|
Introduction
Creative
Best Spots
of 2006
Being judge and jury has its plusses and minuses. The positive side this year was the addition of an all-creative team of judges from some of the top Hispanic advertising agencies in New York (see list, below). Not surprisingly, creatives do not mince words when it comes to elevating or criticizing work presented to consumers on Spanish-language television.
Though there’s still room for improvement, spots continue to move away from taboos such as direct translations and now distinguish themselves by what drives brand loyalty: relevancy, insight and connections.
Out of nearly 200 spots submitted, 13 were selected, with the addition of Campaign of the Year and an Honorable Mention. Congratulations to all.
— Nancy Ayala, Editor
Guest Judges: Hispanic Ad Agency Creatives
Roberto Alcázar/EO Agency/principal
Gustavo Asman winglatino
chief creative officer
Mauricio Galván
The Vidal Partnership
senior creative director
Antonio López
Conill
executive creative director
Another year, another round of the best in Hispanic advertising. Besides the all-creative judging team, one of the most distinguishing markers of 2006’s selections is only five Hispanic ad agencies’ work make up the winning spots. They are Bromley Communications, San Antonio; Conill, Los Angeles and New York; CreativeOndemanD, Coral Gables, Fla.; Grupo Gallegos, Long Beach, Calif.; and The Vidal Partnership, New York. (Judges who had submitted work recused themselves from voting during the viewing.) A lucky13 were chosen, with a nod to two campaigns.
The agencies each showed a pattern of excellence, distinguished by spots that focused more on services or making a connection with the brand.
To be considered a best spot in any awards competition is an honor not to be diminished, said Gustavo Asman, who joined winglatino as chief creative officer in December. “What bothers [creatives] when you go to a festival and you find out something [that didn’t measure up] has won, you say, ‘How?’ But it’s inevitable.”
During the review of the nearly 200 spots, categories were explored, the growing presence of Buenos Aires as a set destination was acknowledged, and the judges assessed that several submissions made a lasting impression — but not in the way the agencies would have liked. That was a fairly uniform sentiment among the judges and speaks to the fewer number of spots chosen compared to the previous two years.
Mauricio Galván, vp/senior creative director, The Vidal Partnership, applauded Conill for “killing myths” about the Toyota Camry (right), but he still said the spot focused too much “selling the idea of the camera rather than the benefits of the car.”
In recent years, automobile spots in the market have featured more consumer interaction rather than a car’s specific functions. There are, after all, only so many ways to show a beautiful car and hype up horsepower.
CreativeOndemanD used well-known icon Speedy Gonzalez to draw a comical similarity between the energetic runner and the Volkswagen GTI in “Replay.”
Much like the auto category, fast food also has to dig deep in order to present a new creative concept for well-known terrain.
“I know what a good burger is. If they change something to make it better, it’s not going to be something that I like,” said Roberto Alcázar, principal, EO Agency, and former executive creative director of winglatino. “And you cannot sell that your food is faster.”
What Burger King conveyed in its whimsical spots, “Carne Sin Fronteras” and “Peluquero,” is an extra helping of everything: more meat patties layered with extra cheese and bacon and jalapeños, even signaling virility in the hairdresser spot.
Simple messages went a long way. Pork is one of those cases, Galván said. “There is a misconception that pork is not good for you. So let’s say that’s a lie and tell it in another way to show pork is actually really good for you. It’s memorable. This will connect with women.”
Connections were made with Bromley’s “Beto” and “Dog” spots that promoted more direct fights to Latin America and the importance of in-language services, respectively.
And Vidal’s playful use of conventional situations with unconventional concepts spoke directly to the consumer, while highlighting the strength of Sprint mobile phone service.
Comcast spots also offered innovative concepts with “Pedro,” “Ketchup” and “Ladrón,” which Asman described as “an island from the bad that came before and after.”
The presence of stereotypes is still a problem for the Hispanic advertising industry, said Antonio López, executive creative director, Conill/New York.
“There’s probably more quality work than it would seem, but when you look at stereotypical images it lowers the boom for us,” he said. “We’ve carried the same baggage for years about mariachis and things that are stereotypical Hispanic. The outside impression is based on that.”
For many people, those Hispanic images have been force-fed for years through different media forms, but innovative creatives are helping to peel away that negativity.
“There’s been progress and an evolution,” López said. “But there’s a lot of work still to be done in that area because you have to take away those kinds of prejudices by consistently doing better work.”
— Nancy Ayala
|
