Featuring a wide range of content in the award-winning book “Zürcher Wasser Zeichen" by Zürcher Kantonalbank.
-
Client ZKB
-
Sector Finance
-
Engagement Concept, Content, Project Management
The Project
ZKB wants to give the people of Zurich a gift. We crafted the book “Zürcher Wasser Zeichen”.
How can a cantonal bank express its solidarity with the people of Zurich? With something tangible - a book that offers the best mental cinema. That’s why Zürcher Kantonalbank has been publishing books with stories from the Zurich living and business environment since 1973. In 2023, the bank wanted to continue the tradition of its “Züri” series. What could it score points with?
Water flows through the city and canton of Zurich, as it does through our lives. We therefore thought about how we could make the liquid element appealing to the people of Zurich, but also to municipal representatives. Together with journalists, authors, artists, illustrators, photographers and experts, we have shed light on Zurich’s water life in all its facets. Hilda design matters did the layout of the book.
Textile designer Bernhard Duss developed the cover in a linen look with embossed printing. He is inspired by fabrics, space and fashion. He has designed collections for Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Vivienne Westwood, among others. It goes without saying that only a high-quality thread binding with a bookmark would be suitable for his design. It was realized by BuBu.
Many companies and design studios from all over the world faced the judgment of our international jury. We evaluated countless entries. The fact that this book emerged as the winner is testament to the exceptional quality of the work.
Boris Blank, the sound painter from cult band Yello, composed the song “Hydrosphere” for us. He filmed raindrops on a fountain in Zurich and ice crystals in Lake Sils in the Engadin. And he created a video from his collection. Let’s dive into the cool water with multimedia!
50k
Views
The soundtrack “Hydrosphere” by Boris Blank was viewed about that many times on social media.
4x
Gold
Our book also impresses experts: it has won gold at the Red Dot Award and three times gold at the Best of Content Marketing Awards.
400
Hours
That’s how long we spent researching fresh inspiration for 170 book pages on two types of paper.
From underwater archaeologists to fountain keepers: many people are called to the water. Photographer Basil Stücheli visited them for us.
Is it difficult to cry on command? Talented actors from the ZHDK tried it out for us. Maurice Haas provides the proof with his photos.
As comic freaks, we wanted a graphic novel: it’s great that Andreas Gefe and Noyau have created one for us—inspired by wild waters.
Bathing like Zwingli once did: historian Martin Illi set out on the trail of Zurich’s old country baths for us—and discovered some amazing things.