sofia, april 14, 2026 — creative agency proof. has been shortlisted at this year’s clio awards with the project “nature unplugged” for mineral water velingrad. this marks only the second shortlist for bulgaria, following mccann sofia’s nomination in 2022.
the clio awards are among the most established and prestigious international creativity festivals, founded in 1959 and attracting thousands of entries from leading agencies and brands worldwide. the awards recognize work that “pushes the industry forward” and “sets new benchmarks for creativity,” making them one of the most respected measures of excellence in the industry.
“nature unplugged” starts with a simple question: how do you make people hear nature when they live far away from it?
to answer this, the team placed a high-sensitivity microphone deep in the forest above velingrad, streaming the sounds of nature in real time into urban environments. with no editing and no post-production, the campaign uses sound as its primary communication medium, turning nature from a background element into an active participant in the message.
“we’re happy to reach this stage in our development. a clio awards nomination for an independent agency from bulgaria only comes with a lot of effort, belief, and professionalism. we’re grateful to our long-term partners at tymbark bulgaria for their trust,” says angel iskrev, creative director at proof.
with this shortlist, proof. continues the strong international performance of the project. “nature unplugged” has already been recognized at leading festivals including the one show, cresta awards, epica awards, golden drum, ad black sea, lovie awards, and effie bulgaria, reinforcing its position as an idea with universal impact.
“for us, this shortlist is not only a recognition of creativity, but also of effectiveness. we believe the strongest work is the one that doesn’t just attract attention, but delivers real results for the brand. ‘nature unplugged’ started as a simple idea, but proved that with a clear strategy and an authentic insight, it can work equally well locally and globally. this is the direction in which we’re developing proof. — ideas that create real value,” adds sava ahmakov, managing director at proof.
