By: Ekrem Dupanović
Today we hear about the dreams of Bojan Hadžihalilović, Creative Director of Sarajevo-based agency Fabrika.
My favourite childhood dream?
When I was a kid I was hooked on books, so the heroes from those books “came to my dreams” My favourite dream was: Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and me, in a boat, sailing down Miljacka to the Neretva, and onward to the Adriatic Sea … embarking on our adventure.
What I dreamt of when I was entering the world of advertising?
That Fabrika will be like something from a song by the band Idoli – that we will have that spirit and energy.
Was Fabrika first conceived as a dream that you later managed to fulfil together with your wife Dada and partner Senad Zaimović?
Twenty years ago, Dada, Senad and I agreed everything about Fabrika in just five minutes. We have the same dreams, we have the same goals, we are the same generation, we push forward … by that old principle: When, if not now? Who, if not me? We thought: We stayed in Sarajevo, the war was over, let’s create Fabrika, the first real creative agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We had dreams about our team, how many of us there will be, how we would work … we dreamed, and we had no idea what was ahead of us. Everything is easy when you are young.
Which dream led me to where I am today?
I often think that we still dream the same dream – we are still independent, free, creative in some silly way of ours, together with the same colleagues from the very beginning. Feeling that you are part of a team that always stands behind any of us – in the best and the worst of moments – that we always care for each other… That’s priceless.
What I dream of today?
Today I somehow dream with eyes wide open. I’m afraid I’m going to miss something. It’s too interesting and tempting. There’s no more time for some big, slow moving plans and dreams – those times are behind us…
Do I dream more awake or asleep?
At night I punch out. Just like a TV when you turn it off. And in the morning, when I open my eyes, life comes to me as a dream – unreally beautiful or cruel, but mine.
Are there any dreams I gave up on? And if yes, why?
There’s no giving up on dreams as long as you’re alive. Although there are dreams that are pure fantasy, we sometimes like to think they are possible. And then you feel sad when they don’t come true – stuck somewhere between a dream and reality. The worst thing is when someone wakes you up from a dream, and shatters your fantasy. Sometimes I just wish I had time to sleep, and dream to my heart’s desire.
