Frankfurt am Main 1970. Volk und Welt, Berlin 1987, ISBN 3-353-00039-9 .
literature
- Belmont, Werner. In: Sikart
- Werner Belmont in the catalog of the Burgerbibliothek Bern
- Paul Schneeberger: catchy tunes for the SBB. On the passing of Werner Belmont, creator of the slogan “The clever travels in the train” , Neue Zürcher Zeitung , October 5, 2011, p. 12.
- Markus Seger: The cheerful tone from the office. Dr. Werner Belmont, Head of Advertising, SBB 1954–1978 (DVD), SBB Historic , 2007.
- Markus Seger: SBB advertising 1902–2000 (PDF; 1.9 MB), SBB Historic, 2005, p. 29 ff.
Web links
- Literature by and about Werner Belmont in the catalog of the German National Library
- Werner Belmont in the catalog of the Burgerbibliothek Bern
Individual evidence
- ↑ Werner Belmont and "Der Kluge travels in the train" - Werner Belmont died on September 27, 2011 in Bern at the age of 96, DLB office on September 30, 2011
- ^ Werner Belmont in the catalog of the Burgerbibliothek Bern
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Belmont, Werner |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swiss advertisers |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 12, 1915 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cham , Canton of Zug , Switzerland |
| DATE OF DEATH | September 27, 2011 |
| Place of death | Bern |