Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
Igor Mladinovic is Creative Director at Imago Ogilvy, leading full-service Croatian agency and the first Croatian agency that won the Cannes Lion. For last 15 years, he has been successfully navigating the waters of creative industry, despite the college diploma he owns has nothing to do with creative industry. However, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture was useful to him for one reason – to understand what he did not want to pursue in life.
Igor is an excellent example of how unpredictable life is and how dreams can come true if we want something enough. He will be pleased if on the 5th Play Media Day he succeeds in inspiring people to take a similar path or be better than him, or if he helps some to understand what they do not want in to do in life. But, we believe that he will with his story and example, offer much more to the audience.
He makes the best štrukli and knowe the best recipes for successful campaigns, awards and victories.
Can you tel us more about yourself?
Mladinovic: I come from Zagreb and I was born there 41 years ago. In those four decades, my home address was within a radius of some 500 meters, making me a pretty micro-local patriot. I always used the world for inspiration, and that southern part of Zagreb for life and creation.
I finished high school, purely to postpone the decision of what I would do in life, and after that I graduated in mechanical engineering, to be convinced officially what I would certainly not do in life.
How your career has progressed so far? What is your biggest business success?
Mladinovic: After college I did nothing for a year. But when the offers of various mechanical engineering companies started getting serious, I had to activate and finally reject them all, in order to get a job in an advertising agency. My first job at McCann was in a position that I didn’t know how to read or even what it means – junior copywriter. First, the ‘junior’ fell out of that title, and then over the next few years I went through all the steps within the creative department to work current job – in the position of Chief Creative Director for the last four years. From that position, I moved to Imago Ogilvy where I work to this day, currently in the position of Chief Creative Director.
I can say that I have two business successes – the first is that after 16 years I am still active in this profession. The second is that I came to Imago, a place where I could give the most and the best of myself.
The Imago agency received great recognition at the most relevant advertising festival in the world when it won the Cannes Lion. From this distance, how did this happen?
Mladinovic: Anyone who has ever been a member of a creative advertising jury knows that the happiness factor is a must. Prerequisite is that you have a great project, but among the 10,000 excellent works (out of forty thousand reported) you need a lot of luck to jump out. I am convinced that the projects we reported to Cannes after the winning one were just as good or even better, but they just didn’t go through. The cause of my satisfaction is a well done job and something of value left behind, and the reward is only a consequence that may or may not come.
What can participants of 5th Play Media Day expect from you? What content will you offer them?
Mladinovic: Well, they can expect me, that’s for sure. I don’t promise much more than that. I am not one of those who believe in the power of education through lectures and that is why I will try to be unpretentious. I can’t teach anyone anything there, I can be an inspiration to someone, open up some chakras or maybe distract someone from this business. And that is all. I hope, however, that most will be the ones I inspire to take a similar path and be better than I am.
What you will talk about at a regional communication event PMD05?
Mladinovic: The topic will be creativity as a philosophy of life because it is something I believe in and the way I live my life.
What are some of the current issues in creative industry?
Mladinovic: I think it’s a kind of identity crisis. People are trying to be a partner to clients, then consultants, at the same time artists and humanitarians, all with great profits and budgets that no one wants to pay anymore. The concept of a classic advertising agency is gone and this is a logical evolution. Some agencies disappeared during that evolution, and those that have survived are still looking for their role in that new food chain.
What about current trends in the creative industry?
Mladinovic: The main trend for years has been to be a relevant accomplice to consumers’ lives. Some do it successfully, and some look like a hard-working neighbor who rings your door because he wants to hang out and you pretend you’re not home.
More details about fifth regional communications event Play Media Day available on www.playmediaday.com. Get your tickets on time, among more than 1000 participants from creative industry, with 50% off until 1st of March. See you on Play Media Day 05! Communication is endless!
