clever friday

Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second largest city — and in folklore, its residents are known as some of the cleverest people in the country. Stories of “Clever Pete,” a witty folk character who always managed to get more out of less, are still told today.

Mall Plovdiv, with its long-standing platform “In tune with the city”, wanted Black Friday to feel different — not just another weekend of discounts. For the third year in a row, the challenge was to reinvent Black Friday into something meaningful, local, and unmistakably Plovdiv. The answer was to tap into the city’s clever identity and create a campaign that turned every purchase into “two for the price of one” — not as a sales mechanic, but as a cultural one.

Execution
We reimagined Black Friday as Clever Friday — a folkloric celebration of wit and resourcefulness.

We partnered with Studio Punkt, a local illustration collective, to craft campaign visuals in a classic Bulgarian style, bringing Clever Pete back to life with a playful modern twist.

Every visual paired a Black Friday purchase with a second “clever” use:

“Buy a blanket, gift a secret hideaway.”

“Buy sunglasses, gift a diadem.”

“Buy a laptop, gift a warm bed for your cat.”

The campaign rolled out across mall walls, outdoor boards, digital screens, and social media — all designed in folklore-inspired colors and typography to celebrate local culture.

Shoppers could also take Clever Friday home through tote bags, posters, and merchandise, turning the visuals into part of the city’s holiday life.

Clever Pete’s wink — the final symbol of wit — tied the campaign together, showing that discounts can be more than numbers: they can be a celebration of tradition, culture, and smart living.