Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By Elma Basic
Riccardo Fregoso, Executive Creative Director McCann Paris and Creative President McCann WorldGroup, will hold a speach he titled “Turning Shit into Gold” at the upcoming Golden Drum festival (Oct 16-17).
MM: You have been awarded numerous awards for your excellent work. Your guidance has helped McCann Paris achieve huge success in the last three years. Did you ever envision such success as a young boy? What is your driving force?
Riccardo Fregoso: In our industry, success is only possible with a collective effort. So the success is not mine alone, but the agency’s, and the group’s achievement. Dozens of talented and extremely motivated people transforming ideas into reality. As a child, or even as a young student, I couldn’t have ever imagined such a career, because I considered advertising an annoyance rather than something aspirational. But the situation has evolved, and nowadays we produce – sometimes – work that contributes to the cultural conversation, work that can influence society in a positive way, so I’m not complaining.
MM: According to you, the world of creativity is faced with many constraints such as social censorship, cultural isolation, regional conflicts, gender discrimination, inequality, or money cuts. You do not see those constraints as problems but rather a huge potential. That is the topic you will be talking about at the Golden Drum Festival – “”. How to get the best of what we have at hands? Can you share a practical example from your everyday work?
Riccardo Fregoso: It seems pretty straightforward to me: constraints are the very fuel of creativity. There are no ideas without problems to solve. Even if those problems are structural and affect the nature of our briefs. For example, gender discrimination can be a problem if a brand, or a government, tries to avoid talking about it, or even worst, censors the conversation. But it can also be a huge opportunity to influence society, like McCann Paris did with The Non-Issue for L’Oréal Paris. Recognizing the fact that women over 50 are underrepresented in the media, and creating an entire Vogue issue to illustrate the problem, is a perfect example of how you can turn a shitty situation into a golden opportunity.
MM: What are the biggest technological and social challenges that our industry faces today, and, on the other hand, what are the biggest challenges the consumers face?
Riccardo Fregoso: Your question about consumers is interesting because after all, their challenges should be our challenges. After all, we are all consumers. Increasingly, consumers expecting brands to make ethical choices, and brands who are committed to principles are rewarded, both in terms of business and at award shows. Take Nike’s campaign with Colin Kaepernick, for example. So I think that in terms of social and technological challenges we should be helping our brands connect with consumers values. Creativity is going to help clients develop more sustainable solutions for their brands, playing an absolute key role in the transformation of every aspect of the world in the 21st century.
