The 21st Champion Breakfast: From Social Responsibility to Contemporary Theatre
At the conclusion of the summer season, we invited DDB Hub representatives Jānis Lazda-Lazdiņš and Renārs Liepiņš to attend our Champion Breakfast. The two young men represented Latvia as new digital lions at the Cannes Advertising Festival this year. Also attending the breakfast was public relations specialist Ieva Bērziņa from the Latvian Road Safety Directorate (CSDD), and Gundega Laiviņa, director of the Homo Novus International New Theatre Festival.
The starter was Jānis and Renārs, who talked about the atmosphere at the Cannes Lion Festival and the Young Lions competition. Like any creative process, it involves endless switches from doubts to delight. We learned about the doubts and searches of the whole advertising industry in terms of not getting lost among technological innovations, instead remaining in a territory of stories that are understandable and important for people.
The main dish was Ieva Bērziņa’s extensive experience with CSSD campaigns during the past 15 years. She discussed changes in CSDD communications, why those changes were necessary, what challenges are always present, and what new challenges the agency must face. Ieva said that the main need for any campaign is simplicity, clarity, a direct approach and originality. She added that according to statistics, participants in traffic have become more responsible and sensible as a result of the campaigns.
Dessert was served by Gundega Laiviņa, who discussed the most vivid participants in the Homo Novus festival this year, also talking about how the festival has grown during the past 20 years. What is contemporary theatre, and why is it necessary? Gundega said that as relationships between audiences, actors and other theatrical people are changed, it is possible to break down assumptions that keep us from being more free, wiser and more understanding amongst ourselves. Simply human meetings and understandings, perhaps, are the most difficult challenge for contemporary theatres.
See you in the autumn!
