A penny for your vote!

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About eight million five centieme coins were dumped on parliament square, to raise awareness of the campaign for the introduction of a basic income in Switzerland. The striking image went round the world. (Keystone/Peter Klaunzer) Keystone

This is how rightwing parties reacted to a leftwing-backed initiative to pump Swiss National Bank profits into the state-run pension plan. (Keystone/Lukas Lehmann) Keystone

William Tell and a compatriot collect signatures in 2014 for a people's initiative demanding that only the National Bank should be allowed to produce electronic money. (Keystone/Gian Ehrenzeller) Keystone

'Cleaning ladies' protest in front of parliament as part of a campaign supported by church groups and organisations representing illegal workers demanding better conditions. (Keystone/Peter Klaunzer) Keystone

A member of the extreme rightwing party, PNOS, symbolically sweeps minarets out of the country. The building of minarets was subsequently banned in a vote in 2009. (Keystone/Peter Schneider) Keystone

Flash mob: Greenpeace organised this protest in Zurich against nuclear energy in 2010. (Keystone/Walter Bieri) Keystone

Young Socialists try to drum up support for their initiative to limit managers wages to no more than 12 times that of the lowest of their companies. The campaign garnered a lot of attention but failed at the ballot box. (Keystone/Peter Schneider) Keystone

Cyclists dream of owning lightweight bikes. In this case, the balloon bike lifted off last year to launch a campaign for more bike-friendly laws. (Keystone/Peter Schneider) Keystone

A paraglider lands in front of parliament in 1992 to hand in signatures for an initiative opposed to the purchase of new fighter jets. The people had the last word, and approved the procurement. (Keystone) Keystone

Environmentalists run for clean air. The WWF campaign in 1992 urged the government to do more to combat air prollution. (Keystone) Keystone

A pact with the devil: green supporters of a successful campaign to shift heavy goods transport from road to rail don masks of the seven Swiss cabinet ministers to show their dissatisfaction with the government's slowness in implementing it. (Keystone/Sigi Tischler) Keystone

Activists supporting the indepence of the Jura region from canton Bern burned 'Free Jura' into the football pitch ahead of a 1983 match between Switzerland and the former East Germany. (Keystone) Keystone

The trade union UNIA placed a large plus symbol on a mountaintop in canton Fribourg last year, showing their support for pension reforms. (Keystone/Manuel Lopez) Keystone

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When it comes to creating political campaigns, the Swiss have a lot of practice as voters are called to the polls about four times a year.

How much is a five cent coin worth? Not much. But a pile dumped onto parliament square added up to CHF400,000 ($397,567). The publicity stunt was effective at raising awareness for a campaign to introduce a basic income in Switzerland. However the initiative failed miserably at the ballot box last year. 

It goes to show that raising awareness is one thing, convincing voters another.

This series of images shows a Swiss approach to political campaigning that often goes beyond the poster or advert.