From creative message to tourist product: Why the new Slavonia and Baranja campaign makes perfect sense

"We take you to the sea, you take us to the water," is the message of the new campaign by the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board (OBZ), which appeared on billboards across Dalmatia this week.

If there's one thing you shouldn't argue with Dalmatians about, it's the sea. The sea is the sea. Water is water.

And it is precisely on this simple, somewhat provocative in a positive sense, but endearing difference Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board built a new campaign aimed at people from the sea.

Billboards that have appeared across Dalmatia this week feature picigin, but not on Bačvice and not in the sea. The message is short and clear: We'll take you to the sea, you'll take us to the water.

Simple, humorous and, perhaps most importantly, completely in line with the communication code that the Osijek-Baranja County has been developing for years.

Because this is not just another creative quip that will last as long as the billboard lease.

Tourist Board of Osijek-Baranja County through the platform HeadOnEast - Hedonism is in the East has been building communication for years that relies less on classic tourist superlatives, and much more on the character of the destination, local speech, humor and play on words.

This was particularly evident in the campaign Via Slavonia and Baranja from 2022, which we wrote about at the time on HrTurizm. "Vinograd, the favorite city","Still, not everything is equal.","Cute even when she's angry","It's not oil on canvas, it's kulen on wood.","Who flies high, lands in Osijek"And"You come to Baranja, and you're on a horse" were just some of the slogans used to translate the tourist offer into a memorable language.

And it is precisely continuity that is important here. In destination marketing It is relatively easy to create a creative campaign. It is much more difficult to build your own communication style over the years, to upgrade it with new topics and products, while ensuring that the destination remains immediately recognizable. On the official channels of Slavonia and Baranja, messages such as ""Expect a warm welcome" i „We have a welcome wire.". Now it's water's turn.

Picigin without the sea? Well, we already have a story there

The campaign started with outdoor visuals where picigin is played. Only there is no Split Bačvice and no sea. But there is water. And Slavonia and Baranja have their own water story. A very serious one.

Drava and Danube are not just two rivers that pass through the destination. For centuries, they have shaped the landscape, lifestyle, gastronomy and habits of the people. There is Kopački rit, river beaches, sandbanks and backwaters, boats, kayaks and SUPs, but also Osijek's Copacabana, the popular Kopika, as the people of Osijek affectionately call her.

That's exactly why the creative solution makes sense. It doesn't try to turn Slavonia and Baranja into something they're not, nor present a river beach as a substitute for the Adriatic. The campaign embraces the difference between the two tourist identities and makes that difference a reason to travel.

We'll take you to the sea. You'll take us to the water.

This is a much stronger position than trying to copy the dominant Croatian tourist product. The destination does not sell an imitation of the sea, but what it has authentically.

"This is not a debate about whether the sea is water. We know that such a debate with Dalmatians would be lost in advance.", he says Mislav Matisic, director of the Osijek-Baranja County Tourist Board and adds: "Our goal is to show how many different experiences the waters of Slavonia and Baranja can offer. From the Drava and Danube, to swimming, to thermal pools, wellness, top-notch food and wine. We want to invite our friends from the seaside to come and discover a completely different kind of vacation after the summer.”

This is where the campaign gets its marketing logic. During the summer, a large part of continental Croatia traditionally travels towards the Adriatic, while this campaign turns the communication direction south: Dalmatians are invited to head to eastern Croatia after their main tourist season.

This is not just a cute role reversal. It is a very precise targeting of the domestic market at a time when Slavonia and Baranja are entering a period in which their strongest products become particularly relevant: eno-gastronomy, nature, active living, thermal facilities and events. At the same time, these are products that naturally suit shorter stays, weekend trips and domestic demand.

In other words, a good creative idea here is not separated from the market moment. On the contrary, it uses it.

You can go along the Drava. You can go along the Danube. You can go to Kopački rit.

"You can also go to the pool. To Bizovacke Toplice, for example, where the thermal water comes with a slightly different story than the one Dalmatians are used to. And, perhaps most importantly, you can go to a rich table.", Matišić points out.

Because the water here is not just for swimming. They also fish in it, and what they catch ends up in the kettle. Fish stew, catfish perkelt, carp in forks, fried and smoked river fish... And with it all, a glass of Graševina from the vineyards of Baranja, Erdut, Đakovo or Feričane.

And here, Dalmatians could find themselves in a sweet dilemma and put on a few kilos after the summer, because if there's one thing this destination is known for, it's good food. Or, in Dalmatian terms, good food.

This is one of the most important values ​​of the entire communication concept of Slavonia and Baranja: Humor is not an end in itself..

Behind the play on words there is always specific tourism productBehind "Vinograd, the most beloved city" are vineyards, wine roads and winemakers; behind "You come to Baranja, and you are on horseback" are equestrian traditions and tourist attractions; behind the wood-fired kulen, gastronomy, and behind the new story about water, the Drava, the Danube, Kopački rit, recreation, thermal water and river gastronomy.

This is an important difference between a good slogan and serious destination communication. Creative attracts attention, but the product must live up to the promise. In this case, one thing follows another.

Thick is thick, translated by HeadOnEast

If you like all of this and are looking for a good occasion and a good time, with a glass of top-quality wine, craft beer or good brandy, visit Slavonia and Baranja from October 2 to 4Then the eighth edition is held in Osijek's Tvrđa HeadOnEast Festival, the grand finale of the autumn story of Osijek-Baranja County.

Over the years, HeadOnEast has grown from a communication concept into one of the main events through which a destination presents its eno-gastronomic, cultural, entertainment and tourist offer. But more importantly, it shows how a communication concept can be transformed into a platform that connects products, events and the identity of a destination under the same story.

"That's why the deal is simple. You've already shown us how to enjoy the sea. Now it's your turn to get on the water."", says Mislav Matišić.

And perhaps that is the best description of the entire campaign.

In Croatian tourism, we often talk about the need to create recognizable destination brands, authenticity and product differentiation. Slavonia and Baranja show here what this looks like at the communication level: not to invent a new identity for each campaign, but to build the same character of the destination year after year, only through new products and new stories.

When a destination can communicate different messages about wine, kulen, horses, hospitality, or water, while still immediately recognizing who is speaking, then it's no longer just a good campaign.

This is the already built communication identity of the destination.

The gauntlet has been "thrown down". We'll take you to the sea. You'll take us to the water.