Reflex comes up with a campaign that has a clear point of view and a strong visual, and it successfully draws attention from the public and experts alike. The star of the show? Bubbles. The anniversary campaign took first place in the regular Reklamní kati column on the Mediář website. It was created entirely in-house under the creative direction of Tomáš Kubizňák.
As part of celebrations for 35 years of Reflex, the magazine reminds the public with the campaign “We Burst Bubbles”. “‘We Burst Bubbles’ is a super claim, and the whole concept is bold, interesting and modern. Finally an in-house campaign that someone approached professionally, with a nice result,” said Marek Nieslanik from the agency Fairy Tailors as part of the regular Reklamní kati feature on Mediář. Reflex finished first ahead of Seznam and other current spots, confirming the creative strength of our in-house team.
A comeback in style
The basic idea of the campaign is based on the slogan “Burst the bubble”. The symbolic motif of glass bubbles that burst under the pressure of the journalistic lens was meant from the start to show Reflex's social role through strong emotions and powerful visuals.
“Reflex is my favourite. Back at university we were already analysing it as a magazine with a distinctive voice. I wanted to create a concept that would reflect both the journalistic and the brand mission of the magazine. The idea of bursting bubbles resonated most with the brand, with management and with how I myself see Reflex,” explains Tomáš Kubizňák, describing how the concept came about. The aim was to show Reflex as a tool that can burst these bubbles and open up a view beyond their boundaries. And that is exactly what was achieved.
In-house, but going all out
Campaigns like this are usually made in cooperation with external agencies. In the case of Reflex, however, the entire production was in-house. Unlike many brand campaigns, CNC did not hire an external agency. Production took place within internal teams. A key role was played by close cooperation with Reflex brand manager Nikola Navrátilová, who, as dramaturge and copywriter, gave the campaign a clear arc and a distinctive voice.
“There was a synergy between the internal creative teams, skilful management and several experienced external collaborators. It was this combination that allowed the project to be carried out quickly, with high quality and with the personal input of everyone involved,” says Kubizňák, adding that the in-house approach ensured not only speed but also authenticity of the message.
Shot in a single day
The spot was shot in a single day. Everything had to work first time, from carefully prepared slow-motion shots to details that were fine-tuned in post-production. For example, the breaking of the glass bubbles was only created in the editing suite. “We had to get through the whole shoot in one day, which at first seemed like a major constraint. But it was exactly this pressure that led to an extremely focused and energetic atmosphere. The limit became an advantage,” adds Kubizňák.
Jiří Rupprecht and Ondřej Veselý worked on post-production, giving the visuals their artistic finish and digital effects. Real glass was combined with digital elements so that the result looked realistic yet symbolic. Thanks to the effects, it was possible to combine fragility with force, which was key to the overall impact of the spot. Directing an actor who had a massive glass sphere on his head was also one of the most difficult moments of the shoot. “It was made to measure and had its own air supply and air circulation. It was soundproof, so we had to adapt communication and fine-tune the effects very carefully so the result would not look overdone.”
A campaign with balls
Thanks to this successful campaign, Reflex reminded people that even after 35 years on the market it remains a brand that is relevant and can still be very sharp. It showed that a media brand can run campaigns that have balls.
Thanks go to the whole team, in particular Ctirad Svoboda, Pavel Renčín, Lubor Zoufal and Nikola Navrátilová. “Their ideas, feedback and precisely aimed advice helped us enormously. Without them, this project would never have looked the way it does,” concludes Kubizňák.
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