Picture above:
Misha Schroeder, Creative Partner at Fitzroy Amsterdam with Cannes Lion. (photo: attached)
Castricum – Advertiser Mischa Schroeder (1976) won the Cannes Lion at the end of June, the international award for the most creative campaign. The campaign devised by Castricummer for Mercedes-Benz to emphasize the use of clean energy sources can now be seen in different countries. This is not the first time that Schroeder has won this prestigious award. His name was on the French seaside resort’s winners list four times before.
By Raymond Buss
Misha Schroeder, born in Amstelveen, was two years old when his parents decided to move to Castricum. At the age of twenty he himself moved to Amsterdam, but Castricum was always close to his heart. That is why he returned to this municipality after twenty years, and is now married and the father of twins of eight children. , Castricum is close to the forest and the beach, very close to nature. I love that. In Amsterdam, I lived really in the city center, and Castricum gives me more peace of mind.”
It seems like a logical choice for someone who works in the often hectic world of advertising. Misha worked for a long time in a large network agency, but a year ago he became a partner in a smaller agency, focused on corporate campaigns that do something good for the world. As a creative director, he is ultimately responsible for the creative floor. Misha: I write the ideas myself and collect a lot of information from the client. I see where the opportunities lie. What is the uniqueness of the project and what is the target group? I always announce that the target audience would like to see.”
the target audience
The latter may seem obvious, but not every advertiser actually succeeds in achieving this goal. what is the secret?
“In the past, for example, you had Delta Lloyd movies on TV. Everyone was talking about it! It’s important to create content that people want to watch and share. In fact very little is done. You are targeted by the campaign. Are they, for example, footballers or lawyers? We do research on what this target group wants to see. Then you come up with an idea and test it first in your own environment, eg with your parents or children. If you feel it is good on a small scale You will. I’ve been in this field for 23 years. I usually feel if people want to see or share something. But sometimes a client orders a large-scale investigation first. We’ll arrange that first.”
gumshoe
Social awareness is the common denominator throughout Misha’s career. Four years ago he invented the Gumshoe, a shoe made in part from recycled gum. The project was quickly picked up by the mainstream media and received great attention at home and abroad. However, marketing the shoe was not the only goal of the campaign.
Misha and his team find that dumping chewing gum on the street is an environmental problem. Special collection containers have been introduced and many young people are becoming more aware of the environmental consequences of all those chewing gum on the street. The giveaway has been linked to the campaign: Anyone who photographed themselves near the group tray while tossing gum has a chance to win a pair of Gumshoes. Misha: When I do something, there is always a good reason behind it. I think it’s important that you always give something back to people.”
NFT
Another good example of this social awareness is the project that Misha supervised at the beginning of this year. A virtual jacket that was produced in-house was auctioned and raised six thousand euros to the Dutch Food Bank. So there is no real jacket? No, it’s really a virtual jacket, meant to be worn in the metaverse. This is a digital world that you can walk in. An online world is very close to the real world. You can walk around it, visit shops, attend shows, etc. It is already possible to buy things there, and eventually you will also be able to go to school there. So it’s just like the real world, but digital. You walk through it with your personality, but then of course you want your doll to dress nicely as well.”
The jacket created by Misha and his team can therefore be worn by someone’s character in the metaverse. Which is called a Non-Fungible Token (NFT), which you buy with the virtual currency ethereum. Misha: It’s actually a digital contract that says you’re the owner. It can be a digital artwork that you buy, but also a pair of virtual shoes or our jacket. To draw more attention to the project, a real jacket was also made, made from printed foil from the leftover potato chip bags.
Mercedes Benz
Misha won the Cannes Lion in June for a campaign for the Mercedes-Benz car brand. This company has now changed the production process so that almost everything is based on green energy. “I came up with the idea of attaching big, three-bladed lights to a windmill. If you leave the windmill running and shoot it, you’ll see the Mercedes-Benz logo thanks to the lights when you turn on the slow motion pictures. I think it’s a good idea for a big brand like Mercedes-Benz to offer something to the world, so I I support that. Moreover, Mercedes-Benz was already one of our customers.” The Mill can now be watched online and shown on television in China, the United States, India, Belgium and the United Kingdom. Will the Netherlands also watch the movie? “Not yet, but maybe it will.”
level
The fact that Misha had already obtained a lion several times was not unique. “There are many creators who have won such an award in the last 66 years. The Cannes Lions Festival has been around since 1954. Hence, a very small group has won.” The award distribution in Cannes is part of a global concept where one hundred countries participate.Companies pay close to a thousand euros to enter the competition.The organization uses this money to provide training, among other things.
Misha no longer needed such training. He knows the intricacies of commerce and feels exactly how an advertising campaign fits the target group. “We don’t make ads, we create work that isn’t like advertising. I sometimes work 60-70 hours a week, but I can only do that because I have an amazing woman: Roxy Schroeder. In addition to her work at KLM, she supports me in everything I do.” Without her behind me, I wouldn’t be able to do this with a lot of energy and time.”
