Mitja Petrovic:Transition is behind us,transformation ahead

Mitja Petrovic:Transition is behind us,transformation ahead

You call yourself "Golden Drum’s child". This implies that you like the Festival, and that you have gladly participated in it. Does this also mean that, as the Program Director, you don’t want to make any major changes in terms of the program, or am I wrong?

I didn't take the role of business & content development director for a longer time period and for that reason I focused mainly on building this year's festival program. I didn't think so much about changes, but I did think about transformation. About transformation of everything that surrounds us and how it affects our lives, success, career, society and of course our industry. Transformation has become the main theme of this year’s Golden Drum Festival. It’s only logical that Golden Drum transforms in the program and competition sense – and follows the changes. You cannot be completely satisfied with the program’s direction in a long-term sense. But I wish and hope that the Golden Drum Festival never changes in certain aspects – especially in its faith in creativity, friendship, openness and genius loci.

How would you describe the Golden Drum in a few sentences? What is the magic of this Festival?

22 years ago : It was born 22 years ago at a special moment and on a special place. It connected people and creative industry of New Europe as it was just being formed – basically from scratch. Portorož was a place where we grew together, first compared one against the other and later to the whole world. Friendships that you make in your youth are long-lasting and that is also the case with Golden Drum. Let me quote my Romanian friend Razvan Capanescu: “I love Golden Drum and Portoroz-Piran! I always have. From my first attendance, when I was applauding the inspiring work in the audience (not even having one entry 13 years ago), to my own gold on the stage. From Gasthaus Ribic to Pri Mari to Pavel 2. From the national parties to hard-to-get-up-morning seminars. From dusk till dawn.”

How do you explain the fact that GD’s good reputation has survived in spite of the years-long crisis, emergence of other festivals as well as changes in the advertising industry?

Crisis spared no one – it hit the entire advertising industry – Golden Drum included. But it’s essential in these sorts of moments that we have a reputation and a strong brand, based on everything mentioned before. And also the Golden Drum Awards are highly valued and a measure of success in many European countries. It’s listed in all important rankings which gives the winners international credit and contributes to the global success of advertising networks.

"Transition is behind us, tranformation lies ahead." If I’m not mistaken, this is the key message of this year’s GD. Can you tell us something more about this?

Transition is a path from point A to point B. How to catch up with the rest of the world – was for a very long time a challenge for all countries from New Europe. I believe that era is behind us, transformation lies before us and here we face similar challenges as the rest of the world. Nobody is quite sure where point B lies J It’s a fact that the digital revolution and the new power of universally connected individuals has changed the way we do business and the entire society. Changes have caused a lot of people all sorts of issues, but at the same time enabled new form of freedom – for brands and people who use them alike. I hope we can raise many questions on this subject, in case we can’t find the answers.

From a perspective of someone who spent the largest part of his career in a creative agency, how would you evaluate the importance of the festival awards for the creative professionals as well as for the agencies for which they work?

I believe first you have to move people with creativity and only after that - also move festival juries. The award has the right value when you achieve both. I believe that quality juries can recognize and reward precisely such work. Such an award is priceless.

You have often been a member of jury at various festivals. How demanding is that task? The GD jury always features renowned experts. Is it one of the main advantages of this Festival?

Being a part of top juries is first and foremost a privilege. I’ve served twice in the Golden Drum Jury but I can say that this year’s Jury is special. Somebody has cleverly named it “Heavy Metal Jury”. 22 members have together won over 120 Cannes Lions Awards. They are presided by two authorities of our industry, ChaveD’Emilio, Creative Director, McCann World group Latin America and the Caribbean, President and Chief Creative Officer, McCann Buenos Aires, Argentina, icon of South American advertising, and Geoffrey Hantson, Chief Creative Officer, Co-founder, Happiness, Belgium, that Business Insider named ‘one of the 25 most creative people in advertising’ (globally). Geoffrey has only in the last three years won 27 Cannes Lions himself. Because of all of that this year’s Juries give special weight to the awards.

How many submitted entries did you get this year? What about the statistics in the last few years?

We are impressed with the growth on most key markets, but at the same time understand economic situation on some other markets. This year’s Golden Drum Competition has received 1208 entries in total, last year 1220. Of 25 countries which compete this year, Bulgaria showed the biggest growth in submitted entries with a growth index of 242 percent compared to last year, followed by Hungary (221 percent growth index), Slovenia (179 percent growth index), Turkey (152 percent growth index), Romania (150 percent growth index), Slovakia (131 percent growth index) and Austria (122 percent growth index). We are most excited over the fact that the number of entries has risen in every Multi Channel group (which are mostly focused on campaigns) which indicates an important development of creative communication campaigns and a continuing strategic shift in agency work.

The region of Ex-Yugoslavia is certainly present at the GD. However, what needs to happen to enable more submitted entries from these countries?

Slovenian agencies have entered 43 entries, Croatian 12, Serbian 31 and 10 from Macedonia. We shouldn’t forget that the Golden Drum Competition is open to 37 countries from New Europe and that this year 25 of them have entered the race. If it’s hard to make the selection for a national festival, it’s even harder to select them for an international festival. Only the best works get submitted in the end. In the last few years the Ex-Yugoslavia region has become more and more successful at the big, world class creative competitions. As Žarko Sakan said: “New Europe can offer fresh and daring ideas to the global creative market. More and more global creative awards coming from this region try to prove this. The creative potential is definitely there and I believe there should be more cooperation between countries.” And I definitely agree with him in his statement that we have to use our Balkan spirit, emotion and humanity which is unique to the place we work and live in.

This is a good opportunity for you as the Program Director, to announce the most innovative or maybe the most unusual programs of this year’s Festival.

We expect more than 40 speakers in total. Among them are legends of our industry as well as its challengers. Quite a few people from outside of our industry will talk about transformation; experts who are working in the fields of neuroscience, sustainability, orchestra conductors, DJ’s, fashion artists and renowned economists.

I believe everybody can select their own set of speakers that they wouldn’t want to miss. Among them are most definitely: Ajaz Ahmed, Founder and CEO of agency AKQA, known for his creative use of technologies and extraordinary work for Nike and for the bestselling book “Velocity” – and who will make the premiere presentation of his new book Limitless at this year’s Golden Drum, then there’s Tomaš Sedlaček, controversial economist and the author of the book Economy of Good and Evil, Paul Brazier, legendary creative director from the London’s BBDO, Jason Romeyko, Global Chief Creative Director from the Saatchi & Saatchi agency and the author of the creative concept “Life is for sharing” for Deutsche Telekom, Colin Nagy, CEO of Barbarian Group, who will talk about native advertising, Nick Kendall, author of the bestseller “Brand of the 21st Century”, Bella Szabo, Strategy and Innovation Director, DDB and Breakfast panel “Speed date with the future” that is to be held with distinguished guests, among which is the CEO of Atlantic Group, Mr Emil Tadeschi.

In your opinion – what will this year’s GD be remembered for?

After a very good competition and high standards of the jury that are excellently summed up by Geoffrey Hantson, President of the Multi Channel Jury: “Let’s call the bad bad. Let’s call the good good. And let’s call the average bad.”

After new questions, if not answers, about transformation of our industry, business and society.

Please, send a message to all those agencies which are still reconsidering sending their entries, as well as to those who are considering whether to travel to Portorož on 13 October or not.

Return “home”. Your friends await you in Portoroz, look forward to another devilishly challenging competition and creative inspiration from some of the most influential people of our industry.