At the Communication Day, a marketing conference held in Rovinj last weekend, Damir Ciglar and Davor Runje returned to their Zagreb agencies with the most awards from IdejaX and Mixx.
More precisely, Ciglar’s Imago was declared the best agency of the past year and also won the Grand Prix, awards in the categories of food (Meggle), self-promotion and corporate communications (Atlantic Group), and best overall campaigns (Meggle), along with three additional special recognitions. Runje’s agency Drap was declared ‘Best in Show’ in the segment of the most effective and creative online campaigns (Mixx award) for ‘Animal Kingdom – Eco Park’. The creative duo shared their impressions from the competition with Lider, spoke about their plans, and the state of the market.
You have been highly ranked in previous competitions, but now Imago has been declared the best agency for the first time. What was decisive: new clients, competition, the team?
Ciglar: – Considering that we have received awards in the main categories before, but were still placed as the second or third agency, we conducted a serious analysis and concluded that the agency of the year becomes the agency with the best annual report. Therefore, we made an effort to create a better report than the competition and – voilà! But joking aside, I will quote Vanja Blumenšajn, Imago’s chief creative director, whose stubborn insistence on excellence paid off. Vanja says: ‘At festivals, we never played for big numbers, submitting works in droves and churning out ‘ghosts’. I have always been proud that we received awards for real projects we completed for clients, often in tough categories like food, beverages, finance… Perhaps a more ‘opportunistic’ approach would have brought us to our goal sooner, but it warms my heart to think that we achieved this the hard way, especially in times that are anything but favorable for creative communication.’
Davor, you are ‘Best in Show’ for the second consecutive year. Why is Drap the best agency in the segment of digital communications?
Runje: – People will recognize good ideas and your sincerity and will reward that, first with ‘likes’, and then with purchases. Regarding the specific awarded campaign for ‘Animal Kingdom’, its fundamental idea is humorous: users build a virtual farm similar to that in Farmville, and Kraš then actually builds it in their eco-park in Bratina. The idea is appealing due to the connection between the virtual and real world, giving it that humorous moment that attracts people to participate in the construction and share those activities with friends.
How does the market perceive awards in the advertising world? Does it help in acquiring new clients, or do clients and agencies see it merely as an overview of the market situation?
Ciglar: – Awards are not the goal, of course, but it would be an exaggeration to claim they are not important and valued; after all, that is why they exist. If we want to be brutally honest, they are measured, especially in the long run, by financial performance. We are all in the market fighting for clients and projects, thus budgets, and the awards and titles we receive are one of the weapons in that fight.
Do you believe that some of your campaigns or Ideja X finalists herald new trends in advertising?
Ciglar: – Well, it is difficult to speak about a more visible trend in creative expression in advertising. The market depression is still felt, as seen in the number of submitted works, but also in the number of above-average good works. Unfortunately, awards have not been distributed in several categories, and there are fewer finalists than in previous years. I only hope that this is not the trend you are asking about. But if I have to highlight a noticeable change, it is the increasing integration of online media and communication.
