I'm an independent creative director/copywriter/screenwriter from Bucharest. In my almost 20 years in advertising, I've helped build several successful local brands like Aqua Carpatica, Domeniile Samburesti, George, YOXO, Regina Maria, BCR, and Petrom. I've also worked for major international brands like Orange, Vodafone, Red Bull, OMV, Erste, Danone, Milka, Dove, Cosmote, and Bayer. I've co-written Arest, a film about Romania's communist past, and served as creative producer for Betoane, a new comedy series for VOYO and ProTV.
Here is some of my best work.
Regina Maria
How to start a healthcare revolution
Despite massive investments, Romania's healthcare system was stuck in the past. Patients felt powerless and unimportant, while doctors were treated as demigods. We helped Regina Maria, the leader in private healthcare in Romania, change all that with a brand platform that re-wrote not just the marketing materials, but the business plan. This work won two Bronze and a Silver Effie.
Orange Romania
My best campaigns for an iconic brand
In 2020, I started working for Orange, Romania's biggest and best telco brand. Three years, a pandemic, a 20-year anniversary, and a huge corporate merger later, I had a lot of great campaigns to be proud of. This work won three Effie Awards, was selected in the prestigious Luerzer's archive, and won best worldwide Orange TVC.
YOXO
The first successful local telco brand launch in 10 years
Romania's telco market is highly competitive. All major players tried and failed to launch new pre-paid brands targeting young people. All except Orange. So when they came to us in 2020 with their first digital subscription, we knew the only way we had a shot with the kids was a fun, no-nonsense approach, from branding to advertising. It worked!
Today, YOXO helped Orange be the market leader for Gen Z.
George
The intelligent banking launch
The new, cutting-edge banking platform from Erste BCR, the biggest bank in Romania, needed a seismic launch. Starting from the Turing-tested insight that for a machine to be intelligent, it has to be human-like, we wanted to reframe the meaning of smart banking in a category that overused the term with a campaign that gave the new service human traits. The campaign propelled George to number one in awareness in less than a year and gave BCR a fresh boost as a modern bank. This work won a Bronze Effie and a Gold Internetics award.
Aqua Carpatica
Becoming number one by giving power to the people
Aqua Carpatica used to be a bottled water with an exotically unique selling proposition: the lowest nitrate content on the market. But nitrates in drinking water are a very real problem, unknown, ignored and under-regulated, that actually leads to deaths. So, by focusing people's attention on it and giving them tools to fight back, we managed to break out into the mainstream and become number one in the still water category. This work won one Silver Fibra, three Gold Fibras, four Internetics Awards, one Bronze Effie, four Gold Effies, one Grand Effie, two Cannes shortlists, one Cannes Gold Lion and a D&AD White Pencil.
WeCanSeeYou
A new communication channel between protesters and the powerful
In 2017, during the largest mass protest happening in Romania since the revolution, when people took to the streets to stop the then-government's ambition to end the fight against corruption, I really wanted to get involved and help out the best way I could. By combining crowdfunding with micro targeting, we launched a platform that carried the protesters' messages as ads targeted at the Romanian Parliament, the Ministry of Justice, the Government building, and even the European Parliament. This work won a Cannes Shortlist.
Sugus Rock the Vlog
How to be different when everyone's a follower
Sugus is a chewy candy that's completely different then all the others in the category. That's why it encourages kids to be original, too. To tell them that, we flipped the talent show concept on its head and created Rock the Vlog, a competition that inspired kids not to copy their idols but to be better than them. It not only boosted sales but got the kids engaged. This work won a Silver Internetics award.
BCR BTL platform
Helping a brand become relevant again
BCR, one of the biggest and oldest banks in Romania, had an image problem. Its branches looked outdated, so the consumers thought it had lost touch with modern Romania. By partnering with trendy events like Marathons, Music, Theater, and Film Festivals, and by delivering smart brand activation ideas, we managed to jump-start the rejuvenation process. This work won a Bronze Fibra and a Silver Internetics Award.
RedBull Vampire Trails
A new, international Red Bull event
Red Bull events are the stuff of marketing legend. Who hasn't heard of Red Bull Rampage, Red Bull Flug Tag, Red Bull Soapbox Race, Red Bull Crashed Ice, or, closer to home, Red Bull Romaniacs? So when the time came to create a new event, with the purpose to engage the young MTB community and entice the big names to come from all over the world to Romania, we created Red Bull Vampire Trails, a dusk till' dawn night race taking place around Dracula's Castle. The first edition happened in 2019.`
Petrom Stations
From price promotions to a digital brand
With our help, Petrom Stations went from a classic retailer that only does in-store price promotions to a modern, vibrant brand, unafraid to claim its Romanian heritage and engage its consumers in a digital way. The Dragobete Symbol activation is just one example of the many digitally driven campaigns we did for the brand.
Special Olympics
The reverse fan club
Special Olympics is little known in Romania and needed support for its participation at the Olympic Games in LA. Even more important than money, they needed attention the most. That's why we asked our biggest sports stars to donate not their time or their money, but their fans. Over 40 sport stars got involved, helping the campaign reach 1 in 8 Romanian Facebook users. This work won an Internetics Award.
Arest
A film about Romania's dark and absurd past
As a side project, I co-wrote the script for a movie taking place in Romania’s communist past, together with Andrei Cohn, the film’s director. Luckily, the movie won financing in a screenplay competition and had the chance to be made. It won the Best Feature Film Award at Transylvania International Film Festival and the Critics’ Week award at the Cairo Film Festival, and was part of the Official Selection East of the West Competition at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
ProTV Head Writer & Creative Producer
In 2023, together with Mihaela Stefanica, I've started developing a brand new comedy series for ProTV and VOYO.
In 2024, I've served as Creative Producer for BETOANE, a comedy TV series written by Mihai Radu and Raul Gheba.
About me
Insights-driven Creative Director with 20 years of experience in advertising (15 years as creative lead), with a diverse artistic background and a proven track record for leading cross-functional marketing teams in strategizing/implementing through-the-line, results-focused, award-winning campaigns for local and international brands.
Experience
2005 – 2006 Copywriter, Brightness Advertising
Developed my first concepts and wrote my first long copy ads. Won my first pitch (HBO Romania). Shot my first out of many TV commercials, this one for KRAX, a brand of extruded snacks.
2006 – 2010 Copywriter, Cohn&Jansen Advertising
Started working on Cosmote, a newly launched telecom brand. Learned the importance of delivering on a tight deadline and discovered the satisfaction of building a brand from the ground up. Managed my first complex 360 projects, involving TV, radio, print, outdoor, and special placements. Had to present my own creative work and to collaborate closely with the strategic planning department.
2010 – 2015 Group Creative Director, Cohn&Jansen JWT
After a merger, my company became part of the JWT network. Had to manage my first clients and creative teams. Started working for Bayer, a pharmaceutical company, on brands like Supradyn, Bepanthen, Berocca, Canesten, Redoxon and Elevit. Also worked for OMV Petrom, an oil and gas company, Jacobs Kronung, a packaged coffee brand, Floriol and Unisol, two sunflower oil brands, Kit Kat, a confectionary snack, Danone, a French yoghurt brand, Aqua Carpatica, a local bottled water and Garanti, a retail bank. Helped win pitches for Mega Image, a supermarket chain, Tuc & Oreo, two biscuit brands, Poiana, a chocolate brand from Kraft, Vodafone, a telecom company and BCR, the biggest bank in Romania, owned by Erste Group.
2015 – 2019 Creative Director, Cohn&Jansen JWT
Assisted in repositioning the agency by focusing on digital work and integrating it into everyday projects, with an emphasis on cross-channel synergy. Helped build two new brands from the ground up with outstanding results by closely collaborating with the senior-level client team (Aqua Carpatica and George/BCR). In conjunction with the strategic planners and the client team, helped outline the marketing plan and deliver it throughout the year for Petrom. Was directly involved in diverse media projects: digital, PR, BTL, TV, outdoor, and print. Helped win pitches for Sugus, a candy brand, Tazovsky, a local vodka, Dacia by Renault, the Romanian automobile brand, Red Bull, an energy drink, and Bergenbier, a local beer brand from Molson Coors.
2019 – 2022 Group Creative Director, Publicis Romania
Delivered several campaigns for Orange, the no. 1 telecom brand in Romania, including
managing a complex repositioning campaign following the €200 million acquisition of Telekom Romania’s fixed network, with some of the visuals selected in the prestigious Luerzer’s Archive and one TVC being crowned the best Orange TVC worldwide at the 2021 Orange Brand Awards. I also helped launch YOXO, the first successful new telco brand to enter the market in the last 10 years, worked with OMV on an international fuel innovation campaign, and won the pitch for Regina Maria, one of Romania's largest private healthcare providers.
2018 – 2019 Screenwriter, “Arest” – a film by Andrei Cohn
As a side project, I co-wrote a screenplay about the absurdity of Romania’s communist past. Luckily, the film won financing in a state-sponsored screenplay competition and had the chance to be produced. It won the Best Feature Film Award at the Transylvania International Film
Festival and the Critics’ Week award at the Cairo Film Festival. It was also part of the Official Selection East of the West Competition at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and was nominated for best screenplay at the Romanian Gopo Awards.
2022 – 2025 Headwriter, TV Series, ProTV
In the past 3 years I've been involved in developing an 8-part comedy TV Series about influencer culture and the inevitable tension between fakeness and authenticity in Romania’s ersatz capitalism. After co-writing (along with my partner Mihaela Stefanica) the pilot and series bible, the series has been greenlit for development by Pro TV, the biggest network channel in Romania.
2024 Creative Producer, ProTV
I was also closely involved in the production of BETOANE, another original TV Series from Pro TV and VOYO. It is set to launch in May 2025.
Honors & Awards
2024 Bronze Effie Medical Services 2023 Silver Effie Medical Services, Bronze Effie Seasonal Marketing, Bronze Effie Telecommunications 2022 Orange Brand Awards Grand Jury Award, Bronze Effie Telecommunications 2021 Bronze Effie Telecommunications 2020 Silver Effie Beverages Non- Alcohol, Gold Internetics Digital Component of an Integrated Campaign, Bronze Effie Financial Services, Bronze Effie Corporate Reputation 2019 Bronze Effie Financial Services, Gold Internetics Digital Component of an Integrated Campaign, Winner Cairo International Film Festival Critics’ Week Award for Best Artistic Contribution, Official Selection East of the West Competition - Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Winner: Romanian Days, Best Feature Film Award - Transylvania International Film Festival 2018 Cannes Lions Nomination, Gold Effie Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Gold Fibra Branded Apps, Silver Effie Packaged Food, Silver Fibra Best Use of Technology, Silver Fibra Shopper Experience 2017 Gold Effie Brand Experience, Gold Effie Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Internetics Silver Brand Associated Communities, Internetics Silver Mobile Apps 2016 Bronze Fibra Experiential/Stunts, Cannes Lions PR Gold Lion, Cannes Lions Promo & Activation Shortlist, Fibra Awards Campaign of the Year, Gold FIBRA Brand Activation, Gold FIBRA Use of New Media for Direct Marketing, Grand FIBRA Promo & Activation, Internetics Silver Brand Associated Communities, D&AD Impact White Pencil 2015 Bronze Effie Brand Experience, Gold Effie Non Alcoholic Beverages, Grand Effie, Internetics Winner Social Campaigns 2014 Internetics Brand Blogs Winner, Internetics Digital Component of an Integrated Campaign Winner, Internetics Brand Built Communities Winner, Internetics Microsites Winner, Internetics Online PR Special Projects Winner, Silver Effie Sustained Success 2013 Gold Effie David versus Goliath 2011 Bronze Effie New Product Introduction 2008 Silver Effie Telecommunications