site.btaBulgarian Writer Ivan Landzhev Represents Bulgaria at Impact Bucharest Forum alongside Global Leaders

Ivan Landzhev is the only Bulgarian participant at Impact Bucharest, a major international business and technology event taking place Wednesday and Thursday in the Romanian capital. The event gathers over 200 global leaders, including former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama.

Landzhev took part in a panel focused on creativity and was introduced by the moderator as a renowned poet, writer, and creative director at the advertising agency guts&brainsDDB.

"I believe there will always be people interested in stories told by others. It’s an eternal chain—since the very beginning. Like the first gathering around a fire, like the first cave drawings. You leave something behind for others to see. And that’s a timeless, unending loop," Landzhev told the audience. He also shared that he’s not concerned about artificial intelligence: "I think it will be like cars. Sure, cars move faster than people, but we still care about who the fastest person in the world is. We still watch the Olympic Games," he explained.

During the panel discussion, Landzhev emphasized that advertising becomes truly effective when it touches on real human emotions and experiences—then the message resonates, and the product sells.

Right after the panel, Landzhev took questions from BTA on creativity, AI, and representing Bulgaria at the Bucharest event.

How does it feel to be the only Bulgarian at such a major international event?

I hadn’t really thought about it that way. I’m just one of many participants here from all over. Of course, being Bulgarian is something I carry with me everywhere. I’m happy to represent Bulgaria, my company, and—last but not least—myself. I’ve been to Bucharest several times before for advertising work. I always enjoy coming back. It’s a lively city. In some ways, due to its shared communist past, it reminds me of Sofia. But in many other ways, it feels more vibrant—and it’s bigger, which makes sense.

What’s it like to “open” for Michelle Obama, this year’s keynote speaker? You joked about it on Facebook.

It’s quite fun (laughs). Yes, I joked about it on Facebook—because if I’m her opening act, then so are a lot of other people here. But there is a funny real-life connection: I was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Chicago a few years ago, living in the same neighborhood where Barack and Michelle Obama met and became a couple. I walked those same streets. At first, it’s a bit surreal—maybe a cultural thing. For example, on 53rd Street there’s a small monument marking their first kiss. I used to pass it every day. At first, as a Bulgarian, I thought, “These Americans are nuts.” But over time, I’ve come to really miss that sense of normalcy—a president and first lady with warmth and humanity. Barack Obama was the last American president I was truly a fan of. I miss that.

You mentioned how hard it is to hold young people’s attention for more than eight seconds. Can that be changed?

We can’t just keep demanding more from them—we have to offer something genuinely interesting. I don’t think anything is fundamentally wrong with this generation. They’re using the tools and responding to the world they’ve inherited. They face different challenges than we did, and it’s natural they respond differently. If we stop blaming them and instead give them something compelling, they’ll engage. And it’s not even true that long-form content is dying because of short dopamine-hit formats. People watch three- or four-hour podcasts—about nothing. They binge-watch entire seasons of shows. So they can engage with long content—if it’s worth their time.

We’re seeing a lot of recycled ideas in film, music, and literature. Is creativity in crisis?

Creativity is only in crisis until someone crazy and brilliant shows up with an idea that captivates everyone.

Are such people missing today?

I don’t think so. They’re still being born, growing, and evolving. Maybe we just don’t pay enough attention to them anymore. Maybe we need to shift the spotlight back to where it belongs.

Let’s talk about AI. Is it a tool or a weapon?

If humanity treats it as a tool, it will be a tool. The real concern isn’t the technology itself—it’s how people use it. Regulation will be tough, and that’s what worries me: not the machine, but people’s intentions. The risks of misuse, copyright abuse, or false attribution are real. But using AI within reasonable moral frameworks? That doesn’t worry me at all.