The expert juries of BalCannes, the regional creativity competition, have recognized those who stood out with their creative achievements and granted them finalist status!
Who made it to the finals? From 30 March 2026, new finalist projects will be revealed daily – Monday to Friday – on the Media Marketing portal and BalCannes’ Facebook page, continuing until April. This year’s BalCannes project showcase will again take place on social media – leading up to our gathering at DK2026.
Please note that finalists will be announced in alphabetical order by project name, so don’t miss the daily updates!
PROJECT NAME: Made in shade | ENTRANT: McCann Skopje | CLIENT: Halkbank Skopje | STRATEGIC PARTNER: AdVenture Skopje | COUNTRY: North Macedonia | CATEGORIES: I. Best on Market: 05. Finance, Insurance & Fintech; II. Best in Channel: 01. Best TV Spot & Film, 02. Best Online Video; IV. Best of Positive Change: 01. Environment & Sustainability
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
In Macedonia our forests are our pride, celebrated in countless folk songs, embedded in our culture.
2025 wildfires destroyed 54.000 ha. HALKBANK, standing for social responsibility and trust, acted before everyone else. Pledging to plant 1M trees, the largest green donation in the country’s history.
To communicate this pledge, we built the campaign around a tree’s simplest gift: shade. Shade became a universal symbol of life: capturing chatter, play and love that happen beneath it. Through film, radio and print, the story unfolded as both intimate and collective: protecting one tree means protecting the spaces where life takes place.
630,000 organic views
1/3 of the population in Macedonia
Featured in 20+ national media outlets
Engagement rate up +1050%
120,000 trees planted so far
#1 brand in category for eco responsibility
PROJECT NAME: Maestro: Prva mešanica začimb za slovenske jedi | ENTRANT: Agencija 101 | CLIENT: Podravka | STRATEGIC PARTNER: OMD | COUNTRY: Slovenia | CATEGORIES: I. Best on Market: 01. Food; III. Best of Branding & Rebranding: 01. Best Branding
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
In Slovenian stores we can find different types of spice blends – Asian, Mexican, Italian … All but one – Slovenian. But what would Slovenian spice blend even taste like? Slovenian spice brand, Maestro, decided to celebrate its 70th anniversary by finally answering this question and creating the first Slovenian spice blend.
We invited all of Slovenia to join the search, since the secrets of Slovenian flavor are hidden in Slovenian kitchens. Using the AI tool, users digitized their handwritten recipes, which then became part of our database. The raw data was shared with Bruno Šulman, Masterchef Slovenia winner, who fine-tuned the proportions of different spices into a wholesome mix – first ever Slovenian spice blend. Slovenian inside and out! The bottle features an original national ornament by ethnographer Jože Karlovšek.
This way Slovenian spice blend finally found its place in Slovenian kitchens and is now sold in the stores across the country.
PROJECT NAME: Marodi Superfoodie packaging | ENTRANT: Bruketa&Žinić&Grey | CLIENT: Marodi | COUNTRY: Croatia | CATEGORY: II. Best in Channel: 09. Best High-Volume Packaging Design
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
In an era of consumer skepticism, the challenge was to prove that Superfoodie pasta was a genuinely superior nutritional meal, not just another marketing promise. Our strategy was to leverage the packaging design as our primary medium and key argument.
The design redefines the category, communicating that this isn’t ordinary pasta, but a functional food with up to 18% protein. Sophisticated, hand-drawn illustrations of the superfoods (spirulina, chlorella, beetroot, cuttlefish ink) serve as proof of transparency and naturalness. Creative names like ‘Spirulitelle’ instantly educate the consumer, while a clean and premium visual identity justifies the product’s value. The packaging thus becomes a brand manifesto that builds trust and transforms pasta from a basic staple into a wise choice for a modern, healthy lifestyle. This is designed as a strategic tool in its purest form.
Find video summaries of past finalists on BalCannes’ Facebook page.
Congratulations to the finalists! Only the very best among them will earn the BalCannes awards and will be announced at the grand award ceremony during DK2026, taking place from 7 to 10 May 2026. See you in Rovinj!
