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The advertising world is celebrating winners at Cannes Lions<\/a> 2026 this week. My handpicked list of winners (among the many case study films showcased in ad portals) and few others I noticed over the last week or so form part of my weekly compilation<\/a>. <\/p>\n John Malkovich for Croatia: hear it\u2019s beautiful<\/strong><\/p>\n Marketing a country as a preferred vacation spot is tough. The purchase decision is a high-involvement one and often involves many decision makers or influencers including the family. There are many factors at play in placing a country brand into the consideration set: budget, residual imagery of the destination often influenced by popular culture, current news cycle, geopolitical developments. safety perceptions and so on. Just an ad campaign showcasing the beautiful landmarks might not be convincing enough. Even if the marketing efforts get in a new customer, the on-ground \u2018brand experience\u2019 has to deliver or exceed expectations. That is dependent on many variables such as experiences at the hotel, transit, commute, restaurants, landmarks and so on. <\/p>\n The primary role of advertising \u2013 especially for county brands which may not be though of automatically as a holiday option is to promise a dream. In that context Croatia weaves a charming story in a long format film actor John Malkovich as himself. The meta \u2018ad within an ad\u2019 format sees John\u2019s agent informing him of a trip to Croatia which he reluctantly agrees to. Putting on a veneer of simply enduring that place, the film subtly cues how how even the worst skeptics can be won over being a beautiful country. And John Malkovich just being himself, is simply superb.<\/p>\n \n