Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Ekrem Dupanović, ekrem@www.media-marketing.com
These days everything is about the Cannes Festival of Creativity. I hope you’re satisfied how we are reporting on events in Cannes. True, we carried a lot of news from other media, but we also had our own team at the festival. The first four days we had Luka Duboković and Almir Okanović from Zagreb BBDO writing for us. Also in Cannes is Dražen Novak, who is also reporting. As I write this, an email came from Jelena Mihelčić (Bruketa & Žinić) telling me that their Drago Mlakar also sat down and wrote a thing or two. I can’t wait to get the text, Drago writes great stories.
Just when I thought that Cannes this year will come to pass without much excitement for us in the region, this morning arrived news that Imago Ogilvy is in the finals with their storks and Jana. A great campaign, and an incredible love story. Now we are waiting and hoping for some great news after the final vote of the jury members. It would be a great thing for Croats, and a first Cannes Lion for them. This year they might get lucky with France both in football and in advertising. I’m cheering for them to be champions of Europe and to win international award in creativity. For Imago, it would be a historic month. Strategic partnership with Ogilvy and a Cannes Lion in just over a month. They can do it. Go Imago!!!
News just arrived from Cannes, from the lunch of EPICA jury, which announced that the judging this year will be held in Amsterdam, from 14 to 17 November. Media Marketing, as a permanent member of the EPICA jury, was represented at this lunch by Damir Ciglar, from Imago Ogilvy Zagreb. The creative campaign of the EPICA award was also announced, but more on all that in the News section.
While I wait for the big news from Cannes, and thinking about EPICA judging in Amsterdam, I’m slowly switching to our field, and I’m thinking about the contest laden autumn that is upon us. It will be very exciting.
First there’s BalCannes. So far it was solely a showcase of creativity in advertising in which the jury made up of journalists chose the 25 best campaigns which were then presented in the main program. This year BalCannes will also present two awards – Award for the best campaign and the Award for the best agency. The decision on the top 25 campaigns and two special awards will bring a six-member jury made up exclusively of advertisers. That’s simply fair. Although many will readily claim that advertisers are not qualified to evaluate creativity, but only creatives, I don’t think so. Advertiser is the first jury, and if they don’t approve an idea, it will never reach any festival. Advertisers should not be underestimated. True, creatives constantly have problems with them because of their fear, but when they evaluate the work of others, it will go much smoother. Works for BalCannes can be applied by 1 September. There is time, if you start with preparations on time. You need a short video for the entry, and for the short video you need a team, and for the team you need holiday season to pass, and then you need to ensure that those who make the decision on sending the entry are also not on vacation, nor those who have to pay for the entries and decide how many people will be going to Rovinj…
A lot of work, and just enough time. So as soon as all of you that I listed above gather in the agency (or at the advertiser), sit down and make your plan on sending your best to BalCannes. This year advertisers will dominate in BalCannes, both in audience and in the jury. Don’t be surprised if your clients call your agency and remind you that you need to register their works for BalCannes. It’s high time that clients ask their agencies why they don’t send their works. Because they are not good enough to enter the top 25? It’s nice that you admit it, thank you, we don’t need you anymore, we deserve a better agency. If the client doesn’t call you, I will. And I’m a bit nastier case than them :) So far I’ve been a member of the journalists’ jury, but from now on I’m a Friend of BalCannes, and I’ll intensely try to ensure as many entries as possible. I was even willing to bet with Davor and Dunja that this year we would have a record number of entries. So let’s start easily and relaxed to prepare works and send entries. Advertising industry that is trying to reclaim its dignity expects no less from you.
And just as a month of rest passes after the BalCannes, the Golden Drum will come, which this year moves to Ljubljana, at Ljubljana Castle. Slovenian Advertising Chamber, which organizes the Golden Drum, and agency Paideia-events, which is a partner in the organization, received strong support from the Mayor of Ljubljana Zoran Janković to make Golden Drum awesome. And it will be. I know this because I’m a member of a small group that works on defining the development strategy of Golden Drum. There will be many new features, but the biggest is the introduction of the Golden Drum Adriatic Award – the award for the best work of our region. The region is practically getting its own festival, as one night is reserved only for the awards for the best works in the Adriatic region. There will be no special application. All works applied for the Golden Drum, which come from countries in the region, automatically enter the competition for regional awards. All included in the same expense. A fantastic thing. For years I listen to agencies calling for a regional festival. They would like something in between national festivals and the Golden Drum or Cannes, which are hardly attainable. Well gentlemen, here’s Golden Drum Award Adriatic. A great opportunity to switch from the local to the regional court and show up in the competition with some stronger guys than those in the neighboring streets. Entries are already open, start preparing. Soon we will inform you of the members of the jury. Believe me, it will be such a composition that it will be an honor to have your work evaluated by such an eminent jury. In addition to works, send yourself to the Golden Drum. A program of full satisfaction is in preparation for you.
I’ll call you for the Golden Drum as well, I’m obliged to do so by default, as a member of the working group. I hope you will not turn me down – I never turned you down either.
And, for the end of the season, SEMPL. Conference of media trends and contests for Sempler awards for media campaigns. I never understood why so few works are registered for Sempler – very few in relation to the potential of the regional media market. Probably because media agencies do not like to be visible to the public. They are shadowy creatures. Many say it’s because the whole media business is arranged and closed somewhere in silence, in private. OK, client audits are public, but agreements between agencies and the media, the media commissions, it’s all somehow clandestine. Am I wrong? It’s not just me saying it, I’m just passing on what others say. For example, if Semplers are regional awards for media campaigns with tradition, is it normal that last year only five agencies outside Slovenia entered their works? I don’t think so. Well, why don’t more of you apply? You don’t feel like it. Let others compete, you’ll continue your own thing, in silence. It’s a lousy strategy. All of you swear to your clients to be the best. Fantastic. Prove it! A few days ago I was at a coffee in Ljubljana with Valerija Prevolšek. We discussed our cooperation in attracting a larger number of agencies. Media Marketing will be there to give all our support.
If you think that Media Marketing and I are on some payroll of BalCannes, Golden Drum and Sempl, you’re wrong. Of course, if some of them want a banner on the portal, they will have to pay, but the articles and my personal engagement through lobbying and friendly contacts, cost nothing. It’s not all about money, there is something in gold :) A strong BalCannes, strong Golden Drum and strong Sempler, mean a strong industry. And a strong industry means strong Media Marketing. What are we to do with you such as you are? For us to be a relevant portal in the world (we are your voice to the world), we need you strong, we need you free of your fears, and we need you to open your wallet a little.
We will do everything to make you stronger, so give some love in return.