Interview with BalticBest jury member Eimantas Barkauskas, Creative Director at Sons & Daughters (LIT), is conducted by Hando Sinisalu.
There are quite a few advertising agencies in the market. If I were a potential client looking for an agency, how would you briefly introduce yours? What makes you different or better than the competition?
First of all, we’ve been in the market for more than 20 years – and we’re still alive! That has to mean we’re doing something right. Over the years, we’ve worked with a wide variety of clients. We can almost tick all the boxes – Telco, FMCG, even the Vilnius Municipality. That variety shows we can adapt to different industries and challenges.
But why should someone choose you today?
Because we’re strong both in creativity and in strategy. That’s not just talk – we put in the work. Every year, together with our Latvian colleagues, we run a research project called the Baltic Brand Forum. That research is really valuable, especially when working with new businesses.
So clients are actually interested in the research side of things?
Absolutely. I’d say around 50% of the clients who come to us are really focused on the research and strategy part. The other 50% are more interested in the creative output. And we love both sides. Personally, I’m the creative guy here, so I’d say what we do is “creativity that works”.
Do clients today care that you used to belong to DDB network?
Honestly? Not really. Things have changed. These days, being part of a big name doesn’t matter much anymore. Many marketers today don’t even know what DDB is. What matters is what you’ve done in the past two or three years. Not what you did 20 years ago.
Fifteen years ago, networks brought real value – tools, training, access to knowledge. And most importantly, clients. If a big global brand like Unilever entered a new market, they’d just hand the account to the local network agency. No pitch.
That doesn’t happen anymore?
No, not really. Times have changed. These days, you don’t need a network to access tools or best practices. We have the internet, we can travel, we can go to Cannes with our own money, learn from the best, listen to podcasts, and just do our own thing. So being part of a network that doesn’t really give you anything anymore – what’s the point?
Let’s talk about the future. Looking at Estonia, many big agencies have seen flat or even declining revenue over the last few years. And now there’s a lot of anxiety around AI. What do you see as the growth opportunities?
Those challenges are very real. But I think the path forward is to expand what we offer. We used to focus mainly on traditional campaigns. Now, we also do digital, social media, PR, and communication overall. That’s where the growth is.
Traditional advertising alone isn’t enough anymore. If you look at bigger markets, there’ve been lots of layoffs in the industry. AI, tighter budgets – everything’s changing. What worked 10 years ago simply doesn’t work today. Now it’s all about speed and flexibility. Clients can do a lot themselves, so you have to offer real added value.
During pitches, it’s common to see mixed teams. A PR agency might handle the comms while we do the advertising, or vice versa. If you don’t have both in-house or through a partnership, you’re less competitive. It’s happening everywhere.
Let’s talk about AI – how are you using it today in your work?
We use it daily, mostly for storyboards and sketches. Not for final execution. But for presentations – like backgrounds, visuals, that kind of stuff – we use it all the time. Our designers are using the new AI features in Photoshop, for example. We’re always staying up to date with what’s possible.
When AI was still brand new, we did one of the first AI-executed campaigns in Lithuania. Looking back, it’s terrible. But at the time, it was fresh and novel. So we jumped in fast and used it to create these crazy visuals.
Just earlier today, I was preparing a presentation. I fed in the content and asked for more angles or funny takes. Maybe one in ten ideas are actually useful – but still, that one can really help.
Do you see AI replacing certain functions at agencies – saving on labor costs, for example?
In our agency, not yet. You still need human skills for execution. I don’t see AI replacing designers right now. What AI might help with are the repetitive tasks – resizing banners, adapting formats, that kind of mechanical work. If AI can follow the brand book and keep to safe zones, then yes – it could help there.
So far, what tasks have you stopped outsourcing because of AI?
We used to hire a professional illustrator for storyboards. We don’t anymore. Now we can do it faster in-house with AI – and sometimes even better, at least for presentation quality.
You mentioned earlier that your branding colleagues really believe in distinctive brand assets. Can you elaborate on that?
Definitely. It could be a color, a mascot, a design system – something that stands out. One of our most successful clients in the last two or three years has a mascot. It might look kind of stupid, but it totally works. Because these days, everything is attacking our eyes – TikToks, reels, endless media content.
Sometimes even something as simple as sending a physical postcard can get more attention than digital ads. It stands out in the sea of emails and online noise. That’s why retro is making a bit of a comeback. It’s a trend, and I think it’s going to stay.
Let’s talk about client budgets. Have you noticed any changes recently? Are clients trying to do more themselves?
Yes, we see that pendulum swing back and forth.
Often, clients come to us for the main idea. Maybe it’s a name, a visual, or a logo. Then they finish the rest internally because it’s cheaper. They have their own designers. We might do the PR stunt concept, the big idea. They take it from there.
Are clients willing to pay for a big idea these days?
Some are, some aren’t. It’s hard to put a price on an idea. Everyone thinks they can come up with one – in the shower, over breakfast. Newer clients often have tiny budgets and want a concept plus a few visuals, then they’ll handle the rest. But honestly, half the time they come back and say, “We can’t do it.” So we do it anyway.
What about freelancers? Are they a good solution for controlling costs?
We need to know what level someone is at. With visuals, you can’t just hire anyone. Our in-house people are strong, and we apply the same standard when hiring freelancers. Usually, we bring in freelancers when we’re doing something we haven’t done before.
Right now we’re creating a fairy tale that will later be voiced – so we had to hire audio theatre directors. We could’ve tried to do it ourselves, but we thought, let’s get the best screenwriter for theatre in Lithuania. We believe in craft. If we can’t do something at the highest level, we bring in someone who can.
We work with professionals who use generative tools, 3D artists, fairy tale writers, music managers – whatever the project needs. That’s how we grow our own experience too.
Do you currently have any foreigners or expats in your team?
I haven’t received any emails from international creatives. If someone living in town sent me their portfolio, of course I’d consider it. It’s difficult to work with somebody from a distance.
We still do a lot of in-person meetings and live creative sessions. A lot of good ideas happen while walking to get coffee or having a smoke. It’s different.
So you prefer in-person collaboration?
Mostly, yes. Some creatives are great from their caves – they work alone and deliver great stuff. That’s fine if it works. But when you’re working in a team, it’s just easier to bounce ideas around in person.
BalticBest 2025
You can find rules HERE.
Submission deadline: 08.08.2025 -> extended until 12.08.2025 5 PM (Estonian time)
Shortlist published: 19.08.2025
Live judging and awards announced: 27.08.2025
