Neutral is a communications, identity and thought leadership agency servicing brands, companies, institutions and cities. We have been a partner of strategic and creative transformation in economy, culture and retail since 2001. We're committed to supporting you in raising your stature and becoming more meaningful, visible and influential.
We are a pioneer in leveraging architecture, art, design and science to make your mission more engaging.
Neutral Zurich AG
yes@neutral.plus
Wasserwerkstrasse 129
8037 Zürich Switzerland
We are a pioneer in leveraging architecture, art, design and science to make your mission more engaging.
Neutral Zurich AG
yes@neutral.plus
Wasserwerkstrasse 129
8037 Zürich Switzerland
The most important annual gatherings of the global art world.
Art Basel works with Neutral on strategic projects and on the acquisitionsand activationsof new partners for its fairs in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong.
Repositioning Bally for fashion lovers with new capsule collections.
Bally requested Neutral to inspire a new generation of fashion lovers to indulge in Bally. Neutral conceived BallyLove, a series of capsule collections designed by artists in collaboration with the Bally design team. A partnership with Art Basel in Basel and Art Basel in Miami Beach was a natural synergy due to the shared Swiss heritage.
Philippe Decrauzat was the first artist to work on BallyLove products. Neutral produced showcases in Basel and Miami, a film and a pop-up store in Miami’s Design District. With BallyLove #2 Neutral continued the Swiss maison’s journey into the realm of contemporary art. Olaf Breuning designed a standout capsule collection. Neutral created showrooms for Art Basel in both Basel and Miami Beach, ads, a brochure, window displays and a social media campaign.
Building awareness for the musical talent behind one of today's most influential fashion brands of the world.
BFRND is the composer behind all Balenciaga shows since their Fall 2017 show where he debuted his career in the fashion world. Every season is a major milestone for the 28 years old composer. From orchestral ensembles to thumping industrial scores passing by tribal techno and 160 beats per minute hardcore, he translates Demna Gvasalia’s vision into sound.
Neutral accompanies BFRND's carreer, increasing awareness in international mass and niche media.
The story of Italian design which is also the history of the Boffi family.
Boffi enlisted Neutral with the opening of its new Boffi Showroom in Zurich. To help connect with a new generation of design lovers and convert them into faithful customers, Neutral developed a series of activations such as the Lunch Talk Series and Art kisses Design
Intimate projects for the fashion world's latest darling.
For Salon 01, the presentation of their SS21 womenswear collection, Bottega Veneta commissioned Neutral to realise a book project which documents the process from the creative idea to the final product.
Overseeing the project, Neutral supported Rosemarie Trockel in creating the body of work; coordinated, conducted and edited all interviews for the book and placed the project with the international art press. In addition, Neutral coordinated the campaign shooting of Trockel for the official summer campaign with Tyrone Lebon.
In June 2021, Neutral curated a 1-day pop-up show at Kunsthalle Zurich for Bottega Veneta with the iconic Walter Pfeiffer. Originally a coffee table book, ‘weak in the presence of beauty’ is a photographic series by the Swiss artist, intersected by a small number of drawings. Pfeiffer’s work in the book and the exhibition captured the constants throughout Daniel Lee’s menswear collections at Bottega Veneta and was accompanied by a public viewing and a lavish event for invited guests.
The red Cartier box, the écrin, is one of the signifiers of the French maison.
Neutral created a campaign evolving around the écrin with the goal to attract new fan groups and future customers. Together with 9 protagonists from different creative fields new work was created based on the red icon. . Collaboration with Nicolas Trembley.
Brand campaign that is testament to Chloé’s support of innovative female talent.
Chloé enlisted Neutral to make their partnership with fundraiser and art edition commissioner House of Voltaire come to live. Neutral developed the brand platform “The beautiful is always strange” and created bespoke editions together with artists Cao Fei, Jenny Saville and Karen Kilimnik. Net-a-Porter.com joined as the exclusive online stockist for Chloé’ limited edition pieces, which were also available in-store at House of Voltaire.
Images: Courtesy of Chloé
Creating synergies and excitement for Zurich’s new destination.
The Circle is the new destination at Zurich Airport. With 180,000 m² of floorspace conceived by architect Riken Yamamoto, this center will enhance Zurich’s attractiveness well into the future (opening 2020).
The destination offers an innovative mix of usage including art, retail, culture, health, restaurants and education facilities. Neutral started by creating a Manifesto, that defines the specific vibe of the Circle: its «Circleness». Building on this we developed new retail concepts and recruited brands and institutions for partnerships with The Circle.
Reaching out to a new generation of art lovers.
Task: creation of a relationship platform for private clients in new markets. Neutral answers with «Art and Entrepreneurship».
Under this title, which was also the motto of the initiative, 30 emerging artists were selected and asked to make an art work on entrepreneurial values. The exhibition travelled through seven countries and 3 continents and ended with an auction by Simon de Pury. The crates of the artworks were also the exhibition architecture.
Rooted in the past, ready for the future
Neutral supports Design Miami/ Basel in their endeavour to be tightly linked to the flourishing Swiss design and architecture scene. Curating and welcoming a bespoke guest list of the best contemporary architects and upcoming designers, Neutral continues to connect Design Miami with key players and fans of the show during its peak moment in June and in the run up to the fair.
Building brand awareness for the distinctive art talk format taking place yearly in the Swiss mountains.
E.A.T. / Engadin Art Talks takes place in Zuoz in the Upper Engadin every year at the end of January with a new distinct topic. Neutral has been instrumental in heightening the awareness of the format on a global level.
Become who you are.
Neutral was asked to participate in a national pitch to sharpen EPFL ArtLab's profile for internals, externals, and professionals. The goal was to dissolve from the current brand identity of the EPFL, take a leading position and be the most unique platform for promoting major research and innovation.
Neutral created KENGOS, a 360 degree campaign to rebrand and reposition ArtLab's brand strategy, corporate identity/design, and its implementation in all communication media.
Ugo Rondinone’s epochal sculptures at Rockefeller Center.
Neutral was tasked with orchestrating the media placement of Ugo Rondinone’s 5 to 6-meter-tall, human-shaped stone figures. The temporary installation transformed Rockefeller Center, inhabiting the plaza between 49th and 50th Streets as if transported from another time. The work titled Human Nature was free to the public. Neutral commissioned artist Roe Etheridge with a series of portraits of the artists which additionally pushed communication.
Creating talk formats in the realm of retail, beauty and fashion.
The Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute (GDI) is a Swiss independent think tank in consumption, economics and society. GDI assigned Neutral with the conception of a conference on Wellbeing and Beauty Retail. We created Eternity Now and invited speakers such as Marcia Kilmore (Beauty Pie), Giacomo Ardesio (OMA), Johanna Jaskowska (Digital Native), and Prof. Anjan Chatterjee (author of The Aesthetic Brain).
For GDI’s 69thInternational Retail Summit we invited Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of the Serpentine Galleries and Demna Gvasalia, Creative Director of Balenciaga for a conversation about what’s happening now in branding, retail, and fashion.
«It’s one of those campaigns that will set standards in German advertising.»
Horizont
HORNBACH is Europe’s fifth largest DIY and garden store. Since 2010, the bricks-and-mortar business has been completed by the online shop. HORNBACH has positioned itself as expert partner for challenging DIY projects by its clients.
Neutral approached HORNBACH with the idea to reach out to new audiences with an extraordinary project: A work of art by a globally influential artist that anyone can build themselves with material bought at the DIY store. Artist Ai Weiwei immediately loved the idea of public art and in an intense process involving 5 prototypes created a proposal for HORNBACH. Safety Jackets Zipped the Other Way was the chosen option. It has museum format. A manual demonstrates how it is built. The result is an original Ai Weiwei.
In a collaborative effort HORNBACH’s agency Heimat Berlin and Neutral Zürich are responsible for implementation and communication of this project. European press launch 11th February, Studio Ai Weiwei Berlin. Campaign: Documentary, TVC, billboards, social media.
Supporting and promoting Swiss art and research.
Istituto Svizzero has contributed to extending Switzerland’s cultural and academic influence outside its borders and above all in Italy since 1947. The institute assigned Neutral to enhance its Social Media presence to promote its program to the public. We created STACCATO - 10 Second Answers, a Social Media campaign, asking inspiring personalities questions which they have to answer in only a few seconds. The project takes place on the institute’s Instagram account and features Valerio Olgiati, Sarah Kenderdine, Manon Wertenbroek and many more.
Jelmoli's fall campaign 2022 in collaboration with Neutral
The department store of today must be holistic: a marketplace and playground of feelings, things, ideas and personalities.
Neutral based Jelmoli's autumn campaign on a 12-point manifesto which provides a tongue-in-cheek guide to consumption 2.0. The manifesto depicts the core values of the department store, its view on consumption and the conscious use of consumption. It will accompany Jelmoli over the coming seasons and will be continuously updated with content, offers, collaborations and voices.
New initiative centred on megatrends commissions new media artist Refik Anadol to create a global multi chapter activation
Placing its focus on megatrends which affect society at large, Neutral designed an initiative for Julius Baer to support the collaboration with forward-thinking artists and institutions committed to new forms of cultural production and in the vanguard of scientific research and technological developments. Partner Michelle Nicol joins the initiative's curatorial board, together with Hans Ulrich Obrist and members of the private bank.
Creating storytelling and experience through cultural collaborations.
Establishing Swiss luxury skincare brand La Prairie as an audacious collaborator in the art world by activating their partnership with institutions such as Art Basel in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong and Westbund Shanghai. Neutral curated La Prairie storytelling by initiating artistic collaborations and managing the relationships between the worlds of beauty and art.
Defining the essence of Lugano’s brand personality.
Redefining Lugano’s brand personality towards a positioning which makes the Luganesi proud and foreigners excited about a city which uniquely merges beautiful nature, culture and Artificial Intelligence.
Accelerate the future.
Luxury Venture Group is a Swiss-based accelerator and venture capital ecosystem to scout, select, accelerate and invest in the startups from luxury and related industries.
For the first Luxury Innovation Award in 2020, we set the tone of the evening by moderating the event and welcoming guests such as Jean-Claude Biver, Michael Glinski (CEO, Porsche Schweiz AG), Alexis Georgacopoulos (Director, ECAL), Barbara Coignet (Founder and CEO, 1.618 Sustainable Luxury) and many more.
Driving awareness for the most important museum of southern Switzerland.
Spreading MASI’s respected art program through Swiss and international media and creating a new fan base. Connecting the museum with potential partners. A freshly updated Social Media strategy shines to attract new visitors.
Moments of Ecstasy.
As part of the rebranding project of the established brand MIGROS Kulturprozent Classics, Neutral was asked to participate in a selected pitch to formulate a convincing visual language and structure that works optimally at all levels of communication in all channels, as well as a visual presentation that involves current and future target groups.
Staging a fulminant rebirth for the Scottish heritage brand.
Pringle of Scotland is one of the oldest luxury fashion brands in the world. The traditional Scottish manufacturer of knitwear had reached the dead end of brand vitality. Agency and brand managed the turnaround within a short period of time.
Firstly, with the reactivation of its specific heritage and the revival of the craft tradition. Secondly, with the conception and design of desirable limited-edition products that attracted attention in the lead titles of international media, and generated sales. Neutral collaborated with outstanding Scottish creatives – designers and artists: sweaters and twin sets became cult objects. Thirdly, with campaigns that stood out in the lifestyle and fashion world. Tilda Swinton was engaged as spokesperson, campaigns were shot with Ryan McGinley, Roe Etheridge, Walter Pfeiffer, Zoe Ghertner.
Neutral created a legendary brand film with artist David Shrigley, an important partnership with the prestigious Serpentine Galleries, artist collaborations with Liam Gillick, Douglas Gordon, Franz Ferdinand, Alistair Gray, pop-up stores, runway show concepts and shop windows. Neutral also contributed to flagship store architecture by signing up award-winning bureau Atelier Oï. Together with its network of international PR agencies Neutral achieved outstanding global press coverage, establishing a powerful image.
Driving the process from pure sports article manufacturer to sports lifestyle brand.
Puma approached Neutral with the task to drive the strategy change from pure sports article manufacturer to sports lifestyle brand worldwide within a short period of time.
Neutral conceived the repositioning with an immersive campaign. And with the creation of lifestyle products: the agency invented the Reality Bag series together with the Serpentine Galleries London and invited more than 200 artists and designers to collaborate. Neutral worked with John Armleder for the iconic design. Campaigns were shot by Ryan McGinley and Hank Willis Thomas and Rashid Johnson respectively, the latter two also featuring as models. Story and design of these limited-edition bags ensured high coverage in the media and traffic at POS.
Images and videos: Courtesy of Puma
Activating Vienna’s partnership with Art Basel for a culture curious public.
For 7 years until today Neutral has been curating Vienna’s storytelling in the collector’s lounge of Art Basel and spreading the news, that Vienna is Europe’s number one cultural destination.
Positioning Windsor in the absolute now with a collection for contemporary photography.
For German fashion house Windsor Neutral created the Windsor collection for contemporary photography, a measure supporting the repositioning of the brand in the now. The collection was accompanied by a series of activations such as a distinct series of publications, a public live shooting with Helmut Newton and an exhibition at Pitti Uomo in Milan. Featured artists include Cindy Sherman, Inez & Vinoodh, Erwin Wurm, Karen Kilimnik, Richard Prince, Sylvie Fleury, Ugo Rondinone, Roe Etheridge.
Images and videos: Courtesy of Windsor
Global re-branding of Switzerland’s traditional luxury underwear brand.
Zimmerli of Switzerland is the iconic producer of luxury underwear loved all over the world. Neutral executed a complete repositioning, including a new visual identity, revised logo, packaging and an advertising campaign shot by Zoe Ghertner in a contemporary concrete house in the Swiss mountains.
Staging the new Corporate Business Europe division for Zurich insurances.
The CEOs, CFOs and Chairmen of the largest companies in seven European countries needed to be inspired by the solution-oriented and forward-thinking insurance services of Zurich Financial Services. A b2b communication offensive was required.
How do you get into the calendar of business leaders? With unusual content and the corresponding information advantage. «The Next Three Years» was both concept and brand: a b2b initiative that was one of the most striking content-based campaigns in the corporate sector at the time. Neutral asked experts from design, finance and business, research, culture, philosophy, sociology and science worldwide the same question: «What will happen in your field of knowledge in the next three years?» Together with economists Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjell Nordstrom from the School of Economics Stockholm, Neutral analysed the content and derived scenarios for the future. A roadshow was performed in seven countries. According to Zurich, «The next three years» was one of their most successful campaigns of Zurich's corporate business.
«What if» was Neutral’s campaign preceding The Next Three Years. In the aftermath «What if» became the worldwide consumer campaign of ZURICH.
Positioning the city of Zurich as the influential hot spot for contemporary art.
Alienation, punk and the famous 80’s «movement» lead to liberation and subsequently to the foundation of Zurich as a breeding ground for contemporary art. For Zurich Tourism, Neutral analyzed Zurich’s cultural fields, developed proof of evidence, storytelling und defined anchor points for future activations.
Refining the art fair experience to its essential elements
VOLTA Art Fair fosters galleries in staging ambitious solo and group presentations. Under a new direction VOLTA aims to position itself as the main satellite fair for future Art Basel galleries.
Neutral is to establish a strong media presence and visibility in the Swiss-German side of Switzerland, as well as in the neighbouring German-speaking countries while building relationships with local key players, such as institutions, museum directors, gallery owners, journalists and VIPs.