Advertising Illustration for Künzli Optik, Zürich – Campaign Case Study
In 2013, I was commissioned by renowned Swiss advertising agency Matter & Gretener to create a series of concept-driven advertising illustrations for their client Künzli Optik, the long-established eyewear boutique at Zürich’s Hegibachplatz. The campaign, directed by Creative Director Daniel Matter, was built around a strikingly original concept: could minimal portrait illustrations, paired with real glasses, create the illusion of celebrity?
The agency’s creative brief required the illustrations to be as minimalist as possible—each character rendered with the fewest lines while still evoking a specific mood or resemblance. The challenge was in creating recognisable archetypes without explicitly depicting anyone. The magic came from placing real photographed glasses
onto the printed illustrations—bridging photography and line art to create optical illusions. Was that a movie star? A global icon? Or just someone who wore the right pair of glasses?
Each drawing was printed and carefully aligned with real eyeglasses, then photographed in-studio by Jonas Kuhn to produce the final campaign visuals. These were prominently featured in magazines, on Zürich trams, billboards, and across public transport.
Supporting credits include graphic identity by Jessica Lorenz, text by Dominik Imseng, and client service by Victor Rosser. The campaign tagline: “Für Brillen mit Charakter” (“For glasses with character”) underscored the concept with elegant clarity.
Key Competencies & Capabilities
• Advertising illustration
• Character and facial design
• Minimalist visual storytelling
• Print-ready vector artwork
• Concept refinement and art direction collaboration
Tools & Workflow
• Adobe Illustrator (vector illustration)
• Pen and ink sketch development
• Client review cycles with annotated revisions
• Coordination with photography and layout teams
For more examples of advertising and business illustration, visit the dedicated portfolio section here:
https://marsdenillustration.com/advertising-business/
Contact me to discuss your next advertising campaign or editorial illustration:
[email protected]
