Published by Sue Johns-Chapman
Published Date 09.04.2026 
We are proud to announce that So Bright has been shortlisted in the Best Social Media Campaign category at the Global Agency Awards 2026 for our work with The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine. For our team, this recognition is especially meaningful because it celebrates a project that proves heritage and digital relevance do not have to stand in opposition. When strategy, creativity and consistency come together, even a brand rooted in centuries of history can thrive in today’s fast-moving social media landscape.
Who We Are
At So Bright, we have been creating campaigns since 2016, delivering projects for brands across more than 20 industries. Our work combines creative thinking, analytical insight and a strong focus on business impact. Across social media, video marketing, influencer collaborations, custom publishing and broader advertising activity, we aim to build communication that is both effective and memorable. This mindset shaped our partnership with The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine and became the foundation of the campaign now recognised by the Global Agency Awards.
Learn more about So Bright on our website, and follow our work on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
The Work Behind the Shortlist
The shortlisted campaign, The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine – Where Heritage Meets Digital Trends, was designed as a long-term, always-on social media programme rather than a one-off activation. Our objective was not only to strengthen engagement and grow the Mine’s digital community, but also to support the brand’s broader business goals by making it more visible, attractive and culturally relevant in digital channels. Just as importantly, the campaign set out to shift perception: to move the Mine away from the image of a formal, institution-led communicator and towards that of a living, contemporary brand that could speak to modern audiences without losing its credibility or prestige.
The audience strategy reflected the scale and complexity of the challenge. We were speaking not to one group, but to several equally important audiences: families with children looking for meaningful and educational leisure experiences, young adults and students searching for memorable destinations and online inspiration, and international tourists for whom the Mine is one of the most distinctive cultural experiences in Poland. To reach them effectively, we built the campaign around the idea of “a mine of secrets, experiences and history.” It became more than a slogan. It served as a narrative framework that allowed every piece of communication to present the brand as a place of discovery, emotion and knowledge.
A System Built for Long-Term Engagement
This strategic direction came to life through Crystal Content, our proprietary modular content system inspired by the structure of salt crystals. The idea was simple but powerful: to create a flexible communication model in which short-form video, educational posts, behind-the-scenes content, user-generated content, real-time marketing, and selected AI and VFX executions could all function as distinct elements within one coherent visual and narrative identity.
That gave the campaign room to evolve while staying recognisable and strategically consistent. Rather than chasing trends for their own sake, we focused on building an ecosystem of formats and recurring series that encouraged repeat engagement and long-term audience relationships.
A central role in this transformation was played by Sztygar Kamil, an authentic employee of the Mine who became the brand hero, narrator and guide for audiences. His presence brought warmth, credibility and a more human tone to the communication. In a category where brands often compete for attention through over-stylised or short-lived formats, authenticity became one of the campaign’s strongest creative assets. By combining real people, cultural heritage and native digital storytelling, we created content that felt engaging without ever losing respect for the Mine’s legacy.
A Heritage Brand Reimagined for Social Media
One of the biggest challenges was sustaining momentum over time. It is relatively easy to create a single successful post. It is much harder to maintain growth in an always-on model while gradually changing how a heritage institution is perceived online. There was also the constant risk of content fatigue.
Our response was to think in systems, not isolated ideas. Crystal Content enabled us to refresh recurring formats, respond to audience behaviour on an ongoing basis, and keep the communication fresh while reinforcing a coherent brand identity. As the campaign developed, social media became not just a promotional channel, but a space where The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine could build stronger, more contemporary relationships with its audiences.
The effect was clear: the campaign delivered strong and sustained engagement, expanded the brand’s online community, and supported the Mine’s broader commercial goals. More importantly, it helped reposition a historic institution in a way that felt modern, relevant and culturally alive.
Recognition Beyond One Shortlist
This is not the first time the campaign has been recognised by industry juries. Before being shortlisted at the Global Agency Awards 2026, it had already earned:
- PR Wings in Social Media and Influencer Marketing category
- Silver in Złote Spinacze Awards
- a distinction in Kreatura in the Digital – social media category
These recognitions matter because they show that the project has been appreciated from different perspectives: for its creativity, for its strategic thinking, and for the way it translated a complex cultural brand into an engaging digital story.
What This Shortlist Means to Us
As Tomasz Kusiak, Co-owner of So Bright, puts it:
“Being shortlisted at the Global Agency Awards is a meaningful moment for our team, because it recognises the kind of work we believe in most: strategic, long-term, and created in close partnership with the brands we support. This nomination shows that social media can be both creatively ambitious and genuinely effective, even for institutions with a long and established heritage.”
As Michał Durbas, Creative Director at So Bright, adds:
“In this project, video was not an add-on – it was the core storytelling tool. We focused on creating formats that felt native to social media while still respecting the Mine’s heritage. When creativity is built on authenticity and structure, it becomes sustainable rather than temporary.”
The recognition also means a great deal to the brand itself. As Mariola Kaczor, Head of Marketing at The “Wieliczka” Salt Mine, said:
“Working with So Bright allowed us to open up to new audiences and show the Mine in a completely new light. We appreciate the partnership-based approach and the joint search for modern forms of communication that strengthen our presence in digital channels. It is an important step for us in further development and in building dialogue with visitors.”
For So Bright, this shortlist is not only an honour, but also a confirmation that thoughtful, insight-driven social media can create real value for brands of every kind, including those with deep roots, strong tradition and a unique cultural role. It validates our belief that great communication is not about choosing between heritage and modernity. It is about finding the right language to connect them.
