Creativity that helps

What draws you personally to CSR topics and campaigns that Publicis Groupe focuses on?

It's actually a desire to use what we do best for something that has real impact – not just to make money or sell products. From the point of view of creatives, it is addictive to see that their work has really influenced someone's life. Not only by selling a service or product, but by having some more significant overlap. When we first created this kind of campaign, the feeling invigorated us so much that we wanted to do more. Only to a reasonable extent of course, so that we would have enough time to really zero in on these topics. These are often sensitive issues, so it is vital to elaborate them thoroughly to support the campaign’s true meaning and impact. So it's not about doing one campaign after another just to get them out of the way. Rather, every year, we choose the topics that we want to focus on over the long term.

What made you do it and what motivates you?

I've always been fascinated by how powerful a campaign can be – even a brand campaign. At the same time, perhaps only a few brands are really aware of it. Brands have a huge impact; they can appeal to crowds and change social views. However, not all choose to use this power to improve important social issues. There are slightly more similar campaigns in the world than in our country. I follow the foreign market a lot and draw inspiration from this, and it piques my interest that these initiatives are more common there than in our country. It would be great if this ignited change in the Czech Republic as well. The first fruits of our labor are already visible, but I still think we could up the intensity.

Could you mention one foreign campaign that really interested you?

There are so many. But I will mention one that even won the Grand Prix in Cannes – something of an Olympiad for creative campaigns and ideas. It was a campaign about five years ago originating in Germany called The Tampon Book. It was brilliant. In Germany, there was a higher tax on menstrual tampons than on books – women paid 19% tax for sanitary products, while books were taxed at only 7%. To draw attention to this issue, they created a book full of tampons. Thanks to this, the product was sold at that lower tax rate because it fell into the category of literature. It was a simple yet ingenious concept – sensitive but provocative at the same time. They balanced beautifully on the edge between the “wow effect” and a tasteful solution. The campaign was not only visually brilliant, but also had a real impact – they managed to achieve a change in the law and draw attention to the senseless taxation of some women's products.

How does such work differ for you and your team from traditional client campaigns? Do you see a difference there? For example, do you feel increased pressure because these are things that can really help someone? Or, on the contrary, do you feel greater motivation and an influx of creative energy?

In terms of the team, I think there is a great desire to work on CSR and pro bono campaigns, because we all see a higher meaning in it. Creatives enjoy the feeling that their work has the power to make a real difference. The company is keenly interested in these projects, which is great. However, it usually means extra work – it often has to be worked on in the evenings or on weekends with higher commitment, because everyone also deals with the classic business agenda. Despite this time-consuming nature, creatives go for it. And not only creatives – people from other departments are also involved, which is great.

The difference between a commercial campaign and a campaign focused on a social issue is mainly in the taste and sensitivity of the whole approach. On topics such as sexual violence or equal rights for all, we need to look much longer and more intensively for the right form to be appropriate – so that it does not offend anyone, but still creates a certain tension that captivates and makes people think. They must have the power to “lift someone out of the chair”, but they must not inappropriately cause outrage.

Careful research at the beginning plays a major role. We talk to people who are personally affected, as well as to organizations that have long been dealing with these topics – such as Amnesty International, Prague Pride or many others, including experts, such as neurosurgeons. Gaining this insight is time-intensive but decisive for the campaign to be truly meaningful and well-executed.

Can you win at will with such campaigns in terms of creativity, or do clients from the non-profit sector also carefully monitor the course of creation?

This is a key question. Certainly, one of the positive aspects of working on pro bono campaigns is that we often have a slightly freer hand. Then again, we do not receive as much detailed feedback as we are used to from regular clients. That is fine. However, it is of the utmost importance to listen to the client, especially with regard to the sensitivity of the topic, and as to whether we’ve pinpointed the right boundary between emphasis and respect. It also depends a little on whether the client comes to us with an idea or we come up with the topic ourselves, because it somehow touches us personally. This was the case with the Unplaceable Ring campaign. Several of our creatives also deal with this topic in their personal lives, which is why we decided to take it up, and only then did we look for a suitable client.

Can you introduce us to the Unplaceable Ring?

The Unplaceable Ring began as an idea formulated during one of our regular Creative Gyms – that's what we call a mass brainstorming session of the entire creative team. As an inspiration, we had the theme of marriage for all. It was not based on any assignment or brief; rather, we took the topic as our own, because it touched us personally. Originally, we wanted to offer the idea to a Czech jewelry store – we hoped that they would go into it with us and even partially finance the production of rings that were made of real gold. However, the client did not believe in the idea and opted out of the project. We ultimately found a smaller goldsmith who crafted the rings for a symbolic amount, and we teamed up with Prague Pride and We are Fair. Together, we created an entire campaign from the idea – so it was purely our initiative, for which we then sought out a suitable partner.

The Unplaceable Ring symbolizes the difference between marriage and registered partnership. Until a year and a half ago, few people knew that there were more than 100 differences between the two institutions. Registered partners encountered fundamental barriers – they could not have a common surname, joint ownership of property or adopt their partner's biological child. Many politicians and the public were unaware of this reality, thinking that it was actually the same thing, and we just called it by different names. But this was not the case – registered partnership was definitely not the same as marriage, and we wanted to demonstrate this with a literally unplaceable ring. It contains special, perfectly transparent glass that illustrates a completely invisible yet greatly limiting barrier. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary wedding ring, but if you try to put it on, you will find that it is impossible – just as marriage is not possible for everyone.

Along with the ring, we created a detailed study that included specific legal differences between registered partnership and marriage. We then presented the campaign to key politicians, including Markéta Pekarová Adamová, and we also reached out to influencers. The aim was to put pressure on legislators, but also to inform the public, who can influence politicians. We managed to even out about 70% of the rights, although marriage itself has not yet passed for everyone. So the barrier still exists – we may not have broken it down completely, but at least we cracked it a little. This really is a great stride forward.

As you mentioned, you also involve politicians in some campaigns. How hard (or easy) is it to reach out and get them to cooperate?

Our company management is a key partner in this. We are indeed lucky in this respect, because support for pro bono activities from above is definitely not a given . Both our bosses – Jarda Malina, head of communication, and Tomáš Varga, head of the entire group – are aware of how important these campaigns are. They see the enthusiasm that people in the company have for them and they support us in this, which is a huge advantage. It was Jarda Malina who played an essential role in analyzing the political situation surrounding the Unplaceable Ring. It took us some time to find out whom to approach, to address and when, so that politicians were willing to meet with us and talk about the topic. This preparatory phase was probably the most difficult part of the whole process.

However, once we addressed the politicians – Ivan Bartoš, Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Vít Rakušan and others – they always quickly listened to us and were open to meeting. It also helped that marriage was a very topical social issue for everyone at the time. We also had good timing, which is a key factor in campaigns. In the end, it is always about the right timing and connecting several important pieces of the puzzle so that everything fits together and the campaign generates maximum impact.

We often work with other teams within Publicis Groupe on these campaigns, bringing our expertise together across the group as part of our integrated Power of One approach to deliver the best results. In particular, we cooperate closely with our PR agency MSL Czech Republic, which helps us immensely with the communication of these CSR campaigns.

I assume that the campaign was received positively, especially among those who were personally affected. But how was it perceived by the part of society having no personal experience with the topic and may harbor prejudices? Have you evaluated this side as well?

Yes, we certainly figured that aspect in. A year and a half ago, it was really a very polarizing topic – it was discussed a lot and divided society into two camps. Similarly, influencers and politicians who participated in the campaign had to count on reactions from both sides. It is also true that not everyone wanted to come on board. I wouldn't say that they were frightened, but even though the topic resonated with them personally, they could feel a certain controversy and concern about the reactions of their followers. And I totally understand that. Of course, both politicians and influencers who went along with us received negative comments – as did we in our agency contributions. This is true despite the fact that we are in the marketing community, where I expected a liberal voice supporting equal rights to prevail. I was taken aback that not all responses were positive. However, this only confirmed to us how important it is to carry out such campaigns. If they provoke strong reactions, it means that they are still needed and make sense to implement.

What about your other important campaign I Want Consent? How did it come about?

The I Want Consent campaign was created in cooperation with Amnesty International, which approached us with the aim of creating a campaign focused on the problematic nature of how rape in the Czech Republic was legally defined at the time. I admit that until we started dealing with it, I had no idea how badly and outdated the legislation was regulating this. Many of us were shocked to find out how the law defined just rape six months ago. The redefinition was signed into law by the president only last June, but we already knew that this topic would resonate strongly in society. That is why it was important to time the campaign correctly – Amnesty reps and I started preparing it well in advance so that we could support the public debate at the right moment.

The whole problem was that in the Czech Republic, rape was defined only by the presence of violence, not by the absence of consent. If the victim “froze” – that is, did not shout or physically resist – the law did not recognize a sexual act as rape. Explicit physical violence would have to accompany this for an act to be considered a crime. And yet the numbers were alarming – up to 80% of victims of sexual violence “froze” because they were paralyzed by fear and unable to defend themselves. So they enjoyed no benefit of legal protection. This was an absolutely terrifying fact about which most of us had no idea. Personally, the thought of it still makes me sick.

We knew from the beginning that we wanted to approach this in such a way that the campaign wasn't directed against rapists and violence in general. On the contrary, we wanted to reach the wider public, ordinary people who might sometimes cross the line of consent without realizing it. We didn't want to moralize or scare, but to awaken empathy – to encourage people to listen more to their partner and be more sensitive to their nonverbal signals. That is why we decided to take a sex-positive approach – the campaign was to be positive, modern and visually appealing, in order to appeal mainly to the younger generation. This gave rise to the concept of I Want Consent, where we shot an attractive and sexy commercial. The main idea was: “Knowing when she wants it is easy. But can you tell when she doesn't want it?” The reactions during the initial survey led us to this. We would often encounter people telling us: “Consent is stupid, I can tell when she wants it,” or “Nobody needs to sign any paperwork before sex.”

We did not want to fight these views. We wanted to convey: Yes, recognizing when she wants it is easy. But the question is – can you tell if she doesn't? Be empathetic, take hints from the other person. This sex-positive campaign had a tremendous response and helped to get tens of thousands of signatures on the petition. We had a lot of them collected before the vote in the second reading in the Chamber of Deputies, then there was a Senate vote, and today, rape in the Czech Republic is fortunately defined by consent, not violence. The new legislation also covers situations where the victim “freezes”, cries or is under psychological pressure.

Did you evaluate in hindsight what impact the campaign really had? Is it even possible to measure whether people are more aware of the importance of consent before the situation arises?

This is a difficult question to answer because there's no way to accurately measure certain things. We monitored the sentiment around the campaign both in the digital space and partially in the offline environment. The result was that approximately 90% of responses were positive. Many people, including experts, appreciated that we took a different path – that the campaign was not a classic antirape format, but rather celebrates the beauty of consensual sex. We received great feedback mainly from young people, which was also our goal. We deliberately styled the campaign into aesthetics close to Gen Z and the younger generation. Originally, we wanted to include seniors, but unfortunately, we could not find enough courageous people who would be willing to participate in the campaign. At the same time, it was crucial for us that it was gender, age and orientation-neutral, which is why we also included diverse couples – lesbian, gay, and polyamorous trios. We showed sex in all its forms as we know it – as a natural and beautiful part of life. We created the entire campaign – including actors, Radim Střelka, director Petr Dvořák and photographer Kubo Kríž – all without entitlement to a fee. I think everyone has done an incredible job, and when we see the beautiful reactions, we know it was worth it.

What important or famous personalities have you managed to get for this and previous campaigns? Who was willing to sign up and actively support them?

Considering that everyone who worked on the campaign invested their time and energy in it without any remuneration, all pro bono, it was amazing to see how many people – including celebrities – supported it. In the case of the Unplaceable Ring, the politicians whom I’ve already mentioned – Ivan Bartoš, Vít Rakušan or Markéta Pekarová Adamová - participated. For the I Want Consent campaign, we had significant support from influencers such as YouTuber Lukefry, who shared the campaign several times, as well as from several well-known female influencers. The great thing was that here, we noticed a natural response among young people on Instagram. The campaign spread organically there; people shared it themselves on their profiles, which is not often the case with regular campaigns. It even became so popular that people started stealing our printed visuals! (Laughter) The campaign ran in several cinemas, and in addition to the fact that it was shown on screen, we also placed posters in snap frames in restrooms. After some time, cinemas started calling Amnesty saying that they needed reprints because their posters were disappearing – people were simply taking them home. Ultimately, this unexpected reaction inspired us to create a limited edition of posters. In cooperation with the photographer, we have prepared an official version that people can buy on the Amnesty International e-shop.

How do you usually measure the success of pro bono or CSR activities? Are KPIs fundamentally different from those that are usually monitored?

For both campaigns – Rings and Amnesty – the main KPI was a change in the law. In one case, 70% of the change was achieved, in the other 100%, so both campaigns were highly successful in this regard. Another important aspect was awareness among people that we could measure similarly to commercial campaigns, which proved to be a great advantage. For all our campaigns, we always monitor at least the basic digital analytics – traffic, click-throughs and sentiment...

Is there any other significant project we may have noticed that you could tell us more about?

I would mention the campaign we did for the Penny supermarket chain on first aid courses. Here, too, we searched for a sensitive boundary to remind the broad target group that the most important thing we could do for our loved ones was being able to help them in a crisis. We do so many things for them every day – we cook for them, do their laundry and take care of them. But when a health crisis suddenly strikes, none of that matters anymore. Only one thing matters at this time. We shot a beautiful commercial with director Alice Nellis, who sensitively found a balance between pleasant storytelling and a dramatic moment.

Penny offered a free online first aid training course – first to its employees and then to the general public. These were detailed video tutorials that were extremely useful – even if it was “merely” a distance learning course. The day after launching the campaign, servers crashed because tens of thousands of people had signed up for the course. The campaign had both deep reach and real impact. Influencer Marek Dvořák, the most famous lifeguard on Czech Instagram, also played a big role, helping to get the campaign out to the people. Few brands come up with a really meaningful and useful project, which is why we were truly delighted with this cooperation. It was not just about marketing, but something that could in fact save people's lives.

What are you planning in the near future?

We are currently working on several projects that are not only important, but also fragile. The key to having real impact is to get the timing right and work with the right partner – be it a commercial client or a non-profit organization. Only in this way can we ensure that the result will be of the quality we want to deliver. One of these projects builds on our cooperation with Amnesty International, which we really enjoyed. And since they too were satisfied with us, we are currently preparing another campaign together. I can't reveal a specific topic yet, because we're just starting out, but it will definitely be something topical that society is openly discussing. We are preparing another campaign in cooperation with neurosurgeons and one outstanding Czech photographer. This is a topic that has not yet been addressed in the Czech Republic, yet it is absolutely crucial for patients.

Is there a CSR topic that you would like to work on in the future? What is important to you personally in this regard?

I think the biggest problem we face as a society is polarization – the world of bubbles in which we insulate ourselves only to become ever further separated from each other. I feel this is one of the truly vital issues that we will have to deal with intensively in the coming years, along with fake news or the inability to conduct open dialog. We have already dealt with it several times, looking for different ways to approach it, but it is so complex and complicated that we do not yet have any workable solution. Nevertheless, we know that these topics are absolutely crucial. As we monitor reactions to campaigns, even commercial ones, we often see that negative comments and hatred stem from fear. And on social topics, it's even clearer – many people react aggressively because they're worried. There are frighteningly many topics that we could resolve not only globally, but also directly in the Czech Republic.

You are a mentor of several educational projects in the Czech Republic and abroad. What do you enjoy most about coaching young creatives?

In the Czech Republic, specifically in the #GirlsMarketing program, I have one mentee for three months, with whom I meet regularly. What enriches me the most is the fact that these girls or ladies often come from a different industry or devote themselves to a different segment of marketing than I do. For example, the last time I mentored someone who worked in an e-shop with books. I don't know much about this field, but she does – so we shared experience with each other, which was interesting for both parties.

The second program I dedicate myself to is the LIA Awards, a London-based organization that connects mentors and mentees from around the world. I enjoy this mainly because I can talk to people outside the Czech Republic and get to know how the advertising market works in other countries. Mentees are often younger creatives, but not always – there is no limit to age. In general, age does not play a primary role in these initiatives. Czech mentoring is not always about younger people – it is more about those who want to meet someone from another field and share experiences.

Then there is the creative director course, where I have about 30 participants – often people aged 40+. While some want to move up the career ladder, others are just interested in how to lead a team more effectively.

What inspires you personally? Where do you get fresh ideas for such a wide portfolio of clients from different areas?

I'll tell you what it’s like for me – while others could have a completely different experience, and that's perfectly fine. What works for me and my team is regularity and a systematic approach to creativity. I can see that the way of working, efficiency and the ability to come up with an idea quickly that we enjoy even three days later are all gradually improving. Because the love of ideas changes over time – something that we find great on the first day may not excite us on the third day.

I perceive creativity as a muscle – similarly to an athlete who wants to make it to the Olympics, it needs to be constantly trained. I don’t think that a brilliant idea arises just by going about one’s business and suddenly a light bulb switches on. Maybe there is such a person, but I personally perceive creativity as a skill that can be improved. Therefore, our company has established a regular process, a bit of a controlled drill, but in a pleasant form: joint brainstorming sessions involving the whole team, becoming inspiring sessions, where we share inspiration from abroad and completely outside the field – for example from art or journalism, we invite interesting people – photographers, documentarists, sculptors, dubbers, actors and activists to tell us something interesting...

In my opinion, the right combination for creativity training should include learning new things, regularity and feedback on ideas. Another great advantage is that we have two terrific creative bosses – Kosta Schneider in Ukraine and Andrey Tyukavkin, who operates on a regional level. We can consult our ideas with them, which is extremely valuable.

If you had to advise readers on what they could do every day to develop their creativity and positive thinking, to progress and not just stay focused on some daily routine, what would it be?

Creative thinking means – if I simplify it – thinking differently. Seeking out a perspective that is not entirely obvious at first glance. Something new, something different. Sometimes it just helps you to do something different during the day than you are not accustomed to. It can be something small like going to work a different way, sitting in a different place than usual, or having dessert for lunch, even if you don't normally eat it. The only certainty in the creative process is change. And this is the one that can kick-start you. But if you stay on track and don't allow yourself to step out of it, nothing new is likely to happen.

If any of our readers have an idea for a campaign or want to help tackle a social topic, can they reach out to you?

Certainly, we are constantly seeking out new ideas and topics – it is a continuous process without end. The “selection procedure for interesting ideas and cooperation” runs constantly, and we are definitely open to meetings and talks.

There are many creative agencies on the Czech market focused on marketing and various types of campaigns. How do you perceive their cooperation in the field of pro bono and CSR activities? Do agencies tend to combine their knowledge and skills to create something meaningful together, or rather work independently? And do you see an effort for the advertising market to show that it can collaborate on something positive across the industry?

It certainly doesn't happen that often – the advertising market is a competitive environment, that's for sure. What I perceive positively is that young talents are supported, even in cooperation across agencies. For example, in the Young Lions competition, it sometimes happens that pairs of creatives from different agencies collaborate. Members of our team participate in this competition regularly and not only are they successful in it, but they are also primarily satisfied by the very essence of CSR. Last year, our younger colleagues managed to place among the top three competing pairs in the Czech round in several categories. And even the pair consisting of Ondřej Šveda from our PR agency MSL Czech Republic and Lucia Krajčiová from our creative agency Saatchi&Saatchi fought their way to the world final in the PR category, where they were awarded by the global jury as one of the TOP 5 pairs in the world. A certain competitiveness is healthy for the creative process – the key is to be constructive. I also work with it as part of my team. It is not about turning the creatives against each other, but about the fact that the intrinsic motivation to come up with the best idea is actually the right motivation. And the Young Lions competition is a beautiful example of how this can work. Every year, a topic from a non-profit organization is entered, and young creatives under 30 have 24 hours to prepare the campaign. There will be 30 proposals from which gold, silver and bronze will be selected – the winning team then goes on to Cannes, where they compete at an international level. It is this competition that helps to achieve a great result – because suddenly you have 30 different creative solutions from which the non-profit can choose the very best.

Thank you for the interview.