For the second year in a row, the Brand of the Year title at the Slovenian Advertising Festival went to Mastercard. Behind this recognition is not a single campaign or one successful festival appearance, but a continuity of work on projects that aim to leave a mark beyond marketing metrics. One of them is the “Geste vključenosti” campaign with Prispevaj kretnjo initiative, which turned the issue of financial literacy within the Deaf community into a topic discussed far beyond the communications industry.
Mastercard’s Slovenian team decided to focus on concrete solutions – from developing financial vocabulary in sign language to creating a platform prispevajkretnjo.si that continues to live on after the campaign. This approach raised questions about the role of brands in society, the boundary between genuine responsibility and “purpose washing,” and the space local teams have within global companies.
We spoke with Aleš Petejan, Marketing Director of Mastercard Slovenia, about where social responsibility ends and “purpose washing” begins, how much room local marketing teams actually have within global corporations, and why the biggest breakthroughs happen only when companies start seeing agencies as strategic partners.
The “Geste vključenosti” campaign with Prispevaj kretnjo intiative (ang. Contribute a sign) and the theatre show Sto pa roka! turned inclusive communication and financial literacy into a kind of performance, something rarely seen in this industry. What did your internal brief look like, who was the first person in internal discussions to say “yes” to this idea, and did anyone say “no” at all?
From the beginning, our brief focused on creating long-term social impact and strengthening Mastercard’s role as a purpose-driven brand. The idea of a live theatre performance was not a later creative addition – it was embedded in the Prispevajkretnjo.si initiative from the very beginning.
While developing the financial dictionary, we realized that a purely digital solution would not be enough. The challenge was how to bring these signs to life and make them relevant for both the Deaf and hearing communities. The theatre performance became a natural next step – a way to create a shared, immersive experience.
Because this approach was rooted in the very core of the strategy, there was strong internal alignment. The performance felt like a logical continuation of the project rather than a bold departure from it.
Mastercard is a global brand with precisely defined guidelines. How much freedom do you actually have as Marketing Director in the Slovenian market, and where were the boundaries you either could not or did not want to cross? How much autonomy do you really have at the local market level?
Being part of a global brand like Mastercard means working within a strong strategic framework. Our role locally is to translate those global principles into content that is relevant and meaningful within our market.
This comes with a high level of trust. When initiatives are based on strong insights and clearly support the Mastercard narrative, local teams have the flexibility to shape how ideas come to life.
With Sto pa roka!, we did not step outside global guidelines. We brought the Priceless platform to life in a way that addressed a specific local need: improving financial literacy and inclusion for the Deaf community.
At the same time, there are important boundaries. Maintaining brand quality and credibility is essential, and we are equally careful to avoid superficial approaches. For us, inclusion had to be built on substance, starting with the development of the financial vocabulary itself.
The “Geste vključenosti” campaign did not feel like a project created only for the communications industry, but rather something that had real value for people and the community. How much can projects like these influence the way audiences perceive a global brand in the long term?
Today, audiences quickly recognize whether a project creates real value or simply generates visibility. Long-term brand perception is shaped by initiatives that go beyond communication and deliver something tangible.
In our case, the focus was on creating meaningful infrastructure: from developing financial vocabulary in sign language to building platforms that support ongoing education. The theatre performance helped make this work more accessible and engaging.
The results indicate that this approach resonates: we recorded a measurable increase in financial literacy within the Deaf community, alongside stronger attribution of the initiative to Mastercard.
Over time, this builds deeper trust and a more meaningful connection with the brand.
Financial literacy is positioned as a social responsibility issue, yet Mastercard also has a direct business interest in this area. Where do you draw the line between genuine social responsibility and what the industry calls “purpose washing”?
Financial literacy is often viewed as a social responsibility issue, but for Mastercard it is closely linked to financial inclusion and our core business.
The key difference lies in whether an initiative creates lasting value. In our case, we focused on building something that continues beyond the campaign itself, including a standardized financial vocabulary, a digital platform, and a sustainable funding model.
We believe that when social impact and business relevance are aligned, initiatives become more sustainable. They are less likely to remain one-off projects and more likely to evolve over time.
For example, the project continues to grow through partnerships and contributions that support the further development of the platform. This ensures continuity and long-term relevance.
SOF is now in its 35th year, and you are Brand of the Year for the second consecutive year. When you look at the top brands at the festival, do you consider Slovenian companies brave enough, or are they still afraid to fully trust agency ideas?
Winning Brand of the Year for the second consecutive year is a great recognition of long-term consistency and strong collaboration.
Today, there are many examples of bold and high-quality work in the Slovenian market. At the same time, across the broader landscape, there is still a tendency to favor safer approaches.
True bravery is less about being provocative and more about trusting strong insights, even when the execution initially feels unconventional.
The biggest changes happen when agencies are seen as strategic partners rather than execution providers. That level of trust is what enables more ambitious and impactful work.
While accepting this year’s awards at SOF, you said that the difference between good and exceptional brands lies in the balance between idea, execution, and effect. What is most often overestimated in the industry today, and what is being completely neglected?
The industry often places a strong emphasis on the initial idea, sometimes underestimating the importance of execution and long-term impact.
A strong idea is only the starting point. What ultimately matters is how consistently and effectively it is brought to life, and whether it creates lasting value.
What is sometimes overlooked is structural impact: building platforms, behaviors, or systems that continue delivering benefits even after a single campaign has ended.
With Sto pa roka!, the idea was important, but the real impact came from combining it with the development of financial vocabulary, thoughtful execution, and a model that supports ongoing growth.
And finally, if someone were writing about Mastercard in Slovenia ten years from now as an example of how to build a brand with long-term impact, what would you want that text to say – and what would you definitely not want it to say?
I would like Mastercard in Slovenia to be remembered as a brand that contributed to meaningful and lasting change – not only through communication, but through solutions that continued to live on after their launch.
Ideally, our work will be seen as helping make financial services more accessible and inclusive, while simultaneously building strong connections with local communities.
What we would want to avoid is the perception that we engaged with social issues only at a surface level. For us, long-term impact will always be more important than short-term visibility.
