Creative director and designer David Schwen, author of numerous global campaigns and projects for leading world brands, will be one of the international speakers at the 35th edition of the Slovenian Advertising Festival (SOF), which will take place on May 14 and 15, 2026 at the Grand Hotel Bernardin in Portorož.
With more than two decades of experience in agencies, within large companies and through his own studio, Schwen has positioned himself as a creative who combines strategy, design and cultural context. During his career he has collaborated with global brands such as McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, HP, Volkswagen and Target, and his work within the PepsiCo system stands out in particular, from redesigning the brand’s visual identity to campaigns connected with the Super Bowl Halftime Show and collaborations with pop culture icons such as Shaquille O’Neal and Bad Bunny.
His projects have won multiple Cannes Lions awards, and his work has also been published in TIME magazine. Alongside commercial projects, Schwen is also known for his authorial illustration series such as #FoodArtPairings and Pantone Pairings, which, through the combination of everyday objects and design, have become viral inspiration for the global creative community.
At SOF he will deliver a talk titled Everything is fine, in which he explores the phenomenon of contemporary aesthetics of optimism, a visual language that often softens reality instead of presenting it clearly. In the context of a culture of constant distraction and content hyperproduction, Schwen raises the question of what happens when creatives decide to step outside the comfort zone and the brief to open space for bolder ideas.
According to his approach, key creative decisions are made long before the work appears finished, at a stage when ideas are still fragile and require clear vision and courage. He believes this process is crucial for the long-term relevance of creative work and the development of leadership in creative industries.
“Through projects I developed a unique design style through experimentation, and this exploratory creativity inspired numerous client works as well, where imagination intertwines with real results,” highlights David, founder of the design studio Dschwen and his own creative entity Dschwen LLC, through which he has realised numerous award-winning digital projects.
SOF again this year brings together relevant names from the communications industry and projects that show where creativity is truly moving today, between technology, culture and increasingly demanding market expectations.
