We have applauded the temperamental flamenco in Valencia, Spain, we have almost got lost in the fog on the sunny side of the Alps in Bled, Slovenia, we have been through a »No Problem!« adventure in the hospitable, but still scarred Sarajevo, and we were so amazed by the capital of civilizations Istanbul and its potent cultures-cocktail that we have remained there for three years in a row. And it was expectations what took us to Belgrade now.
There is no other city that I would have so many memories of, both sweet and bitter. We had to leave it a quarter of a century ago in order to come back and to begin a new story.
The idea behind the Intercontinental Advertising Cup has grown out of experience. Since the world has split into Anglo-Saxon and everybody else’s halves, it has been out of joint by default. We can only communicate, if we speak Americanese and as a consequence we are at a disadvantage every time when we wish to express or defend ourselves.
The Cannes juries have less than 4 seconds to rate any single entry. It augurs poorly for stuff they do not know, or even do not understand the language and culture an entry is based on. The globalization’s tsunami has enveloped the world and the general truisms have travelled happily with it – so that now only those with firm roots in their land and culture can still manage to stand up to it by using the idiom that is exclusively their own creative heritage.
Genius loci, the spirit of the place, is the leading light of the Intercontinental Cup, and in spite of all the global greats it dares to celebrate those heroes who, like legendary Achilles, know how to draw their creative strength from the soil under their feet.
I really have no idea, if there is another comparable place, that is so small, yet so blessed with inspiration and spirit, or that has composed so many heart-breaking songs, gave birth to countless tragic and heroic tales, non-repeatable curses and jaw-dropping practical jokes. The Romans, who called Singidunum a home, too, knew well that every peopled place has its unique spirit, the Genius loci, that protects and preserves its unique identity and that inspires artists who create there.
From the Schwarzwald and from under Mount Triglav (Tricorno in Italian, and theTriple Head in clumsy English) spring two major waterways, the Danube – die Donau (German), Dunaj (Slovenian), Duna (Hungarian), Dunav (Croatian), Дунав (»Dunav«, Serbian and Bulgarian), la Dunǎrea (Romanian) and Дунай (»Dunai«, Ukrainian) – and the Sava, two immense rivers with endless tributaries that all collect and transport the memories of European places and cultures. As they merge under the huge wooden rafts in the heart of Belgrade, gipsy trumpets salute their joint might.
Genius loci, the inspiration streaming from five continents will set house there this time around. A year from now, the river flow may take it forward, but it may also choose to stay a while.
The list of friends and supporters of the Intercontinental Cup at www.thecupawards.com.
7th INTERCONTINENTAL ADVERTISING CUP PROGRAMME
Belgrade, April 17, 2014
Crowne Plaza Hotel
9.30 Registration
10.30 Opening
GENIUS LOCI / BALKAN SPIRIT
10.40 Miloš Simić, President of IAA Serbia
11.00 Aljoša Bagola, Executive Creative Director, Pristop, Slovenia
11.20 Davor Bruketa, Nikola Žinić, Founders and Creative Directors, Bruketa & Žinić OM, Croatia
11.50 Slavimir Stojanović, designer, Founder and Partner, Designis, Serbia
12.10 Coffee Break
12.30 Bojan Hadžihalilović, graphic designer, Creative Director, Fabrika, Bosnia and Herzegovina
12.50 Vladimir Čosić, Creative Director, McCann Belgrade
13.10 Dušan Drakalski, Regional Creative Director, New Moment New Ideas Company Y&R, Macedonia
13.50 Lunch Break
INTERCONTINENTAL CREATIVE SUMMIT & JURY ON THE STAGE
15.00 Milka Pogliani, Creative Consultant and Advisor, Italy
The spots of the leopard – Fashion is roaring
15.30 Michael Conrad, President of Berlin School of Creative Leadership
Architecture for Big Ideas
16.15 Alexandra Taylor, Member of D&AD Board
Horror stories and industry fuck-ups
16.45 Sophie Schoenburg, Copywriter, AlmapBBDO, Brazil
17.15 Naoki Ito, Chief Creative Officer & Founder, PARTY Tokyo, Japan
17.45 Johannes Newrkla, Founder & CEO, Bluetango, Austria
More Democracy for EU
18.10 Coffee Break
18.30 Martin Spillmann, Chief Creative Officer, Leo Burnett Western Europe
Popularity through creativity
Santosh Padhi, Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, Taproot, India
19.10 Adrian Botan, VP Creative Excellence, McCann Erickson CEE, Romania
Juan Sanchez, Chief Creative Officer, TBWA, Spain
19.30 Cocktail Break
20.30 7th Intercontinental Advertising CUP Awards
World Premiere
Balkan CUP Party
Registration is possible on-line at www.thecupawards.com/en/visit!
www.thecupawards.com
www.media-marketing.com
