Marin Kostov-Muro, Executive Creative Director, All Channels Communication Group, became a member of jury at CREATIVE at  International Advertising and Marketing Festival White Square 2021 and answered topical questions.

- For the communications industry, the past year has proved to be a real challenge in every country and around the world. What experience or lesson did you gain for yourself in the professional field that may have become a discovery?

- 2020 has taught us many things because it has tested the most important link in our business: people. I learned for myself that working from home is possible for a creative team, although I have always believed that fruitful brainstorming can only be done face to face. Of course, when you have no choice, you have to adapt quickly. This reality has given us the opportunity to work effectively not just in one room, but in different cities and even countries.

- In your opinion, what are the things in communications, advertising and creativity that stayed in the past forever, and what will remain unchanged for the projects to work properly & effective?

- I do not believe that anything remains forever in the past - even purely historically, everything leaves its mark in reality, shaping it in one way or another. I like the idea that creativity remains a constant in communication business, because it is the basis of any memorable campaign.

- The projects of your agency again and again have been award-winning at international advertising festivals around the globe. Is there any formula for success, or is it like playing in a casino, when you don't know which bet will be the winning one?

- I like the metaphor that there is something gambling about the nature of our work, whether it's participating in festivals or new business pitches. At the heart of any success is a measured risk, and this also applies to participation in festivals. Therefore, if I could give advice here, it would be "Give a chance to your campaigns with best results –

the reason for these results most of the time is a great creative idea that can be well appreciated by the festival jury.

- Do you have a project in your portfolio that is particularly special to you, perhaps the one that was a prize-winning at ad festivals, or, vice verse, a project that stayed unnoticed despite its significant results? If so, why this project is so special to you?

 - Over the years we have had several campaigns that have performed very well at local festivals, but not at international ones. I explain this by the fact that we have not been able to explain them well to an international jury.

- You are a jury member on the White Square Festival 2021, and you have already been a jury member on various international creativity festivals. Can you name one or more key evaluating criteria of entries for you and why? 

 - For me, a successful campaign must first be based on unexpected and exciting insight and a well-developed strategy. The creative work that manages to make people feel good deserves special attention. Naturally, the level of craft should be outstanding - many times I have seen how great ideas with poor execution do not continue, and this is normal, at the festival every element of the work should be at the highest level possible.

 - Today, the trend in marketing more and more often involves the desire to create such communication that can be both creative and effective, get high awards at Festivals, and what is more, to change the world for the better. Is it so? What other trends can you mark? 

- When it comes to who is changing the world for the better today, I think politicians can learn a lot from business about how to create a better world to live in.

- The International Advertising Festival White Square is one of the largest creative festivals in Europe. The business program of the festival includes workshops in marketing, creativity and branding, media & digital, based on speaker's cases that demonstrated high results in different countries markets, and is rich with hot marketing practices and relevant insights around the world. Are you going to give a talk at the festival, and if so, what ideas will you share? 

- The topic I find interesting is when and how the chemistry in the relationship between a client and an agency arises and why sometimes the "stars line up". I believe that without purposeful, courageous and very hardworking clients, agencies can rarely create groundbreaking campaigns. Therefore, I will try to analyze what distinguishes those clients who have managed to bring out the best of us over the years, from those with whom we parted with mutual relief.

- This year the slogan of White Square 2020 is short: IT’S TIME! Do you think, is it worth taking part in international advertising festivals in times of crisis, and why? What would you like to wish the participants, partners and organizers of the White Square 2021? 

 - I believe that, as long as it can afford it, an agency must continue to present its work at international festivals. In Bulgaria, the principle that "no one is a prophet in his own country" often applies, and international recognition is the way to a local one. International recognition opens more serious doors for an agency's business, especially if it is an independent one, like All Channels.

- What would you advice to young agencies to become successful? Does the participation in festivals could help them to achieve their goals? What do they need to stand out from the other participants at the festival?

 - The best way to get recognition for a young agency is through a festival evaluation. At the same time, I would advise them to work very focused and to display only their best work. To show everything you got, hoping for the best outcome, is a mistake I have made in the past.

- You represent Bulgarian advertising industry at White Square Festival. Are there any specific features of advertising in your country, or should advertising be universal for any country? For example, can projects from your country be successful in Eastern Europe?

 - As the Bulgarian representative that I am, with a lot of creative adaptations behind my back, I know that the “universal” advertising can work most of the time, especially for the category leader with the biggest budget. Yet, the challenging brands need to act braver and this means local in order to win the audience. And, of course, the campaigns that tackle the local spirit cannot be universal.

It's Time! - the slogan of the festival White Square 2021. It's time to submit the competition cases for festival online. We would like to remind you that preferential conditions for acquiring accreditation are in effect until March 31.