CATALIN DOBRE
Diana Dragomir puts our Q&A to Catalin Dobre, Executive Creative Director at McCann Erickson Bucharest.
How you got into advertising in a sentence...
As a kid, I was watching advertising on TV and I thought I had way better ideas than those guys.
The latest campaign I am working on...
I’m working on a social experiment with a technology virgin using the Internet: Ghita, the shepherd. He is “taking Romania by storm” as BBC wrote in an article covering the story.
From a guy isolated on top of the mountain he ended up having songs written about him by traditional artists and being given as an example for the digitalisation of Romania by the European Commissioner. He’s the proof that technology can really make a difference. And he is a part of a campaign for Vodafone.
The best piece of creative work around at the moment is...
"Van Damme Epic Split" for Volvo Trucks. There is a lot of good work around the world. But every year, there’s a campaign that breaks through the advertising bubble forums and you can see it in the news from Eastern Europe to South Asia. This year Volvo did it.
This year I’ll be attending...
I think you will always be good in advertising if you manage to stay interested in something else also. You need to find new experiences, to recharge with creative energy from all sort of events all around the world. So, besides the usual advertising shows, I would like to attend Burning Man.
The next big thing in advertising is going to be...
The challenge is finding the right use for technology in order to create relevant innovation. Things are moving so fast that, today, I still see a lot of people using technology for the sake of technology. And it’s not only advertising. This is affecting all industries.
The piece of advertising work I wish I had thought of is...
Red Bull Stratos. I would have loved to be a part of the team that implemented that experience. For me, it was one of the best pieces of work done for a brand in the last few years. Even if it didn’t even enter the advertising shows, for me it is a Grand Prix.
The digital tool I couldn’t live without is...
Checking my e-mail has become a reflex thing. Like unlocking my phone to see what time it is. The mobile phone is an extent of my right hand and I cannot say I am a big fan of that. I’m starting an iPhone rehab.
In a film about my life, I’d like to be played by...
I’d like to give Leonardo di Caprio the chance to win his first Oscar.
A word or phrase I most overuse...
“Mmmeah”. The weird sound that I make describing the mediocrity of something.
My last social media update said...
“Cooking with the locals in Toffia” and had a picture attached of the ancient roman village with no more than a few hundred inhabitants. Cool experience seeing how these people still live in their houses from the year 500 and understand by “social media” the local gatherings in the small square of the village.
My dream collaboration is...
With the Pope. It would probably be the chance to really put creativity to the test and use it to change a bit the world for the better. Ok, that sounded like a Miss Universe speech.
A piece of criticism I’ve received was...
I always change my mind. I heard somewhere that only smart people are not afraid to change their minds. No I didn’t.
The last piece of music I listened to was...
Down on my luck - Vic Mensa
One big inspiration from Cannes...
The most inspiring thing is an idea that makes you envious. Something that you wish you’ve done. That makes you ambitious and pushes your limits. In Cannes, you find these ideas and, for me, that is one of the most powerful things about the festival. Then, of course, Cannes is a ecosystem of inspiration. From the lectures in the festival to the old and new friends you meet and party with.
28 May 2014
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