When the scene became the stage

How choreographers, filmmakers, dancers, and a band united to give Zürich's freestyle culture a voice—and turned a contest into a movement.

5 Min. Read

Client: Swiss Youth Hostels (SJH)

Crew: 423 engaged ideas (Lead) + Real01 (Choreography) + 21lifestyle (Production)

Timeline: 14 weekends (May–Sept 2010) – nights & weekends while working full-time at Publicis Modem

My Role: Creative Director, Video Director (DoP), Edit & Post-Production

Platform: Online campaign + live event (FREESTYLE CH Zürich)

Partners: 7 Dollar Taxi (Band), Myrto Jollandis/Subsonic (Voice Over)

Context: Pre-Instagram, pre-TikTok—this was 2010, when authentic scene networks were everything

TL;DR

Youth scenes don't buy hype—they create it.

When Swiss Youth Hostels asked me to connect with Zürich's snowboard and hip-hop community, I didn't pitch a campaign. I called the people who lived that culture: Real01 (choreography), 21lifestyle (production), 7 Dollar Taxi (band).

Together, we turned a dance contest into a flash-mob moment—teaching moves online, filming across Zürich, celebrating freestyle energy. No one got paid. Everyone showed up. Because it wasn't a job—it was our stage. Spread over social media and word of mouth.

The Challenge

How do you reach youth culture without ads—on a shoestring budget?

Swiss Youth Hostels sought to connect with Switzerland's snowboarding and hip-hop communities during the FREESTYLE CH event in Zürich.

The brief: create buzz around a dance contest and music video with 7 Dollar Taxi, «looking like you need some sleep».

The catch: they chose me for my ties to the scene, my visual presence in the scene, and past dance videos I've done.

What made this complex:

Shared budget: CHF 12,000—not for hiring, but for permits, gear, food, and celebrating with everyone who showed up. The budget wasn't a limit. It was the party fund.
Weekend-only timeline: 14 weekends (May–Sept 2010) while working full-time at Publicis Modem—no luxury of dedicated project time.
Lead with no experience in video shooting with more than 30 participants: Coordinating choreographers, filmmakers, band, dancers, volunteers, permits, locations—learning on the fly
Given music track: Client had already chosen 7 Dollar Taxi's «looking like you need some sleep»—no flexibility, 2:42 Minutes on Point.
Authenticity risk: Youth scenes reject advertising, profiteers—one misstep and the whole campaign loses credibility.

The Solution

We built a collective

Instead of a marketing team, we built a movement.

Reaching out to the people who were Zürich's freestyle scene—not to hire them, but to unite around a shared vision: give the culture a stage. Real01 led the choreography and contest. 21lifestyle brought production chops. I brought my video skills and the glue that turned solo talents into a crew.

Together, we expanded the brief from "contest + video" into something bigger.

What we created:

Hero music video shot at 5 locations around Zürich in 1 day with 32 dancers, band, crew
A flash mob moment became reality when an unexpectedly large number of dancers responded to the call to participate.
4 learning video episodes released in stages on social platforms to build momentum and teach the routine, lowering the barrier to join the contest by teaching the choreography online first
Earned media activation through participants sharing their experience on their own channels

The Result

The scene showed up

My Hostel Song «looking like you need some sleep» by 7 Dollar Taxi

What happened:

+450 people registered for the FREESTYLE CH dance contest—not because of ads, but because the scene leaders invited them
32 crew dancers + around 23 enthusiasts responded to the call. + 7 band members + 12 volunteers spent a Saturday filming across 5 Zürich spots—for fun, because it was their stage
+21K views during the campaign window (hero clip + 4 learning episodes)—all earned, zero paid, not including the private posts of the participants and audience.
Live flash mobs at the rainy FREESTYLE CH with enormous audience participation and lots of fun

We didn't buy attention. We gave the culture a microphone—and they amplified it.

4th «my hostel dance» learning video staring: Rebecca Annies, Voiceover: Mytro Joannidis

What I Brought

Video craft + the glue

I wasn't the boss—I was the connector. My part:

Team-making: Turned choreographers, dancers, filmmakers, and a band into a crew that trusted each other—even when locations fell through and volunteers bailed
Video production: Directed the 1-day shoot (5 locations, 50+ people), edited the hero clip, cut 4 weekly learning episodes
Weekend sprints: 14 weekends while working full-time at Publicis Modem. Nights, early mornings, re-scouting spots, finding backup dancers and helpers from network

Making-Off filmed and cuted by Matteo Attanasio

What made it work:

Scene partnerships: No one got paid—shared ownership kept everyone invested
Weekend sprints: Concept → Meet → Organise → Shoot → Edit → Event, across 14 weekends
Micro-decisions under pressure: Location cancellations, band availability changes, and unreliable volunteers—I was constantly finding replacements and adjusting the plan, all while adhering to a single, unified goal.

The Reality: Pivots & Crisis

What went wrong—and how we adapted

Location cancellations:

The key location fell through 1 week before the shoot. Scrambled to find an alternative in the Zürich Landiwiese area (needed proximity to the FREESTYLEch venue for recognition factor). Found replacement, re-scouted, adjusted shot list—after work and night session.

Band availability shifts:

7 Dollar Taxi had limited availability—couldn't commit to the bespoke shoot schedule 2 Days before the shoot. Result: Rewrote the storyboard and shot-list to reduce their screen time, adjusted the timing in the shot plan, and compressed their scenes into tighter windows. Made it work, meant more coverage on dancers and the loss of an accompanying story–So what.

Volunteer reliability:

Several dancers and helpers had to pull out at the last minute—this is normal for volunteers juggling life and passion projects. Our network's strength was evident: someone was always there to step in and take over. That fluidity wasn't a problem—it was part of how the scene worked.

Design Decisions

What made it work

1. Co-creation + lean production matched the scene's DIY culture

In 2010, the term «influencer» did not realy exist. However, opinion leaders in the snowboarding and hip-hop scenes had credibility and established networks. By giving them creative ownership (REAL01 led choreography, while dancers co-created the routine) and keeping production lean and somewhat improvised, the campaign gained authenticity that we couldn't have bought with ads.

Credibility became our reach. Networks became our distribution. Overproduction would have killed authenticity.

2. Weekly learning videos: snackable content + cliffhangers

We released 4 snackable episodes (60-90 seconds each) weekly on Facebook, each ending with a cliffhanger: "Next move drops next Friday."

Learning 15 seconds per week felt achievable. Each episode brought users back to the Facebook page, building habit and anticipation. Loyal followers were rewarded with unique content each week, keeping them engaged during the four weeks leading up to the event.

3. Location strategy: recognition + logistics

All 5 locations are within walking distance of Landiwiese—the FREESTYLE CH venue. Audiences recognized the spots «I know that place!», reinforcing the link between video and live event. A mix of urban streets, lakeside areas, and school zones matched the aesthetic of youth culture.

4. Lucky us, we caught the sunshine during the shootings. This allowed us to brave the rain at the FREESTYLEch competition and mobs.

Key Takeaways

What the scene taught me

1. Creators > consumers

People don't want to be marketed to. They want to co-create. REAL01, the dancers, the band—they weren't hired talent. They were the story.

2. Trust is the only currency that matters

When scene leaders say «this is real», their networks listen. No ad budget can buy that credibility. Swiss Youth Hostel trusted us, supported us in the best way–and we made them proud.

3. Lower the barrier, then invite

Teaching the moves online first made joining achievable, rather than intimidating. Snackable weekly episodes built momentum without overwhelming anyone.

4. Chaos is part of the process

Locations cancel. Bands reschedule. Volunteers bail. You can't control everything—but you can build a crew that adapts together.

What I'd do differently today

Allocate budget: CHF 12k stretched thin—any crisis (location, crew, equipment) would have blown the budget. Today I'd negotiate for. No volunteers.
Lock band availability in writing: Handshake agreements with musicians don't work. Clear contracts next time.
Documenting the chaos and essence: We captured the music clip and the behind-the-scenes film. Today, I would add content or interviews related to the campaign claim «where people get together» with an evergreen character (long-term content). That earned media was left unclaimed.
As I wrote that Case: At the time, we were delighted that the SJH marketing team was so enthusiastic and grateful for the experience and the reach achieved. Today, however, I would ask for concrete marketing figures. (confirming the roughly estimated conversion rate of +2% digital → physikal.)

Why this still matters

In 2010, this was referred to as "viral marketing" or "guerrilla campaigns." Today, it's "influencer co-creation" and "community-led growth." The tactics evolved, conversion rates still fluctuate; the principles remained the same.

Credits

The Swiss Youth Hostels: Andrea, Corinne und Seraina – For their trust in us.
Choreography: Real01 (Rea)
Production Partner: 21lifestyle (Mateo und Fabian)
The Girl: Rebecca Annies
Music: 7 Dollar Taxi (Tizzy, Simon, Christoph, César)
Voiceover: Myrto (Subsonic)
And all the fantastic dancers and volunteers make that happen. A big shout-out!