This talk stood out with its metaphorical yet practical framework: surviving the modern advertising jungle. Kateřina Huňová and Vladimír Zikmund offered 10 sharp, memorable tips that went beyond theory, highlighting real campaigns, missteps, and surprisingly simple creative ideas.
Here’s the survival kit they proposed:
1. Get your survival kit
Know your brand, your product or service, and, most importantly, your audience. Messaging only works when it aligns with identity. Ryanair’s chaotic memes and British Airways’ premium tone couldn’t be swapped. Know who you are, and stay in your lane.
2. Enter with courage
Courage in advertising can mean budget bravery (like Lays going all-in on football and music) or daring to be different. Kaufland’s idea to hand out ice packs of carrots to hockey players is absurd, and that’s exactly why it worked. It was cheap, simple, and memorable.
3. Hunt one animal
Focus on one thing: one product, one message, one feeling. Trying to do everything results in nothing. Klarna’s “smooth fish” campaign was absurd but effective. The Ordinary, too, owns its scientific tone with brutally plain product names. Simplicity is power.
4. Stay on the path
Consistency and integration are critical. Skoda’s visual metaphor using plus and minus signs doubled campaign awareness. Long-term consistency, like Snickers’ “You’re not you when you’re hungry” builds recognition and emotional memory.
5. Take a buddy
Mascots work, whether they’re cute (like DuoLingo’s owl), absurd (like the Panda who gets mad if you say no to milk), or even annoying. If your tone is strong and consistent, your audience will remember it.
6. Climb the tree for better perspective
Think differently. IBM made clever physical installations to demonstrate smart ideas. Jeep used unexpected ad placements (like bizarre parking spots). Dog food brands made frisbees shaped like gym weights. Unexpected formats create attention.
7. Follow the river flow
Trend moments are fast and short-lived, like “brat summer” or meme formats. You can ride them, but don’t rely on them. Heineken’s flippable phone device for distraction-free cheering was a brilliant trend-relevant product.
8. Cooperate with indigenous people
Influencers can help, but only when they truly fit. Jeremy Allen White for Calvin Klein worked. But Kendall Jenner for Pepsi? A disaster. Influencers are not the idea, they’re just one tool, and they must align with your brand values.
9. Obstacles can’t stop you
Barriers can spark creativity. Legal restrictions in Brazil banned beer logos on football jerseys, so Brahma used hair dye to create beer-colored hairstyles. Penny fought consumer price-blindness by printing huge prices on product packaging.
10. Celebrate at the end
After surviving the jungle, don’t forget to appreciate your wins. Analyze your results, celebrate your team, and enjoy the moment. Every good campaign is a journey.
This was one of the most engaging and creatively structured talks at WebExpo. Even if advertising isn’t your main field, these lessons about clarity, creativity, and boldness are easily applied across all types of design and communication.
