Jakub Kohák was born in 1972 in Prague where he graduated from FAMU (Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts in Prague). He approached the world of advertising when he started copywriting. He focused on the topic of creating TV ad spots and thanks to his creativity and popularity, he became one of the most sought-after Czech advertising creators. He is involved in all aspects of advertising from scripting, casting to shooting and editing. In this article, we look at his best achievements in Czech television advertising.
Trained actor to address the right target group
Kohák’s experience as an actor influenced his career as an advertising filmmaker and director. Thanks to his experience “from the other side”, he was able to empathise well with the viewer and bring authenticity and emotion to his advertisements. Of course, the strongest and most frequent one is humour. His works target the relaxed side of the viewer and almost always rely on entertainment. A 2016 Kofola ad may serve as an example of using his acting skills to create a successful spot. The ad gained a lot of popularity due to the authenticity and natural behaviour of the characters.
Kofola in love – big love can move antlers
The ad “Big love can move antlers” played on a loving note. The overall concept of the ad sticks to the tone of the Kofola brand and presents a cutely simple plot, which the viewer can laugh at. The central theme is love, as is the case with the vast majority of Kofola campaigns (because [as Kofola’s slogan says] “If you love her, there’s nothing to worry about”).
This ad, produced by Jakub Kohák in collaboration with WMC Grey, won several awards, including two Gold Effie Awards in the Best Creative Campaign and Best Commercial Spots on TV categories.
Ski jumpers or “Come on, hop!”
A series of ads for the mobile operator T-mobile starred Vojtěch Kotek and Lukáš Pavlásek together with Jakub Kohák, who was also its director. This spot made it into the top ten most shared clips on YouTube and the audience remembered it mainly thanks to the slogan “Come on, hop!”, which is still viral in the Czech Republic today.
The bet on familiar faces combined with humour paid off and this spot was also considered one of the most talked-about ads at the time of release.
Fio banka – shopping with a goat
The ad for Fio banka from 2016 directed by Jakub Kohák wittily communicates the benefits of the mobile network. In addition to Kohák, who played the lead role in the ad (as in many others he has directed), the spot features a goat that goes shopping and enjoys a shopping spree.
The concept of this ad is to catch the viewers’ attention and win their engagement and liking at first sight. The easy-to-consume humour and certainly the creative idea of the spot ensured a lot of positive feedback from the viewers. The spot has become one of many viral campaigns that many of us have remembered. It is easy to remember, easy to grasp and it has a distinctive element - be it the goat or the original slogan coupled with a famous face. That is a tactic that Jakub Kohák uses extensively in his campaigns.
T-mobile – use free data, build relationships
In cooperation with Acomware, a series of ads was created that once again promote the biggest benefits of T-mobile. As usual, Kohák is brilliant in the lead role. In addition to traditional humour, he relies on a purely Czech attitude and a witty take on relationships where women rule with a firm hand, thus hitting the taste and sense of humour of many Czech viewers.
This ad won the directing prize in the Advertising Spots category at the Zlatý kahan Festival, which confirms its creative and directing success.
He rejected famous ads such as “Bóbika” and “Golden Pig” and avoids hypercorrectness
Even though Jakub Kohák’s humour and approach to advertising or sales strategies may seem very light-hearted, he thinks a lot about his work and chooses carefully which offers to accept. For example, he refused to shoot the widely known “Bóbika” ad. According to his philosophy of life, the ad - despite being entertaining - unnecessarily insults Asians and depreciates their morals and intellect. “That is not my cup of tea,” Kohák says. Another ad he refused to make is the legendary “Golden Pig” for Kofola. In his own words, he could not have guessed at the time what a phenomenon the spot would become. However, he also adds that the idea of stealing trees in the forest simply did not resonate with him. “It’s just how I feel about it”, he adds.
He says that he never planned to become a director but the opportunities arose from the situation. Clients and partners probably wanted to benefit from his acting experience and reflect it from the other side in successful campaigns.
Kohák believes that in directing, as in any business, it should be important to have good people on the team - regardless of their nationality or skin colour. But in his opinion, the reverse should also be true and make sense. In short, he does not strive for correctness at all costs.
Jakub Kohák’s work proves that Czech filmmakers can create TV campaigns that generate success for a brand and, above all, help it build awareness among viewers. With his ability to create memorable and humorous advertisements, he has successfully reached the target group that is predominant in the Czech Republic. His background as an actor has helped him to create original and witty dialogues. Many of his ads have gone viral on the internet to this day.
