Interview with BalticBest jury member Heiki Urbala, Creative Director at Taevas (EST), is conducted by Anu Pillesson.
How do you assess the current role and position of creative agencies in Estonia?
I consider the situation to be generally good. However, the problem lies with unpaid pitches. In Estonia and the Baltics, there is a widespread belief that large marketing and creative agencies can be invited to unpaid competitions and made to compete against each other for a contract. It’s common to see 5 to 10 different agencies invited to pitch, each being asked to complete extensive tasks that can cost them up to 10,000 euros. Unpaid pitches where the second and third place receive only 300 to 500 euros in compensation are simply ridiculous. If a client wants to organize a pitch to find an agency, I recommend reaching out to the Estonian Marketing Association for consultation.
Does the current agency model meet market needs and demand? What myth or misconception is holding back the development of the sector?
Yes, it does. The biggest problem and misconception is unpaid pitches.
Do you see that the standard of creative work has declined because content production is now faster and cheaper than ever before? How do you personally create and maintain quality?
Marketing is like medicine. Everyone plays the healer until a serious problem arises – then it’s time to see a real doctor or a real agency.
How do you define the effectiveness of creativity for yourself? Can you estimate how much of Taevas’ creative ideas go to waste – work that ends up in the drawer due to lack of client courage or other reasons?
Taevas has participated in several pitches. We’ve lost some of them, so a considerable amount of our creative ideas has gone to waste. However, I commend our clients – with the ones we currently work with, nothing has ever been held back due to a lack of courage.
What could we do differently in the Baltics to become part of the bigger international “game” – for example, to bring home more awards from international advertising competitions?
I may be repeating myself, but in Estonia and the Baltics we should put an end to unpaid pitches. In the context of winning international awards, I don’t think we have anything to be ashamed of. Agencies in Estonia and the Baltics are doing a great job. If you look at the population size in Estonia and the Baltics, then per capita we’re in no way worse than, say, advertising agencies in Norway, Turkey, or Bulgaria.
Taevas Ogilvy is very much part of the international game. Our client A. Le Coq exports its products to 70 countries, with 30% of production going abroad – and the packaging and marketing materials are created by Taevas. Our client Toyota Baltic is the market leader in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and the marketing solutions for all three countries are developed by Taevas. We are also one of the few agencies in the Baltics to have participated in several international and paid agency selection pitches, so it would be inaccurate to say that we’re not involved in the international game. Most of these contracts are confidential, and large agencies – like Taevas, Tank, and Optimist – don’t tend to publicly showcase their wins or international deals.
Giedrė Ona Šileikytė, Creative Director at the Lithuanian agency Autoriai and a BalticBest 2025 jury member, pointed out a growing concern that today’s younger generation no longer sees the advertising industry as attractive. How do you comment on this situation?
If agencies in the Baltics had more money (again, the issue of unpaid pitches), they would be better positioned to compete with international start-ups when it comes to hiring and retaining talent.
How would you describe and promote working at a creative agency to young people? What has kept you in this field for nearly 30 years?
Working at an advertising agency is A LOT of fun. Maybe not in every agency, but being part of the team at the creative agency Age and now at Taevas Ogilvy, I’ve laughed harder than I ever did even during my university years. So the team and the people around you really matter. Life at an agency also keeps your mind sharp. You get to work with very different clients and disciplines. One day you’re discussing how to 3D-print giant teeth, and the next you’re figuring out how to stitch a thousand Post-it notes onto a single jacket. It’s incredibly inspiring and creatively fulfilling.
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
