How Can Seemingly Simple, “Textbook” Campaigns Be Made Truly Innovative? Art Shows Us the Way. At CTA komunikacije, we thrive on taking seemingly dull or overdone topics and presenting them in a fresh, engaging way. The goal? To meet objectives while captivating the public’s interest. One of our favorite tools for achieving this is art—highly flexible and full of potential. The following three examples of award-winning campaigns demonstrate how this can work in practice.
“Separate” – jingle that played in nightclubs
At the end of 2022, we were faced with a task that seemed like it came out of a textbook: promoting trash cans. Of course, the official name was “informing the citizens of Split about the introduction of a new waste separation system into semi-underground tanks”. Creatively speaking, it boiled down to the same thing. To maximize the retention of key campaign messages and educate the public about proper waste separation, we turned to the power of music.
The unexpected and original collaboration with Vojko V soon went beyond the borders of Split itself. The campaign jingle left its mark in clubs, kindergartens, and beyond, and the results brought a handful of beautiful things to the agency.
Why did it work?
We turned a boring topic into catchy content that people wanted to consume voluntarily. The playful, high-quality song depicted humorous conflicts between types of waste, resonating deeply with the people of Split. By leaning into art, we avoided pushing information directly and instead made it something they loved.
Lockdown exhibition that broke records
This dive into the art world came about spontaneously. Our year-long plan for promoting HGSS’s 70th anniversary was derailed by COVID-19. Suddenly, we needed something impactful, quick, and far-reaching. We took everything we love about HGSS—their heroism, 70-year legacy, and signature ironic humor, especially on (then) Twitter—and combined it with interactivity.
The result? Croatia’s first tweet exhibit, ”Trening #HGSS70” (and after it some pretty cool things too).
Why did it work?
With the idea of bringing digital down to analog, we went beyond the classic celebration of an organization’s birthday, as well as the classic art exhibition. We kept the recognizable style of HGSS in the announcements and once again presented the Service as modern, harmonious, fast and witty. Our main exhibits were printed tweets, and on them carefully selected ironic and witty posts, each of which carries a deeper, life-important message.
Media and the public embraced the campaign as “something you simply have to see,” ensuring the anniversary’s message reached far beyond the exhibit’s location. 2:0 for art.
Knitting for the homeless and UGC on steroids
When the Ozana Association’s Štrikeraj Café told us they wanted to knit a three-meter Christmas tree from woolen squares (20×20 cm), we thought they were joking. Then they told us that they wanted to knit a handful of blankets from those squares for Zagreb’s homeless and warm them in the winter months. Silence.
Months later, through the “Knit yourself in” campaign, we learned never to underestimate the passion of a nonprofit with a noble goal.
During Advent 2019, we created a community-driven knitting initiative, as well as individuals and organizations, and channeled their handicrafts into humanitarian action. Those small works of art became part of a giant installation on the European Square and then warmed up to 70 people without homes.
Why did it work?
It worked because art knows no borders or languages. Within the 3,500 squares that were collected during the campaign, hundreds of squares from Spain and Slovenia found their place, creating user-generated content on steroids. Since knitting has therapeutic value, we also created video tutorials that continue teaching people to knit and crochet, further inspiring engagement.
Is art the right way for your campaigns?
Each of these campaigns was built on a solid strategic framework—an essential foundation for achieving desired results.
A key factor in creating successful campaigns is understanding the cultural context in which your client operates. Once you grasp this and find common ground with your target audiences, the narrative often reveals itself. Your responsibility then lies in innovating the approach for delivering key messages. Art is just one path you can take. However, it’s essential to recognize that it isn’t always the right one.
