“Just imagine how far you can go with a little bit of English”, says the campaign slogan.
The American Institute, an association for promoting English language and American Culture in Croatia, has opted for a provocative marketing campaign, calling on citizens to “just imagine how far you can go with a little bit of English.” The ad uses a photo of one of the most famous emigrants from the region, Melania Trump, who was born in neighbouring Slovenia, reports Večernji List on September 15, 2017.
The author of the billboard which has proven to be quite popular on social networks is Ivis Burić. “The message is unambiguously referring to a person who, with a little knowledge of a foreign language, has become one of the most powerful individuals on the planet,” Burić said, pointing out that the message itself was not offensive at all.
“Most foreign language schools use the same language, which is irony in communications,” says Brett Campbell, the founder of the American Institute, an American citizen originally from Boston. “We wanted a campaign that would remind people about the importance of speaking foreign languages and about the importance of this knowledge for international success. We are witnessing a massive wave of emigration of Croats who are looking for happiness in English-language countries, such as Ireland, Canada, Australia. If you are good at English, you can get very far in these markets. And we can help you,” he said.
“People are free to think what they want about Melania Trump, but nobody can deny that for the success she has achieved, her knowledge of English was essential. Not everyone can become one of the most powerful women in the world,” said Burić.
“Ivan Turčin is the author of the illustration, and the client was the American Institute, Brett and Maša Campbell, who are among more open and braver people I know. I believe every marketing campaign should draw attention. Bad campaigns are those which do not succeed in that. I honestly think that, despite the fact that this is a small budget campaign with just a few billboard positions, we will achieve the desired level of exposure, create an interesting online discussion, and attract new students,” she said.
Translated from Večernji List.
