We already informed you that in cooperation with the magazine Lietišķā Diena, DDB was searching for the average Latvian, i.e. a person representative of the thinking, opinion and value system of all Latvians;  in other words, the person who most closely conforms to the profile of the average Latvian. Well, after several selection stages, we have finally found the average Latvian in the person of housewife Ilze Vanaga!

The search for the average Latvian took place in three stages. First of all, a test was created, based on Brand Capital research data. In total, the test was completed by several thousand people of whom quite a few were suitable candidates for the title of the average Latvian. The second stage was comprised of discussions. As a result, three candidates were selected to take part in the final in which the general public was invited to vote for its favourite candidate.

Although most votes were received by advertising agency art director, Toms Lūsis; Ilze Vanaga was chosen as the average Latvian, because she finished second and therefore obtained the best result on average.

Ilze describes herself as a blonde housewife with a mischievous nature who spends her time actively stringing pearls. She writes about this in her blog, where you can also view her fine handicrafts. Ilze considers herself to be a true Latvian patriot - she’s convinced that patriotism mainly manifests itself in each person’s individual efforts to do something good for their country, starting by tidying up their yard and raising their kids. And yes, Ilze also believes that it’s harder to find a job in Latvia than in Ireland or England, but she has no plans to quit her country. "My goal is to ensure that my kids live an abundant life in their homeland, rather than emigrating overseas and becoming Irish or English," explained the average Latvian Ilze Vanaga in her first interview to Lietišķā Diena.

What is the task of the average Latvian going to be? The average Latvian will represent us at various important events and express the average opinion on various socially relevant subjects. The average Latvian will also share her thoughts and insights in her blog: www.db.lv.