The Organization
RODA is a Croatian civil society organization — a group of citizens, parents, and future parents who advocate for dignified pregnancy, parenthood, and childhood in Croatia. They work on reproductive rights, maternal and child health, and family welfare, engaging in advocacy, education, and support for parents and families.
The Project
RESPECT — A campaign addressing how women are treated during pregnancy and childbirth in Croatian healthcare.
The Challenge
RODA needed a comprehensive campaign for their RESPECT project that could do two very different jobs simultaneously:
Reach the general public — Raise awareness about maternal healthcare issues in a way that would resonate emotionally and spark conversation.
Engage policymakers — Communicate the same issues in a format credible enough for institutional presentations and policy discussions.
The topic was sensitive: birth trauma, lack of informed consent, and systemic disrespect in maternity care. The risk was either being too soft (and ignored) or too confrontational (and dismissed).
What We Found
The real creative challenge wasn’t awareness — it was framing.
Everyone knows the visual language of baby announcements: pastel colors, balloon letters, “It’s a boy!” or “It’s a girl!” celebrations. That iconography is universally recognized and emotionally loaded.
We saw an opportunity to subvert that language — to use the familiar celebration format to deliver uncomfortable truths. The contrast between expectation and reality would create the emotional impact needed for public awareness, while the research-backed statistics would provide the credibility needed for policy conversations.
The insight: The same visual system could work for billboards and for parliamentary presentations.
What We Created
The Concept: “It’s a…”
We used the baby announcement balloon aesthetic — but changed the message:
“It’s a RESPECT” — The campaign name, establishing the positive frame “It’s a TRAUMA” — Confronting the reality many women experience “22,7%” — The percentage of women included in decisions about their own health
The balloon letters in pink and blue (traditional baby colors) create instant recognition. The unexpected words create cognitive dissonance. The statistics provide evidence.
Campaign Execution
Creative Concept & Design Complete visual identity for the RESPECT campaign. Balloon typography system. Color palette. Messaging hierarchy.
Web Development Campaign landing page with resources, research, and calls to action for both public and institutional audiences.
Out-of-Home Advertising Billboard and transit advertising across Zagreb. The “It’s a TRAUMA” execution in public spaces generated significant attention and social media discussion.
Institutional Materials Professional presentations and materials suitable for meetings with healthcare institutions, government bodies, and policymakers. Same visual language, appropriate tone.
Social Media Assets Content package for RODA’s channels, designed for sharing and conversation.
The Results
Integrated 360° Campaign Unified message across all touchpoints — from street-level billboards to parliamentary meetings.
Public Conversation The provocative creative generated organic discussion about maternal healthcare in Croatia.
Institutional Credibility Materials professional enough for RODA to use in policy advocacy at the highest levels.
Consistent Brand Presence Campaign established a recognizable visual identity that RODA continues to use for the RESPECT initiative.
Services Delivered
→ 360° Campaign Strategy → Creative Concept Development → Visual Identity & Design → Web Development → Out-of-Home Advertising → Institutional Presentation Materials
The Ironing Club Angle
This project shows what we mean by “business fundamentals first” — even for a non-profit.
We didn’t start with “what should the billboard say?” We started with:
- Who are the two audiences and what do they need?
- What’s the one insight that can reach both?
- How do we make emotional impact AND institutional credibility from the same creative system?
The balloon concept wasn’t decoration. It was strategy: familiar format + unexpected message = attention + memorability. And it scaled from Instagram to parliament.
That’s the difference between a campaign and a collection of tactics.