Judgment Day of Croatian Advertising

Three creatives – Branimir Lazanja, Maro Pitarević, and Alan Bahorić – are organizing the first Croatian independent advertising festival, with the finale scheduled for October this year. All interested parties can participate in the selection of the best, regardless of whether they come from large agencies or are small studios and freelancers.

While representatives of the Association of Market Communication Agencies (HURA) still agree that members of the Croatian Advertising Council (HOZ) need to respect their demands to appear at this year’s Fest, the three creatives have announced the launch of an independent festival that aims to correct the wrongs of the valuation and affirmation of the domestic marketing industry. Two hardened creative renegades, Branimir Lazanja and Maro Pitarević, have teamed up with polished PR expert Alan Bahorić and, under the association Cultural Offensive, have embarked on organizing Judgment Day, a festival whose finale is scheduled for October this year.
The situation occurring with HURA and Fest, the organizers say, is quite expected, and they would prepare their Judgment Day with greater ‘pleasure’ if Fest were not in crisis.

– It is right to offer creatives an objective measure of the success of what they do. We want them to be judged by the profession and no one else. We have maximally democratized the selection process for the best, making it accessible to all interested parties, regardless of whether they come from large agencies or are small studios and freelancers. In this respect, the concept of Judgment Day differs from Fest and similar events. We believe this is not about competition or who is right and who is wrong, but we are building on the current platform that we believe is much more acceptable to the time and moment – say the organizers.  Unlike previous marketing festivals (such as Fest or Effie), at Judgment Day, advertisers will not be awarded, but exclusively creatives. Works will be submitted without entry fees and will be evaluated at the address sudnjidan.org by what they say is the largest jury in Croatian history of creative market communications, which will have around 200 members.

– Judgment Day is not an esoteric gathering intended for a narrow circle of idle creatives who would spend their little free time on mutual criticism and analysis. We are convinced that the jurying process and the presentation of the best achievements will attract many interested parties from all related fields. On Judgment Day itself, we decided to have a good time, so the event announcing the best will be much more relaxed and informal. Crystal halls, speeches, and musical performances with forced applause will be replaced by a very intimate and ‘independent’ atmosphere – continues the trio, adding that a large jury is necessary and desirable as it excludes elitism, calculation, and manipulation.
– Where there are many voices, calculation gets drowned in the mass, and individual awards are there due to the nature of the festival.

Such an approach puts individuals in the foreground and demystifies the ‘great creative force’ of certain agencies and other companies that ‘shake’ Croatian advertising. It is precisely individuals who win at ‘pitches’, break viewership, and so on. They have their name and surname, and that should be recognized and rewarded – they continue.  When asked if they expect support from professional associations, they respond affirmatively, especially since they believe their initiative further affirms the profession. Potential sponsors will cover organizational costs (so far, internet experts from Nivas and Cerovski Print Boutique have welcomed the project), that is, the event itself. Works will be submitted from summer until mid-September 2010.  – So, creatives, watch what you do because you will be judged! – they concluded.