What if Switzerland turned its back on Europe?
Five animated vignettes that reveal the hidden costs of ending bilateral agreements with the EU.
Client
Economie Suisse
Field
Economic Sector
Type
Public Communication Campaign
Year
2024
Challenge
In collaboration with the Etienne Etienne and Freestudios agencies, we were commissioned to design and produce a series of short videos for the “Open and Sovereign” campaign led by Economie Suisse. This initiative is aiming to raise public awareness about the potential consequences of not renewing Switzerland’s bilateral agreements with the European Union.
The client’s initial script outlined several key risks Switzerland could face:
Exclusion from European scientific research programs
Worsening labor shortages
Loss of freedom of movement
Threats to electricity supply
Increased administrative and bureaucratic barriers
"Many thanks to Economie Suisse and to all the teams who collaborated with strength and creativity - with special thanks to Motion for Good for the production."
Etienne Francey, founder, Etienne Etienne agency
Storytelling
Originally planned as a single animation, the project evolved into a series of short vignettes — a format more effective for social media and well-suited to addressing each issue individually. This approach allowed for targeted, impactful storytelling, with videos released over time to sustain visibility.
We developed five vignettes, each using light irony, stylized characters, and metaphor to make complex political topics more engaging and relatable.
The artistic direction centered on a distinctive collage-style aesthetic, mixing textures, cut-outs, and imperfections. This crafted, editorial look helped humanize the characters and gave the campaign a unique voice — standing out from the polished, often generic content typical of social media.
Development Process
After finalizing the scripts, we began with creative exploration for character and environment design, along with a few simple animation tests to define the tone and motion style.
Once the visual and narrative approach was approved, we moved on to storyboarding, followed by animation production, synchronized with a temporary voice-over.
Finally, Freestudios took charge of the final voice-over casting, music composition, and sound design, bringing rhythm and emotional depth to the finished videos.
Results & awards
The five videos became a cornerstone of the "Open and Sovereign" campaign. They were published on the YouTube channel of @alliance-ouverte-et-souveraine and widely shared across digital platforms and social media, sparking public dialogue around Switzerland’s European policy, with one video alone surpassing 151k views on YouTube, demonstrating strong engagement with the campaign's message.
The use of metaphor and humor proved highly effective in making complex geopolitical issues understandable and emotionally resonant.
The video campaign was also shortlisted in the highly competitive “Film” category at the 9th edition of Meilleur de la Pub - a strong recognition of its creative and strategic impact.
Credits
Production director: Sylvain Lucotte
Direction and animation: Julien Andrey
Illustrations: Benoit Pelle
Script Collaboration: Pablo Martin
Sound Design: Freestudios
Production: Etienne Etienne, Etienne Francey
Production: Freestudios, Pascal Girardin
Client: Economie Suisse / Alliance ouverte + souveraine