The Poli NFT Project Wows with New Technology and a Charitable Note

Mr Ficko, you are the Perutnina Ptuj Group's Strategic Marketing Director. How did you come up with the idea for this kind of NFT project and what were your main goals in relation to it?

Slavko: Innovation and a development-centred approach are part of the Poli brand’s genetic code as it is. Here, I'm not referring only to the product development orientation in the sense of developing new products or entering new product categories, which is something we have already been doing for the past few years. I am mainly talking about the attitude towards new technologies, new solutions and new means of communication. You may remember a virtual reality project with Luka Dončić from five years ago. Or another project, two years ago, at the beginning of the pandemic, in late March or April 2020, when we offered a solution on how to hold the largest cycling event in Slovenia – the Poli Marathon – despite all the lockdowns and cancellations of mass events. People had the opportunity to run a virtual marathon anywhere in the world within a certain time. Just over 6,000 participants from over thirty countries ended up taking part in this project. This means that the Poli community has been built all this time and has always been a bit edgy and quirky. By always looking for new solutions and new approaches, we manage to appeal to ever-younger consumers. Generations “change”, but Poli remains eternally young and our constant companion.

Our primary and long-term goal is to create a Poli community committed to charity. We strive for a charitable Poli community that adheres to the principle of “Let's have fun, but also do some good at the same time.” We want this to become a long-term activity and to do it at least twice a year. This allows us to give back to our community.

Innovation and a development-centred approach are part of the Poli brand’s genetic code as it is.

What were your expectations when it came to working with Innovatif on this project?

Slavko: We knew this was a multidisciplinary project, as the focus was not only on marketing and branding, but also on design, communication, crypto mining and the like. Our expectations were to work with a multidisciplinary team and bring the project to a successful end. We find it important that Innovatif is well familiar with the character of the Poli brand. What’s more, we have been working with Innovatif in the field of digital marketing and social networks for quite some time and have had good experience. Innovatif is an agency that is always eager to learn, knows the ins and outs of the latest channels and technologies, and is happy to take on new challenges.

Gorazd: We have been working with Perutnina Ptuj very successfully for fifteen years and have developed various innovative projects with good results in the past. We jumped into something new very quickly, almost overnight. We tackled new technologies, but we were also aware that we cannot develop everything ourselves, so we invited another partner (Kalmja company) to join in the project; more knowledge made us even stronger. We are well familiar with the fundamental laws of communication, so we made sure to tailor the project to the Poli brand, both in terms of the communication and technological platforms.

Innovatif is an agency that is always eager to learn, knows the ins and outs of the latest channels and technologies, and is happy to take on new challenges.

What were your expectations when it came to working with Innovatif on this project?

Slavko: We knew this was a multidisciplinary project, as the focus was not only on marketing and branding, but also on design, communication, crypto mining and the like. Our expectations were to work with a multidisciplinary team and bring the project to a successful end. We find it important that Innovatif is well familiar with the character of the Poli brand. What’s more, we have been working with Innovatif in the field of digital marketing and social networks for quite some time and have had good experience. Innovatif is an agency that is always eager to learn, knows the ins and outs of the latest channels and technologies, and is happy to take on new challenges.

Gorazd: We have been working with Perutnina Ptuj very successfully for fifteen years and have developed various innovative projects with good results in the past. We jumped into something new very quickly, almost overnight. We tackled new technologies, but we were also aware that we cannot develop everything ourselves, so we invited another partner (Kalmja company) to join in the project; more knowledge made us even stronger. We are well familiar with the fundamental laws of communication, so we made sure to tailor the project to the Poli brand, both in terms of the communication and technological platforms.

Gorazd, as Innovatif’s Client Service Director and Partner, what do you think is the reason NFTs can be so interesting to companies and their marketing campaigns?

Gorazd: Every innovation that occurs on the market in the field of new technologies is interesting for brands, as it allows them to interact with new target user groups. This makes it easier for brands to gain the attention of new target segments. In our case, these are younger people who are familiar with the world of crypto currencies, crypto wallets, NFTs, tokens and crypto tokens. This way, the brand can also show that it is fresh, knowledgeable and that it uses new media and technologies. And this can make it more successful in the long run.

How did you approach the project communication concept given the relatively new dimension of the Poli brand? Was it a challenge?

Gorazd: The project brief included two new Poli brand features, i.e. the introduction of NFT as a new technology and its incorporation into charity. We wanted to connect both seemingly incompatible concepts into a comprehensive and long-term story that communicates the following about the brand: Poli is fun and also makes sure to do something good for others during fun activities. Poli fans like to have fun, but they also have a big heart. The Poli NFT project is thus the first in a series of projects with a charitable note, so we have established a new platform called Poli Big Heart for all further activations.  

What were the biggest challenges you faced?

Slavko: Most of the challenges we faced had to do with technology, we’re talking about a virtual metaworld, after all. These technological issues turned out to be our biggest challenge, as we were learning from scratch, e.g. how does crypto mining work in the first place.

Gorazd: Apart from technological challenges, the biggest challenge for brands entering the NFT world is the value of NFTs issued. How to add other values to the collector’s value, such as rewarding NFT holders as part of a brand loyalty programme or the trading value on crypto platforms.

Until now, the Poli brand has not been associated with charity, so how did this project come about?

Slavko: Non-fungible tokens are a new thing and a great concept that can serve charitable purposes. You can buy NFTs, but what can you do with them? Since we have no interest in making money with them or trading them, we decided to use them for a good cause. Of course, we have made it possible for all owners of our NFTs to trade them.

What’s the one thing you’re most proud of in relation to this project?

Slavko: I am most proud of the basic concept, i.e. creating a community – the Big Heart community, a community with a big heart.

Gorazd: For us, the biggest achievement will be if these NFT characters really catch on, meaning that Poli fans will be really excited about them and will want to have them. The characters are really cool, our team has totally embraced them. I am most proud of the fact that in terms of communication we managed to create characters that carry the heart of the Poli brand and you can recognise that it is Poli even without an added Poli logo.

What’s the meaning of the Poli Big Heart?

Slavko: This is a community of people who want to do good things and have fun at the same time.

Gorazd: The Poli Big Heart platform was what we pitched to the client. By doing this, we offered the brand its own platform, through which it will be able to communicate all charity-related projects. At this point, let me also explain the origin of the name Poli Big Heart. The word heart has art hidden in it and thus even the name of the platform combines charity and art.

Are there any project-related aspects of special importance that you would like to highlight?

Slavko: We want this project to be a long term one and for it to support various charity projects, not only on a local scale, but also globally. On the one hand, we are already thinking about how to give back to the local community – we are still working on this project, and in the future we want to give back to the community in the wider Southeast Europe region, where the Poli brand is at its strongest. In fact, all charity projects will be regional, but also European.

Will your charity projects always be related to NFTs?

Slavko: Looking through the prism of today’s world, by all means. As for the future, nothing’s certain yet, but we will definitely be using new technologies and new approaches, because this is part of the brand’s genetic code.

How satisfied are you with the final visual identity of the project?

Slavko: As far as the graphic design and visual identity are concerned, the only thing I can say is wow (laughs). We were very positively surprised because the visual presentation is visually appealing, dynamic, it makes you smile, it is a little bit daring – much like the Poli brand. It is interesting that behind all the characters there are people we know from the real world. Wilson appears in the movie Castaway, where you can see the Wilson ball, Anna Wintour is a celebrity, and other characters, such as hipsters, also exist.

Gorazd: Our main task was to create NFT characters that users would be able to relate to. The client’s idea was to have three characters, which we then expanded into a larger collection. We created an NFT collection of 6 one-of-a-kind and quirky Poli characters, whose personalities are the result of biting into the best chicken sausage in the entire universe and beyond. Of course, they are mad about Poli and mad as such as well.

My favourite character is Wilson because I find it the easiest to identify with him. (laughs) He’s a sailor, a hairy guy, he seems like a tough guy, he’s got experience, he’s always got things going on and his whole life is an adventure. He loves Poli and he’s is a bit mad. (laughs)

Kris: This was a completely custom-tailored project that cannot be transferred to another product or brand. We took the client’s product and reworked it in its colour based on a very simple and witty idea. The result is unmistakably Poli – only Poli can have NFTs like this. The brand’s philosophy and values were a big help in making the NFT set what it is now.

We created an NFT collection of 6 one-of-a-kind and quirky Poli characters, whose personalities are the result of biting into the best chicken sausage in the entire universe and beyond. Of course, they are mad about Poli and mad as such as well.

Kris, as an art director, you are the creator behind the visual identity of the characters and the project itself. The characters are made up of the Poli sausage and faces in an innovative and cute way. How did you come up with this idea?

Kris: The first spark of inspiration was lit by Gorazd (Gorazd Oman, Client Service Director, author’s note). He came up to me and said he thought it would be nice if we did something with faces. “Gorazd, what faces are you talking about? We’re working on NFTs for a sausage,” I said. Well, then I bought some Poli sausage. My view of Poli had always been horizontal: in photos, when I took it out of the fridge, when I was slicing it... Actually, my guinea pig is also called Poli. She’s horizontal too. (laughter) Then I started turning the sausage around, and when I held it vertically, I suddenly saw a similarity with the helmet-like LEGO mini-figure hairstyles that you can change at will. And that’s how the Poli characters came to be.

What was the creative process behind the Poli NFT characters, who are all about individuality and freedom, and are fun at the same time?

Kris: We wanted characters that exuded different personalities and represented different stories. We are all familiar with the castaway character: he has been stranded on a desert island for thirty years, and now has this wild look in his eyes. After thirty years, he catches sight of a ship in the distance, but his movements are no longer human. We named him Wilson after the ball from the Castaway movie. Anna was created quite spontaneously when I started drawing a woman. All of a sudden I saw Anna Wintour (the iconic editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine) in her. I wanted all of the characters to be diverse enough. I designed one of the girls as an emo girl with a choker on her neck and decided on a moustache for another of the characters, which I found was a great element.

You must have come across some NFTs that you liked during the early stages of the work process?

Kris: No, as part of my work process I never look at what others have done before, because that can be too much of a burden. My challenge was to come up with everything myself without any inspirations. I did not check any other NFT projects on purpose. 

One final question: How do you want Poli fans to receive this project? What response from your target groups do you expect or want?

Slavko: To put it simply: we want all NFTs to get owners, this means that the project will be successful for us. All the funds collected through donations as part of the Poli NFT project will go to the PP Pomagajmo society, which will then donate the money to the KNP Bashtan multidisciplinary hospital in the Ukranian city of Mykolaiv for the purchase of defibrillators and resuscitation sets.