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: The Last Tree Ring | ENTRANT: McCann Skopje | CLIENT: Halkbank Skopje | STRATEGIC PARTNERS: Ani & Dimi photography – Andrijana K. Petrovska, Dimitar Petrovski | COUNTRY: North Macedonia | CATEGORY: II. Best in Channel: 03. Best Print (Ad, Publication, Poster)
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
In the last few years, Macedonia lost centuries-old forests to wildfires. Trees that survived droughts, lightning strikes and the devastation of wars couldn’t survive our neglect. And some of the fires are set by illegal loggers, so they can later cut the weakened trees claiming they are already damaged. The following PRINT was created to highlight how easily our actions can destroy entire forests, and to show HALKBANKS commitment by planting one million trees to help bring back what has been lost.
PROJECT NAME: Till Death Do Us Part | ENTRANT: McCann Beograd | CLIENT: Autonomni ženski centar & partners | STRATEGIC PARTNERS: McCann Ljubljana, McCann Zagreb, McCann Sarajevo, McCann Podgorica, McCann Skoplje, McCann Tirana, UM Beograd, UM Sofia, UM Zagreb, UM Sarajevo, UM Podgorica, UM Tirana, UM Skoplje, Two Rivers, AMA Group | COUNTRY: Serbia | CATEGORIES: I. Best on Market: 15. Miscellaneous; IV. Best of Positive Change: 03. Health & Well-being
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
“Till Death Do Us Part” campaign addresses the alarming reality of femicide across the Balkan region, where the majority of women are killed by their current or former partners, most often within marriage and home. Uniting women’s organizations from eight countries, the campaign sought to expose how culturally normalized ideas of love and control can mask abusive behavior and escalate into lethal violence.
At the center of the campaign is the black wedding dress – a powerful visual symbol that transforms a sign of love into a warning of danger. Simultaneous public actions were staged in the capitals of participating countries. The dress then became an educational tool online, revealing early warning signs of abuse, encouraging bystander intervention and providing guidance on how to support women at risk.
The campaign exposed femicide through fashion, reframed marriage as a moment for prevention, and transformed a wedding dress into a wake-up call.
PROJECT NAME: Tri priče, tri pjesme | ENTRANT: Aquarius Group | CLIENT: m:tel BiH | COUNTRY: Bosnia and Herzegovina | CATEGORY: II. Best in Channel: 01. Best TV Spot & Film
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The challenge was to bypass “product-first” marketing and create a deep, human connection in an era of impersonal technology. Our solution was an emotional “video triptych” that replaced sales pitches with cinematic stories of real users. Using the nostalgic music of Jadranka Stojaković as a bridge between generations, we positioned technology as a discreet, invisible thread that facilitates moments of pride, new life, and long-distance love.
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!
