The best of marketing communications in Croatia

Effie 2021

DK Festival

Each year, The Croatian Association of Communications Agencies (Croatian: Hrvatska udruga reklamnih agencija, HURA!) organises the DK Festival (Croatian: Dani Komunikacija). 

The festival is usually held in Rovinj, and is a chance for people working in the Croatian advertising industry to catch up with one another, as well as to participate in lectures from some of the world’s greatest names in the industry. 

The highlight of the event are the award ceremonies held for four different categories – Effie, Ideja X, MIXX and Young Lions. This year, due to pandemics, the spin-off of the festival, named DK Home, was held in Zagreb, at Tuškanac Summer Stage on June 14th and 15th.  

Effie Awards

The Effie Awards are a prestigious global award program that celebrates effectiveness in marketing communication and recognises advertisers for their contribution to a brand’s success. 

Launched in 1968 by the New York American Marketing Association, it has become a global symbol of excellence. In Croatia, Effie has been awarded for 12 years under the patronage of HURA! 

Winners

This year, the Grand Prix and Croatia Effie Gold Award went to the project 100% Covid Free Journey made for City Library Poreč by Studio Sonda in collaboration with Synet in the Low Budget Campaign category. 

The Croatia Gold Effie also went to the project for Wiener Osiguranje Vienna Insurance Group Insuring your Peace, made by Señor, OMD Media and Komakino. 

The Silver Effie was awarded to three projects, including the Doogvertising campaign created for Mars Croatia by MediaCom Zagreb in the Media Idea category, and #prviput (English: #firsttime) made for Bank of Zagreb (Croatian: Zagrebačka banka) by Señor agency, MediaCom Zagreb, 404, and Central Unit in the Positive Changes: Common Good – Brands category. 

Studio Sonda and Synet scored again, picking up a Silver Effie this time in the Thematic Marketing category for their project 100% Covid Free Journey for Poreč City Library.

A Bronze Effie award went to Croatia Insurance and agencies Bruketa&Žinić&Gray, Millennium Promocija and 404 for Pavle Pauq presents LAQO project in the Financial and Insurance Services category. 

Pipi Beverages and agencies Imago Ogilvy and Drap also scored a Bronze Effie award for their project #bolimePipi i nakon lita in the Engaged Community category, along with the CTA Communications Agency for the project Something Really Important for The Association of Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities ‘Buds of

The Island of Brač’ in the category Positive Change: Common Good – Non-Profit Sector.

MIXX

MIXX is a competition that, under an international Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) license, rewards the best digital campaigns and digital tools and platforms for marketing communication. The evaluation criteria include creativity, strategy, performance, use of media and the results achieved.

Winners

The Best in Show went to Studio Sonda and Synet for the 100% Covid Free Journey campaign for City Library Poreč.

In the other 12 categories winners were:

Pipi Beverages and Imago Ogilvy won the Brand Awareness Campaign for the project Summer is Where You Are (Croatian: Lito je tamo di si ti). 

Villas Botinec and Younited Agency won the award for the category Direct Response and Lead Generation with the project New Standard of New Zagreb.

Zagreb Brewery (Croatian: Zagrebačka pivovara) and Degordian are the winners of the Cross Media Integration Campaign category with the project Sung Heroes (Croatian: (Opjevani junaci). 

HURA and Izone won the Best COVID / Earthquake Crisis Campaign award for the project

#icannotwait (Croatian: #jedvačekam). 

The award for the Best Media Strategy category went to A1 Austria Group and the BBDO Zagreb agency won the Best Network Project for the Switchaj.

Kaufland and And that’s not all! (Croatian: I to nije sve!) won in the Best Branded Content category with the project How to Eat in Croatia.

The Coolinarika 2021 project for Podravka by Human Interaction scored them the top prize in the Best Website category.

The award for the Best Mobile App went to the LAQO mobile app project made by the Shape 404 for Croatia Insurance (Croatian: Croatia osiguranje).

Pipi Beverages and the Imago Ogilvy agency earned recognition in the Best Social category with the #lovePipi (Croatian: #volitePipi) project.

The winners of the Best Search category are Birgon and Arbona with the search ealati.hr.

Pedigree and MediaCom Zagreb won the Best Tech & Innovation category with the Dogvertising project.

And finally, Zagreb Brewery (Croatian: Zagrebačka pivovara) and Telegram Media Grupa won the Best Publisher Long-Form Native category with the project Think (Croatian: Razmisli). 

Ideja X

Ideja X is a national creativity contest in the communications industry, with the three main categories being Best in Market, Best of Ad-Making and Best Branding and Rebranding. 

This year, the competition was fierce with a record 163 entries. The best of the best was Studio Sonda and Poreč City Library picking up another award for the project 100% Covid Free Journey. Señor was dubbed agency of the year, and the advertiser of the year was the Poreč City Library! The best Croatian agencies are Señor, Studio Sonda, LELO Adria, BBDO Zagreb and Bruketa&Žinić&Gray and Imago Ogilvy.

The Best in Market – gold winners

Zagreb Brewery (Croatian: Zagrebačka pivovara) and BBDO Zagreb for the project Hidden Talents in the category alcoholic beverages.

Jamnica and Señor for the project From the Garden of Nature in the soft drinks category.

Pipi Beverages and Imago Ogilvy for the project Summers is where you are (Croatian: Lito je tamo di si ti) in the soft drinks category.

Iskon and Señor for the Iskrenovci project in the telecommunications services category.

Croatia Insurance (Croatian: Croatia osiguranje) and Bruketa&Žinić&Gray for the project #maybeitwont (Croatian: #moždaneće) in the category financial and insurance services.

JGL and Señor for Do Your Eyes Send Signals? in the health and pharmacy category.

IKEA and BBDO Zagreb for the project (Un)safe Home in the household category.

Poreč City Library and Studio Sonda for the 100% Covid Free Journey project in the tourism, culture and leisure category.

LELO Adria for the project SILA™: Spiral into Fantasy in the category miscellaneous.

The Best of Ad-Making – gold awards

Pedigree and MediaCom Zagreb for the Dogvertising project in the digital category.

LELO Adria for the project ENIGMA™: Unknown Pleasure in the film category.

Jamnica and Señor for the project From the Garden of Nature in the film category.

Ledo / Frikom and Studio Sonda for the King ice cream cup packaging in the Design category.

The Best Branding & Rebranding – gold awards

Ledo / Frikom and Studio Sonda for the King Cup packaging redesign in the branding category.

Bertoša Wines and Studio Sonda for the Harvest project in the rebranding category.

The Best in Market – silver awards

Kaufland Croatia and Creative Agency and That’s not all! (Croatian: I to nije sve!) for the project When You Have Someone of Yours in the food category.

Pipi Beverages and Imago Ogilvy for the #lovepipi #volitepipi project in the soft drinks category.

Croatian Telekom and McCann Zagreb for the Bonbon Bontovnici project in the telecommunication services category.

The Bank of Zagreb (Croatian: Zagrebačka banka) and Señor for the project #firsttime in the financial and insurance services category.

Wiener Insurance and Señor for the project It Continues to Ensure Your Peace of Mind in the financial and insurance services category.

WWF Adria and Señor for the Losers project in the social action category.

LELO Adria for project SORAYA WAVE™: Release Your Power in the miscellaneous category.

Pipi Beverages and Imago Ogilvy for the project Summer is Where You Are in the COVID category.

Podravka and Bruketa&Žinić&Gray for the project The Most Efficient Way to Maintain Social Distance in the COVID category.

The Best of Ad-Making – silver awards

Konzum and ZOO agency for the project The Best from Croatia in the film category.

Fuerst Wiacek Brewery Berlin and Mireldy Design Studio for the project Fuerst Wiacek – Beer Label Design in the design category.

The Best Branding & Rebranding – silver award

After and Señor for the project From the Brief to the After in the branding category.

The Best in Market – bronze awards

Podravka and Agency Tuesday (Croatian: Utorak) for the Legend project in the food category.

Podravka and Bruketa&Žinić&Gray for the project The Most Efficient Way to maintain social distance in the Food category.

Ožujsko Brewery and Degordian for the project Sung Heroes (Croatian: Opjevani junaci) in the alcoholic beverages category.

Heineken Croatia and Bruketa&Žinić&Gray for the project Stay in Your Crate, also in the alcoholic beverages category.

Atlantic Grupa for the Cockta and Live for Your Thing in the non-alcoholic beverages category.

Belupo and Imago Ogilvy for the Pain Specialist project in the health and pharmacy category.

Pevex and BBDO Zagreb for the project Masters of Friendship in the household category.

Center for Research and Development (CESI) and Agency Tuesday for the project Why are we silent? in the social activism category.

The Bank of Zagreb (Croatian: Zagrebačka banka) and Señor for the project #firsttime in the COVID category.

Saatchi & Saatchi for the Stop Non-Domestic Violence project in the COVID category.

The Best of Ad-Making – bronze awards

Poreč City Library and Studio Sonda for the 100% Covid Free Journey project in the Digital category.

A1 and Euroart93 for the project You Are Connecting digital campaign in the Digital category.

Hrvatski Telekom and McCann Zagreb for the Bonbon Bontovnici project in the Film category.

Bertoša vina and Studio Sonda for the Harvest project in the Design category.

The Best Branding & Rebranding – bronze awards

Croatia Insurance (Croatian: Croatia osiguranje) and 404 Agency for the LAQO branding project in the branding category.

O.P.G. Šuran Petar and Studio Tumpić/Prenc for the project Discovering the ‘Microworld’ of Biodynamic Wines in the rebranding category.

Young Lions

Although not as prominent as other awards, the Young Lions Award may be the most important for the future of the Croatian advertising industry because it is given to young people just stepping into the world of advertising. 

By winning the prestigious Grand Prix, they get an opportunity to compete with the best of their colleagues from all over the world as representatives of Croatia at the global Cannes Young Lions competition. 

This year, the award was given to Dora Kasun and Valentina Mavretić from the Señor agency for their project No Cyclist Ever.

Congratulations to all the winners!