At the recent Branding Conference, everything looked flawless- from the stage setup to the tiniest details that shaped the event’s identity. But while the spotlight shines on speakers and designers, it rarely illuminates those who physically bring those ideas to life. Margo, the printing house behind much of the event’s production, is one of those quiet forces. Though their name might only appear on a sponsor thank-you list, their dedication, creativity, and precision were visible in every corner.
That’s why we spoke with Anđela Čulina, director of Margo, about what it’s like to receive a creative brief titled ‘needed yesterday,’ about working with agencies, about their wildest projects, and the quiet pride that comes from knowing their work ends up in hundreds of event photos- even if almost no one tags them.
MM: You’ve been in the BiH market for decades- how recognized are you by partners across the region? Have you had opportunities to work on major projects in neighboring countries?
Anđela Čulina: Margo has been around for 25 years, with the last 20 dedicated to challenging and unique projects. Of course, over that time, we’ve worked in countries across the region, but our focus remains on the BiH market. We aim to be a true partner and support system for loyal clients 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Working outside of BiH impacts that negatively, and doesn’t really allow for continuity, especially since deadlines are often too tight for customs, transport, and on-site work abroad.
MM: What happens when a client comes to you with a ‘slightly crazy but urgent’ idea?
Anđela Čulina: That’s pure adrenaline, and honestly, if it weren’t for those kinds of projects, I probably wouldn’t have stayed in this line of work for so long. When you’ve been doing the same job for years, you need those kinds of challenges to break the routine. The entire Margo team thrives in high-pressure moments, especially when we’re tackling something totally new. And the satisfaction when we pull it off? Immense. We haven’t had a challenge yet that ended any other way.
MM: Is printing today more a matter of engineering, art, or psychology?
Anđela Čulina: A bit of everything – plus a lot of imagination, knowledge, and experience.
Having cutting-edge equipment, on par with major printing houses in much larger countries, combined with a strong team and solid organization – that’s engineering.
Bringing an idea from paper to life – that’s art.
Convincing both the client and yourself that you can do it – that’s psychology.
MM: What was your first thought when you saw the visuals for the Branding Conference – ‘This is impossible,’ or ‘Finally, something inspiring’?
Anđela Čulina: Without hesitation: ‘Finally, something inspiring!’
We handled and installed the entire project in five days, and anyone who attended Branding knows how massive it was – visually stunning, incredibly demanding, with multiple setups, all for just one day. Huge credit to the organizers: conceptualizing, executing, and financing something of that scale isn’t something many can do.
MM: Is there such a thing as ‘printing adrenaline,’ and how does it feel the day before a major event?
Anđela Čulina: That’s exactly the question! I’ve been talking about that adrenaline the whole time. For us, the biggest rush comes when we get the project. The day before the event – it’s all pure professionalism.
MM: What’s something you wish organizers better understood about the ‘production miracle’ behind the scenes?
Anđela Čulina: It used to frustrate me when clients didn’t realize the amount of effort and people needed to make things happen. How many late nights go into making everything perfect, how many times things are redone until everyone’s happy…
But today, I see it differently. Our clients completely trust us. Once we agree on a project, to them, it’s done. They rarely ask about materials, status updates, or progress visuals. They just know we’ll deliver the best result possible – on time – given the complexity, time, and budget.
Over time, you learn that it’s actually better that way. You get the freedom to change materials if needed, you start to think like the client, and you focus on what truly matters.
We often end up being harsher critics than the client. We’ll redo something that technically ‘passes,’ but not by our standards. That’s all we see in the finished project.
MM: What’s the wildest order you’ve ever delivered- and how did you survive it?
Anđela Čulina: Every Sarajevo Film Festival is a wild order! We don’t take vacations during that time; there’s no room for personal life. Every day is a new client, a new project, a new sponsor with their one and only perfect evening – and as soon as one setup is done, a new challenge begins. But if I had to pick one, it would be working on Coca-Cola’s outdoor campaigns. A new campaign every 15 days, each with visually impressive setups never seen before. Honestly, Coca-Cola deserves an entire interview. Many of those OOH ideas ended up winning awards at festivals.
Here’s the craziest example:
For a campaign for Olimpija, we created actual waterfalls inside city light boxes.
We built a box within the lightbox, placed real river stones- not factory-made, we needed stones with mud, moss, and greenery. Then we added imported artificial plants that didn’t look artificial, built waterfalls using water pumps, water tanks, and figured out how to power it all even though city lights only get electricity at night. Dealing with condensation was another challenge entirely. We agreed on the project in 15 minutes – but it took us significantly longer to execute. And the funniest part? There wasn’t a single square centimeter of actual print in the whole thing.
And we’re a printing house.
MM: Do you have a ‘printer’s pride’ moment- something that turned out better than anyone imagined?
Anđela Čulina: Every event we do for L’Oréal or Philip Morris is like that.
They’re designed by top global creatives, and execution has to be flawless.
Sometimes we’re redoing things most people wouldn’t even notice, but for them, even that 1% matters. It’s tough, but when it’s done, you feel proud and say, ‘It turned out better than we imagined!’
Another one comes to mind – the Bonjur event this April. Unreal. Glamorous and powerful.
MM: How much creative freedom do suppliers really have? Or is it all ‘template and deadline’?
Anđela Čulina: There’s definitely room – if you make it. We always push to be innovative and often nudge our clients toward something new. Of course, it helps when the client is open-minded, ready to experiment, and trusts you.
MM: Does the creative industry give you enough credit, or are you still backstage heroes without applause?
Anđela Čulina: We’re recognized by the people who matter, and that’s enough.
If we wanted applause and fame, we’d be doing something else.
MM: When your work gets posted as a ‘wow moment’ but your name’s not mentioned, do you feel proud or a little jealous?
Anđela Čulina: We used to be a little jealous – now we’re not. People in the industry know exactly when something’s ours, no matter what’s written or who posted it.
There’s a reason our slogan is: ‘Where design becomes reality.’
