Cătălin Rusu for Wall-Street

From simple ads created shortly after the 90s to the impressive-budget ones today, it has been a long journey, and those who have made a career in this field have also “tested” the challenge of entrepreneurship, opening businesses in related fields or investing in successful startups. One thing is certain, though: behind Romanian advertisements, there are professionals who know when and where to focus in order to “awaken” the emotion of viewers.

“My first entrepreneurial instincts were in high school, when I briefly became an Amway distributor and would go through the neighborhood, selling products to my friends,” said Cătălin Rusu, CEO and co-founder of Rusu+Borțun.

He also mentioned a similar experience, where he resembled Giovanni Becali, selling tickets at inflated prices for the movie Schindler’s List at the Studio cinema.

Cătălin Rusu explained that he started his business without any entrepreneurial culture, while many of his clients are in their second or third generation of entrepreneurs, which is why he is fascinated to hear their stories.

He added that he is interested in learning how the entrepreneurial spirit, something very important to him, gets passed down from generation to generation.

Regarding his first serious entrepreneurial project, he mentioned the Rusu+Borțun agency, which was founded in 2008.

Thus, Cătălin Rusu explained that within the business, there are two complementary agencies: one that works with entrepreneurs and decision-makers, helping executives transform their business strategies using brand strategies, and the second, the advertising agency, where they work with local, global, and regional clients to create communication strategies and creative content.

At the same time, he shared that he has always wanted to use entrepreneurship and investments, like any departure from a certain pattern, to return to the core of his craft as a creative person and copywriter.

Cătălin Rusu also explained that there are some people who desire things other than what they are prepared for, a reality he observed through the over 150 people he has hired since becoming an entrepreneur.

“An advertisement should present a well-told truth, it should uncover a truth about the things happening around us,” said Cătălin Rusu.

Read the full article on Wall-Street here.