10 years of the advertising industry in Central and Eastern Europe - Creative directors

This year is the 10th anniversary of the media market reports published by we_can, first in our publication the CANnual Report, now on our we_know platform. To celebrate this occasion, we have asked our partner agency leaders to share their experiences on the changes in the advertising and media markets of the CEE region since 2014. In this third part of our article series, creative directors share their insights on the most significant developments of the past decade.

Evolution of the creative director

All we_can experts agree that the role of creative directors has evolved over the past decade, now expected to combine strategic, managerial, and cross-functional skills alongside creativity. With the acceleration of processes, agility and adaptability to rapid project cycles and digital demands have become key skills. Hrvoje Skurla, Owner and Creative Director at Pink Moon in Croatia summarizes the change: the shift leans heavily toward management, with creative directors overseeing processes, client relationships, and strategic decisions, supported by specialized sub-teams – making the role more complex than ever.

Measuring creativity

Creative approaches have shifted significantly in the past decade, driven by technological advancements and the rise of digital media. Campaigns have shorter lifespans, but the production of a higher volume of content in a condensed timeframe is often pressured. Andrea Horváth, Creative Director at Café Communications, Hungary says the transition from ATL to digital/social formats transformed how campaigns are conceptualized, executed, and measured. This is a welcomed blend of creativity with performance metrics, enabling measurability but Hrvoje Skurla mentions an unexpected disadvantage: measurability is sometimes misinterpreted by clients, leading to unrealistic client expectations about immediate results. The impact of AI and advanced tools has been expanding creative possibilities, so even though the use of artificial intelligence can be debated, it allows creative experts to approach creative solutions in a more comprehensive way. 

Keeping up with the trends

Creative directors emphasize adaptability and insight to stay ahead of trends. Marek Hes, Creative Director at CAN.agency in the Czech Republic warns that the pace of change in creative trends will continue to increase in the future, parallel to the arrival of new technologies. The only way to keep up with the trends is to know them by educating oneself. Hrvoje Skurla adds that it’s important to filter trends to distinguish substance from hype, such as adapting frameworks to integrate new platforms, such as TikTok, effectively. Andrea Horváth’s approach is “My creative strategy has always been rooted in a simple philosophy: move through the world with open eyes, ready to uncover inspiration from the most unexpected places. Some of the freshest, most genuine ideas emerge from these real-life moments. I believe in truly knowing a product, in not just observing but experiencing it and understanding it in the environment where it is purchased – where our audience will meet them. There's a depth in these encounters, a richness that transforms mere words and images into something far more resonant.”

Faster, Cheaper, Smarter

As mentioned before, client expectations for creativity and innovation have evolved significantly over the past decade, shaped by digital transformation and technology's influence. Marek Hes summarizes how this has changed: “Thanks to the development of technologies in the creative process and their democratization, clients expect much better outputs in less time and, unfortunately, for smaller budgets.” Besides this change in expectations, clients value strategic grounding, credible insights, and openness to digital innovation. Hrvoje Skurla adds that there are mixed client expectations: some demand immediate results, while others grasp the long-term nature of communication. Agencies are now more involved in clients' internal processes, requiring proactivity and quick responses, though this deeper collaboration can sometimes be challenging.

Award-winning creativity

Creativity has evolved over the past decade, with shifts in perceptions of what is considered an award-winning work. Andrea Horváth explains that while international festivals maintain high standards in ideas and execution, local recognition has declined, sparking discussions on revitalizing creativity. Marek Hes highlights the growing importance of socially impactful campaigns at awards, though finding clients who embrace this approach could be a challenge. Hrvoje Skurla adds another facet: the rise of efficiency as a key criterion, awards now require proof of impact. Creativity has grown more complex, moving from traditional storytelling to creating omnichannel narratives.

Best of the past 10 years

we_can creative directors have an abundance of projects that they are proud of, so we’ve asked them to choose their favourites:

Andrea Horváth mentions two campaigns: the Spring Pick campaign and Blindjourney. These campaigns stand out for their genuine insights and innovative approaches. “Blindjourney is one of the defining projects of my career, as it goes far beyond traditional advertising and communication, approaching the topic of AI from a completely new and useful perspective.”

Marek Hes highlights the International Rural Women's Day campaign for Budvar, which celebrates rural women and demonstrates the value of socially impactful work. “This campaign gave me the conviction that doing things with social impact makes a lot of sense.”

Hrvoje Skurla is proud of every project that led to a client returning to the agency, each one that created results. Such a project was a regional Podravka instant soup campaign that achieved universal appeal and led to further collaborations. “We are thrilled that we created communication that speaks a universal language across all markets.”