On April 24-25, the Czech Centre in Bucharest will host the inaugural edition of the “Brands Talk Series: Identity and Culture,” an event exploring the cross-pollination of branding, national identity, traditions, and pop culture. The April edition will spotlight Eastern European creativity, marking 20 years of #TheAlternativeSchool’s commitment to private diplomacy.

Tereza Svěráková, Co-Founder of Oak, and Davor Bruketa, Co-Chairman of Bruketa&Žinić&Grey, are the first confirmed speakers, joining #TheAlternativeSchool’s Founder, Teodora Migdalovici, in their quest to retrospectively decode the rise of local markets' distinct voices and their impact on their respective societies’ psyche, with recognition in the world’s biggest creative competitions as a natural consequence.

Among the speakers are also invited the six Romanian Young Lions competing in Digital, Print, and PR at Cannes Lions in June 2025—with the valuable support of Raiffeisen Bank Romania & Ursus Breweries: Mădălina Radu & Cristiana Trifu (UM Romania), Cătălina Manea & Alexandra Moisescu (5 to go), and Alexandra Roșu & Tudor Ile, both Master’s students.

Highlighted Topics

• Why do leaders of creative economies tend to be the contemporary diplomats of their culture?

• What is private diplomacy?

• Does Eastern European creativity have a distinct style? What about the individual countries defining it?

• What role do humor and the “make it work no matter what” mindset play in shaping it?

• What’s the story behind Czech brands skyrocketing at Cannes Lions and beyond?

• How did the Balkans achieve their creative success in global competitions?

• Why is local flavor so important for brands aiming to connect and build meaningful, lasting bonds with people?

• How can traditions, clichés, and social tensions be identified, distilled, and transformed into insights helping brands thrive within communities?

  
  

A word from the Founder

"I realized the striking difference between nationally rooted clichés and first-hand experience when I first traveled to Slovenia for a regional festival in ’98. The gap hit me even harder when I attended Cannes shortly after, as unexposed to foreign interactions as one can get, after the airtight communist isolation. I hated the way Romania was perceived, but I was in love with what the festival had to offer—a reading of the world’s biggest challenges, conflicts, and struggles, transformed into insights and the smartest solutions, all readable through the unique brand signatures of 80+ cultures. What a delight for an anthropologist at heart!  Becoming the Lions Ambassador was the perfect playground to cast a czuspeh long haul strategy design to shift industry’s objectives and the Western perceptions in the process.

Twenty years later, we can look back—not just at Romania’s transformation but at how the region’s most influential markets evolved—to identify patterns, extract wisdom, and look ahead to the next chapters," said Teodora Migdalovici, Creativity Ambassador & #TheAlternativeSchool’s Founder.

Few words about Tereza Svěráková, the Czech market maverick

• Co-founder of the independent agency OAK Prague.

• Market impact celebrated globally: A key force in reshaping modern Czech advertising, she has won 14 Cannes Lions & countless others throughout her career, working at major Prague agencies for clients shaping Czech society.

• Jury Duty: She served on over 10 prestigious global juries, including those where her agencies previously won top honors.

• Ad Age Recognition: Named one of 10 Global Creative Leaders Reinventing the Industry (2017).

• Keynote Speaker & Academic Roles: Leads seminars at the University of New York in Prague and is a guest speaker at major global events.

• Passionate Lobbyist: Directed the documentary series "The Women of Charter 77".

Few words about Davor Bruketa, the Croat revelation

• Co-Chairman of Bruketa&Žinić&Grey. Fun fact: The agency, launched in 1995, once operated in a former toilet paper factory—an ironic nod to the industry.

• Market impact celebrated globally: Known for unexpected angles, engagement, and the fusion of design & PR, his agency has won at Cannes Lions, D&AD, Epica, LIA, The One Show, Red Dot & co—mainly for brands built on cultural insights.

• Jury Duties: Served on over 10 prestigious global juries, including those where his agency previously won top honors.

• Ad Age Recognition: Ad Age named Bruketa&Žinić&Grey OM International Small Agency of the Year (2013).

• Keynote Speaker & Academic Roles: A regular speaker at major industry events, he also mentors emerging talent, sharing insights on branding, creativity, and experiential design.

Few words about Teodora Migdalovici

• Founder of #TheAlternativeSchool’ cMBA, Cannes Lions Ambassador since 2005, pioneer lobbyist for Romanian Talent in Cannes & promoter of cultures of the world, beyond cliché, via events, trainings & publishing (#LadiesFirst series).

• Market impact celebrated globally: Cannes Lions (for its Ambassadors), Dragan Sakan Award, European Excellence, Global Super-Achiever Award, Foreign Policy Ro., IAA Award, Stevie Award, 40 Under 40 (Business Magazine).

• Education background: Faculty of Letters. ESSEC - Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Diplomacy via IDR. Master - UNESCO - Intercultural Management. Global industry events attendance since 1998.

• Keynote Speaker & Academic Roles: Associate Professor, Co-Founder of the first Branding Master Course in Romania, author of the first course on “Romanian Advertising”, before becoming a Lions Ambassador. A regular speaker at industry events, opting for remote cultures, as double territory of sharing and learning.

Program 24.04

6 - 6.30 pm: Welome & Networking

6.30 – 7 pm: Young Lions Talk

7 - 7.30 pm: Tereza Svěráková

7:30 – 8 pm: Davor Bruketa

8 - 8:30 pm: Teodora Migdalovici

8.30 – 9 pm: Networking

Program 25.04

4 - 4.15 pm: Welcome & Networking alomgside Tereza, Davor & Teodora

4:15 – 5.15 pm: Top 5 Live Presentations & live feedback on how to improve solutions, in order “To win a Lion”

5:15 - 5:45 pm: improving solutions on the spot with personal feedback from the guests

5:45 – 6 pm: Top 5 Final solutions presentations upon guests’ selection

6-6.30 – Winners announcement & Networking

How to win a lion for busy people

Don’t have time to solve one of the Call for Papers competition briefs? 

Send a board you want to submit to a festival and get live feedback on your ideas / board concept / composition to be improved on the spot.

Deadline: April 16th | Send your board via a Google Drive link to andra@thealternativeschool.com

On April 17th we will let you know if you will be among those presenting their idea publicly (5 min).

The places at the workshop are limited and we will grant them on “first come, first served” principle.

Private feedback on boards will be offered online, after the event is over, for those unable to present them live.

OUR PARTNERS

5 to Go, Czech Centre, McCann World Group, Mr Plantel, Raiffeisen Bank, Rawz, Shutterstock, We Invent are our partners for "Brands Talk: Identity & Culture: Eastern European Creativity".

FEES

24.04_First day

- 133 € + VAT / individual

- 299 € + VAT / team of 2

25.04_Second day

- 111 € + VAT / individual

- 199 € + VAT / team of 2

24.04 & 25.04

- 199 € + VAT / individual

- 333 € + VAT / team of 2

SPECIAL CONDITIONS:

• Free of charge for the cMBA #FutureProofCreativity Fall-Winter Module delegates, as well as the winners of the Call for Paper competitions "20 years of Private Diplomacy", to be announced on March 31st.

• 20% discount for members of TheAlternativeSchool club, including anyone who has previously attended any of TheAlternativeSchool’s intensive trainings or specializations, in any capacity.