Twenty-four hours, one brief, and countless possible directions. This year’s Young Lions BiH winners, Anisa Omeragić and Amar Rahić, chose not to look for the quickest solution, but for the one that made sense. Before the idea, they tried to understand the problem, question its causes, and find the point at which creativity could have a real impact.
Their response to the brief developed in collaboration with UN Women BiH earned them the victory and the opportunity to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Young Lions competition within the Cannes Lions festival. What now lies ahead is an experience that opens the doors to the global stage for young creatives and gives them the opportunity to measure their ideas against peers from all over the world.
Ahead of their departure to Cannes, we spoke about the idea that led them to victory, the dynamic that emerges when two colleagues and friends spend 24 hours together under pressure, and how they view the local industry today, along with its opportunities and limitations. We also touched upon their expectations of a festival that many consider the pinnacle of the creative scene, and which will, for them, become a new classroom this summer.
The brief you received was more than a marketing task: you worked on a campaign aimed at encouraging people to vote for women in the upcoming elections, in collaboration with UN Women BiH. What was the first question you asked yourselves when you read the brief?
From the very beginning, we knew this was a topic that required a certain level of responsibility, and it was important to both of us that the idea we proposed would not be just a marketing story, but a genuine and realistic solution. We also knew that the problem we were trying to solve was not simple; on the contrary, it was highly complex and, in some ways, even abstract, especially in the current situation in our country. That is why the first question we asked ourselves was: What is the root and cause of this problem? What can be done to influence that root?
We decided to focus on one aspect of this issue (in our case, the visibility of female political candidates in the media) and devote ourselves entirely to that segment, instead of allowing our ideas to become diluted across multiple fronts.
You had competed at Young Lions BiH before. What did you learn from your previous attempts, and what helped you achieve victory this time?
The most important lesson from our previous attempts was that a good idea is actually the main driving force behind the entire process. This time, we consciously dedicated most of our time to brainstorming in order to establish a strong foundation for further execution, which made the rest of the process much easier.
We learned how crucial energy and time management are in competitions like this. We did not “burn out” in the first few hours; instead, we distributed our energy more wisely and remained focused and mentally fresh throughout the entire process.
We also tried to enjoy the process itself, get to know the other participants, and avoid putting too much pressure on ourselves, which ultimately proved to be one of the most valuable factors in our victory.
You know each other from the agency, work on the same projects, and already have a sense of how the other person thinks. How much did that everyday dynamic help you during the 24-hour competition, and how much did it push you out of your usual roles?
A lot. We know each other very well, we work together at the agency, and we are friends outside of work as well, which gave us an additional sense of ease and helped us remain honest with one another throughout the entire process.
Our dynamic is such that we think similarly but function differently, which in practice means that we constantly pull each other out of our comfort zones. We also had one key moment of disagreement during the process, when we challenged each other’s perspectives, and that ultimately led us to the final idea.
As young creatives building your careers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, how do you perceive the local industry today? What encourages you the most, and what frustrates you the most?
We are fortunate to live in a global village, so “the world is our oyster.” We are also part of a region where our industry is still developing and evolving, only now beginning to gain greater importance, so it is very interesting to see all the potential that is yet to come. A good reflection of that is all the young people who have participated in Young Lions this year and in previous years.
This is exactly where we see both the greatest opportunity and the greatest challenge. On the one hand, we have many creative people, fresh perspectives, and phenomenal ideas. On the other hand, the marketing industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina is still not developed to the same extent as it is in other markets, leaving a lot of room for growth. We believe that marketing is still not recognised as an important driver of business development to the extent that it should be, but that is precisely why we believe the potential for progress is enormous.
You are now heading to Cannes, where you will meet the best young creatives from around the world. What do you think will surprise you the most in Cannes – the brief itself, the competition, or the way other teams think?
At the moment, we are most interested in the way other teams think and approach briefs. We are looking forward to the opportunity to be surrounded by the best young creatives from around the world, to exchange ideas and experiences, and to see just how many different directions creativity can take.
Of course, we are also excited about the brief itself. We looked into previous years and know that the briefs are always challenging but also highly inspiring, so we have no doubt that this year’s task will be just as interesting.
Beyond the competition itself, we also want to fully experience the Cannes atmosphere – from the lectures and panel discussions to everything else that a festival like this has to offer. Our goal is to return home not only with the experience of competing, but also with new ways of thinking and fresh ideas.
