How One Beautiful Display Nearly Broke a National Campaign—and What We Learned

Picture this:
A sleek new display is about to hit hundreds of pharmacies across Switzerland. It’s modern, luminous, and designed to turn heads. Brand managers are excited. The sales team is briefed. Marketing is ready to shine.

Then… the roll-out begins.

Within 48 hours, field photos start coming in. Cracked bases. Scratched plexiglass. Missing magnets. Pharmacists complaining. It takes two people and a prayer to move the damn thing.

Cue the phone calls. The escalations. The mild panic.

Welcome to the Struclaris Incident—a real-world campaign that reminds us all: beauty without function and a proper execution plan is a dangerous thing.

1. What Went Wrong?

When A Good-Looking Idea Doesn’t Survive the Real World

The campaign was ambitious: a nationwide roll-out of high-impact POS displays (called “Struclaris”) for a major Swiss pharmacy chain.

From a design standpoint, the concept was premium: wooden frames, magnetic inserts, clear plexiglass covers, interchangeable inlays. Something to stand out on the sales floor, reinforce product visibility, and create an elegant brand experience.

But the devil, as always, was in the details:

• Weighty matters: There were two formats. One clocked in at 20 kg. The other? A robust 40 kg. The problem? Neither was meant to be wall-mounted. They were free-standing frames meant to stand proudly on the floor. Except no one considered how you were supposed to lift, move, and position these safely—especially during busy hours.

• Shaky foundations: The wooden base wasn’t properly secured to the structure. During transport or installation, several bases cracked clean off the frame. Some displays arrived broken. Others didn’t make it past setup.

• Weak magnets, strong frustration: The inlay system was meant to be modular—magnetized inserts for easy updating. In reality, magnets failed to hold the printed inlays properly. They slid, popped out, or worse, refused to stay in place at all. Not quite the “Swiss precision” the brand was going for.

• Scratched before showtime: Finally, the protective plexiglass—which gave the whole display its high-end feel—was stored and transported from the manufacturer without adequate padding. Result? Nearly every piece arrived visibly scratched. The field team had to choose between installing visibly damaged materials or skipping the setup entirely. A lose-lose.

To sum it up: The display looked great in the design file. But it wasn’t ready for real life—at least not yet.

2. How We Handled It

Rolling With a Campaign That Was Already Rolling

By the time Rüfenacht was brought in, the displays were already on their way. There was no turning back. But there was still plenty we could salvage.

Here’s how we managed the chaos:

• Rapid response: We deployed our team to assess the damage—documenting transportation issues, installation issues, weight concerns, missing or broken parts, and POS feedback. We didn’t sugarcoat the findings. We sent a full report to the client within 72 hours.

• Ad-hoc patching: In several locations, our merchandisers improvised. Coordinated with the POS employees. Repositioned displays to avoid customer contact zones. Sometimes it wasn’t installed at all to avoid a potential human catastrophe.

• Communication chain repair: Perhaps the most important fix wasn’t physical—it was human. We stepped in to mediate between brand, creative agency, production, and field. Expectations were reset. Finger-pointing stopped. Everyone focused on making the best of what we had.

• Field data for leadership: We collected structured feedback and POS visuals to help the client debrief internally. No vague “campaign underperformance.” Just specific, documented field realities—and a path to do better next time.

3. What We Learned

(Spoiler: Pretty Isn’t Enough)

Failures are powerful teachers. Here’s what this campaign reminded us:

1. Test It Like You Mean It
   If your campaign includes new POS materials—especially anything custom-built—test the actual prototype in situ. That means in a real pharmacy. With real staff. With the real means of transportation. Bonus points if the person doing the test didn’t design it. You’d be amazed what fresh eyes catch.

2. Weight Matters (a lot)
   A beautiful display that can’t be safely moved or installed by a single person is a liability. Think of weight limits like you do packaging compliance—it’s non-negotiable. Always calculate not just what looks good, but what fits the workflow and safety norms of the retail environment. Side note: less weight = less gas to transport the thing.

3. Field Coordination Is Not a Nice-to-Have
   Even the best materials can flop without on-site coordination. If your plan involves POS installations, make sure someone is responsible for timing, placement, feedback—and quick fixes. That someone should be equipped, briefed, and trained to improvise within boundaries.

4. Don’t Ship Blind
   Transport is not neutral. Poor packaging can undo even the best design. Make sure your logistics partner and the producer understands the fragility of the material and is equipped to pack accordingly. If they treat your plexiglass like firewood, you’ll hear about it later—from the pharmacist.

4. How to Avoid This in the Future

A Quick Field-Ready Sanity Checklist

Before you go full-steam on your next POSM production, ask yourself:

✅ Have we tested a fully assembled prototype in a real pharmacy?
✅ Can a single person move and install this without risk or injury?
✅ Have we validated material resistance to scratching, tipping, or UV fade?
✅ Do we have a field deployment plan with clear roles, timelines, and fallback options?
✅ Are we tracking what goes where—and getting proof of service post-installation?

If the answer is no to any of the above: pause. Ask for help. Adjust before rollout.
(And if you don’t know who to ask—hi there, that’s what we do.)

5. Final Thought

Beautiful Design Needs Solid Execution

Let’s be clear: design still matters. You want your campaign to wow. To stand out. To signal quality.

But that only works if the execution doesn’t undermine the story. When a display collapses in-store—or gets quietly tossed into the backroom because “no one could figure it out”—your brand equity takes a hit.

Execution is invisible when it works. But when it fails? It becomes the whole story.

At Rüfenacht, we’re not here to point fingers. We’re here to make sure your brilliant ideas survive the journey—from boardroom to backroom to the front of the pharmacy shelf.

So next time you’re planning a campaign and wondering, “Is this really ready for rollout?”—give us a call. We’ll stress-test it, pressure-check it, and make sure what looks good on paper actually works in practice.

Because in Swiss pharma retail, flawless execution isn’t optional. It’s expected.

🧠 Want a second opinion on your next POS display?