July the 1st, 2026 – The Croatian beer Ožujsko has officially become one of Europe’s most effective alcohol brands, ranking first in Croatia.
The popular Croatian beer brand Ožujsko which is consumed in countless litres both by locals and by visitors from abroad has achieved major recognition in the world of marketing. Ožujsko has ranked as the third most effective European alcohol brand and the most effective brand in Croatia according to the Effie Index 2025.
Poslovni reports that the Effie Index is otherwise a respected global ranking created by Effie Worldwide that measures marketing effectiveness based on the results of Effie Awards competitions. Instead of focusing only on creativity or popularity, the ranking evaluates how successfully campaigns achieve real communication and business results.
Ožujsko’s strong European result was driven largely by its 2025 campaign “Budi hrabar, budi zdrav” (Be brave, be healthy), created together with BBDO Zagreb. The campaign encouraged men to take preventive health checks and focused on breaking the stigma around prostate health and the prevention and early detection of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer still takes the lives of thousands of men each and every year, despite a simple check being enough to detect and cure the disease in its early stages of development.
According to the company, the campaign was especially successful because it connected a beer brand with a wider social message. It aimed to encourage men to take action about their health rather than avoid an uncomfortable topic out of embarrassment.
The highly commendable campaign received major industry recognition, winning two Grand Prix awards at Effie Croatia and BalCannes, along with a total of 13 awards. It was also the first Ožujsko campaign to reach the finals of the European Effie competition.
Beyond awards, the campaign also had a measurable impact: more than 4,600 men attended free preventive health examinations over two years as part of the initiative. Representatives from Zagrebačka pivovara (Zagreb Brewery) syayed the recognition is important because Effie measures proven effectiveness, not just impressions. They highlighted the campaign as an example of how marketing can create real social change.
The result places Ožujsko among the leading European alcohol brands in terms of marketing performance and reinforces its position as one of Croatia’s most recognixable domestic brands.
