White Square International Festival of Creativity, globally recognized in the professional community, continues its call for entries. Annually, more than a thousand cases from all over the world are submitted by representatives of creative industries to participate in the contest, which is evaluated at the highest global level by international jury. To inspire representatives of creative industries around the world to submit their best entries for White Square Festival 2025, we are glad to present a series of interviews with members of the White Square Festival jury. Today we have with us Folker Wrage, Founder and Owner of Wrage / Antwort agency, Switzerland. Earned his EMBA at the Berlin School of Creative Leadership, served as a judge of quite a few juries between Cannes and Batumi, always happy to jump on a stage and share some of the knowledge he collected. Unshakeable optimist and enthusiast.
When did your journey in the creative industry begin? What inspired you to choose this career? Are there any stories or moments in your career that have had the greatest impact on your professional growth?
It took a while for me to understand that being creative is who I am and therefore what I should do. I could tell hundreds of stories about what happened in all those years. The greatest impact always came from the worst moments. The ones that forced me to reinvent myself professionally. The ones that let me grow out of the aspirations the industry is feeding us and keep us from being independent, confident and mature professionals. Nothing shaped me more than understanding that after enjoying a little bit of limelight it's much more gratifying to let others shine.
Your projects have been highly appreciated at prestigious international festivals of creativity. Which of your projects do you consider to be the most successful and why?
I keep growing out of common definitions of success. Three years ago, my client was quite unhappy with how things were going in his job. Today, he is full of energy, proud of his campaigns, happy to take risks, and this has infected lots of other people in his department. I think I am okay to say that I contributed to this change. I shy away from calling this success. But I guess in a way it is.
In your opinion, how do the participation and winning of creativity festivals influence agencies and representatives of the creative industry? What additional aspects, such as reputation enhancement, professional networking and inspiration for new ideas, can be crucial in this process?
Learning and inspiration, that's what counts. Everything else increases the risk of blurring your vision. Awards are for shelves, people are for life. Listen and learn, make friends and keep playing. Once you swap that for chasing awards, you are bound to fall behind. Behind yourself, primarily. Learn to enjoy festivals as a part of a growth process.
You have a high professional expertise in the field of creativity and experience of being a jury member of many international festivals, and this year you will be evaluating the entries of White Square Festival. What evaluation criteria are the most important for you? What new ideas would you like to see in the entries of White Square Festival?
Anything that makes me smile will have a chance. And there are many good reasons for an honest smile. It could be something funny, something smart, something wacky, something tight. After all, all of these moments - whether it's laughing at a joke, being surprised by a strange phenomenon, or inspired by a compelling story - make our lives more fulfilling and interesting. They remind us that joy can be found in every day, if only we are willing to notice it around us. So let's look for reasons to smile and share them with others!
How do you approach the creation of new ideas and projects? Do you have any certain methodologies, techniques, or lifehacks that you use while working with your team? Can you highlight the key factors that help you create effective projects and build long-term relationships with the brands' target audience?
It's almost boring to say. Put yourself in the shoes of whoever you want to connect with. Know everything you need to know in order to do that. Talk to them, study them, go to where they are, look at them interact - with the brand, the product, other people. Be one of them and start playing.
What new trends and tendencies do you think will be actively seen in the field of marketing and communications in 2025? In your opinion, what innovative approaches and strategies will be able to attract consumers' attention and create a sustainable connection with brands? Are there any examples of companies in your country that are already implementing such tools and can be a reference point for others?
The answer can only be artificial intelligence, which in an era of rapid technological progress has become an important tool for business. However, many companies use it only as a means of cutting costs. This is an approach that may seem appealing at first glance, but in the long run, it does not provide a sustainable competitive advantage. As soon as one company finds a way to optimize processes and save money, others quickly pick up the experience. As a result, competitive advantages disappear as quickly as they appear. Instead of emphasizing budget cuts, brands should strive to create innovative products and services that not only meet customer needs, but also inspire them. We want to see brands that don't just use technology to recreate old models, but create new worlds and possibilities. Let's create brands that put ideas first and use artificial intelligence as a powerful tool to realize them. Together, we can build a future where technology serves not only to save budgets, but also to inspire and create real value. In this new world, artificial intelligence becomes not just a tool, but a partner in the process of creating unique and meaningful solutions.
What are your hobbies and passions that fill your life with inspiration? Do you have any special books, movies, music or travels that form your creativity and influence your approach to work? How do you integrate these hobbies and inspiration into your daily practice to create something unique and memorable?
Music inspires my creativity, keeps my curiosity high, and is a source of joy and understanding. My workspace is filled with it, every single wall, and I keep reading and writing about it, it is a wonderful constant. I don't need a method to integrate it into my daily practice, it is already an important part of it. That's how inspiration works. It's not a method. It's being.
What would you like to wish to your colleagues, participants of White Square Festival 2025?
The strength to be optimistic, and to inspire!
The Jury of White Square Festival Jury is being actively formed and will be announced in March, but their participation has already been confirmed by the brightest people with invaluable experience in judging prestigious international creativity festivals and numerous awards around the world, representatives from more than 35 countries.
To submit your entries, go to the White Square Festival's official website and choose from 247 nominations covering the entire spectrum of the communications industry. Discounted entry fees are available until March 3, 2025. The final deadline for entries is April 28, 2025.