Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Ekrem Dupanović
Everyone has arrived home safe and sound. The impressions have settled in as we return to our everyday tasks. Another Creative Republic of Bihać has ended. Many feel sad that it hadn’t lasted longer, and that there was not more time for socializing. Almost all lecturers underline that intimacy in communication and socialization.
The Creative Republic of Bihać is a boutique festival. Its idea is not based on the rule of large numbers and great profits that all major festivals are aiming for, not only in the region but throughout the world. They say it’s hardest to stay small in our business. Nermin Nino Kasupović, the man who started the Creative Republic of Bihać, succeeded in maintaining the minimalism of this festival. And it should never leave the AVNOJ Museum, even though its 100-seat hall very quickly becomes too small. As the number of participants increases, it will be necessary to conduct some selection process to boil it down to 100 leaders of the regional advertising industry, who will make some important decisions for the future of the industry, same as AVNOJ participants did 74 years earlier.
We asked some of the participants to share their impressions from Bihać.
Maja Čulig, Marketing Director of Addiko Group: This was my first time at the Creative Republic, and the impressions are very positive. This is not a big event, but certainly has a completely different energy and spirit. In addition to the exchange of experiences, it also enables more communication with colleagues from the profession. Colleague Ivanka Mabić Gagić, from the agency Bruketa&Žinić&Grey, and I, through the presentation of Addiko’s rebranding on six markets, and all the obstacles we faced, talked about cooperation, the client-agency relationship and concluded that without close cooperation and mutual trust, the chaotic rebranding process, with the successful results we have today, would be simply unimaginable.
Ivanka Mabić, Bruketa&Žinić&Grey: I have experienced the Creative Republic as a pleasant, warm and intimate festival. I perceived it as an “underdog”, which thanks to its own effort and enthusiasm became a significant festival of the creative industry in the region. Such heart and effort deserve all our support, so they could continue to give each year a dose of creative inspiration to Bosnia and Herzegovina. I just want to have more room for socializing next year.
Dubravka Jusić, director of marketing and corporate communications at Agrokor: This was my first visit to the Creative Republic. There’s great value in exchange of experiences and conversations with colleagues from the region. I will remember this festival for its enthusiasm, relaxed atmosphere, exhibitions and very interesting lessons. I thank the organizers for discovering the beauty of the river Una, its waterfalls and beautiful nature of Bihać. And I’m telling my impressions to everyone.
Damir Ciglar, CEO of Imago Ogilvy: In addition to the hall and the inscription under which speakers give their presentations – “Death to Fascism, Freedom to the People!” – the Creative Republic is also a great place because of the energy and the potential which can be felt, the well-chosen lecturers but also the passion that the organizer invests in the project of the creative awakening of the environment that desperately needs a creative step forward.
Jelena Fiškuš, Studio Sonda, Vižinada: The trend today is all things organic and primordial, and Creative Republic of Bihać is exactly that: an intimate, warm, honest and unpretentious festival where creativity is taught exactly as it should be – through introspection into the very essence of things and overview of interesting and realistic , experiences. Among other things, we heard honest stories of successes and failures, learned why we should read the briefs IMMEDIATELY in the future, we drank the beer of creativity, heard people signing in French although they don’t speak the language at all, and we found out that kroštule and burek go great together. All this in the unusual authentic space of the AVNOJ Museum, which has no fancy screens, but has timeless slogans.
Vanja Blumenšajn, (Señor): On my way to Zagreb I managed to gather thoughts and impressions, and caught myself thinking about things I heard at the lectures. Why is it important to live your own truth, be authentic, and how empathy influences creativity? How important it is to play, and can David really beat Goliath? There are few festivals with such a good energy. There’s no production that can replace the good old enthusiasm. See you next year!