+ bbdo argentina
THE POWER TO GROW THE AGENCY OF CARLOS PÉREZ AND DANIEL MELERO KEEPS GROWING IN ALL SENSES: INCREASES ITS TEAM, RECEIVES AWARDS AND REFORMULATES ITS STRUCTURE IN ORDEN TO KEEP UP WITH THE PRESENT. HOWEVER, THE CHIEF CREATIVE DIRECTORS RAMIRO RODRÍGUEZ COHEN AND RODRIGO GRAU POINT OUT THAT THE ESSENCE OF THE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY REMAINS THE SAME. "IT ALL COMES DOWN TO HAVING A MOBILIZING IDEA" THEY SAY. At this level of circumstances, there is no need to talk about the speed of things. Nowadays everybody knows that in a matter of days, hours, minutes, seconds, everything can change. Advertising, of course, lives at the heart of it, running on a winding, endless highway at full speed. Along the way, it should tramp new paths, taking shortcuts and routes that no one has ever transited before. Given this scenario, agencies are forced to reinvent themselves every day. That is what BBDO Argentina is about to do, the agency led by Carlos Pérez and Daniel Melero, with Ramiro Rodríguez Cohen and Rodrigo Grau as chief creative directors. Until now, it is not turning out bad at all. Without going any further, in recent months, the company won the Grand Prix of the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) for the fifth consecutive year, received a Lápiz de Platino (Platinum Pencil) and consolidated as the most awarded agency in the history of the Effie Awards in Argentina. In between, their digital department reorganized itself with the incorporation of new talent. "We took advantage of the departure of Pablo Tajer, our digital creative director, to reorganize ourselves," says Grau. "Patán Tarazaga and Daniel Minaker retook his place, while Juan Korman is now our social media expert, a specialty that is essential today. In addition, several months ago Hernán Zamora had entered as director of innovation. It is a universe that was always among the priorities of the agency.” At his side, Rodríguez Cohen adds: "Today, in the search for ideas, we do things that were not done before. So we need people who can explore these worlds for the first time. And it is good to know that there are people outside who can complement each other with their different knowledge, with the objective of finding new ideas."
HOW IMPORTANT ARE SOCIAL NETWORKS TODAY? GRAU: Through networks, brands have many contact points with people,
social networks as a mean in itself, with their own codes. We also did Ope-
and in each of them, you can implement a different strategy. While the
ning Act for Pepsi, in which we convert the advertising space of YouTube´s
brand and the tone will be the same throughout the campaign, the strate-
pre-roll in a place where unknown bands could show their video clips. Thus
gy has to change. It is the famous crossmedia. In that sense, the entry of
they became "opening acts" for the music videos of renowned groups. It
Juan Korman is fundamental. Today you have to be very attentive to what
was an idea born in the digital universe.
happens in social networks, to the reactions. The behavior of the brands
DO NEW TECHNOLOGIES MEAN NEW IDEAS?
on the web is much more interactive that in a television ad, which does not
GRAU: It all comes down to having a mobilizing idea. In this sense, adverti-
change over time. The networks demand a dynamic and immediate res-
sing is still the same as always. While there was a time where advertising
ponse system, so it is important to have someone who pays attention to it.
was about presenting the characteristics of a product, since some time ago
RODRÍGUEZ COHEN: Nevertheless, it is the zone of the uncontrollable: it
the essence has remained the same. What changes, based on the new me-
is unpredictable to say what could happen there. It can even convey you to
dia, is the language. The novelty of this media is that it breaks with the logic
change the focus of a campaign. For this reason we need to have someone
of advertising interrupting something. In that sense, it is more democratic:
at the agency who understands this world and has the ability to respond
one chooses whether or not to participate.
to it.
IN 2013, BBDO WON THE PITCH OF PERSONAL, A VERY DISPUTED AC-
A WHILE AGO YOU DID A CAMPAIGN FOR SMART THAT FOCUSED ON
COUNT. HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE?
TWITTER. DID YOU HAVE OTHER EXPERIENCES WHERE YOU FOCUSED
GRAU: Daniel Melero and Carlos Pérez are very careful about deciding in
ON SOCIAL NETWORKS?
which pitch BBDO participates. They try to have a healthy balance between
RODRÍGUEZ COHEN: This activity in particular was for the launch of the
the number of customers and the number of people working in the agency.
Smart account on Twitter, so it was 100% digital. After that, Baptism came
In this case, it was a pitch eagerly awaited by the entire industry because it
out, a collaboration between Nike and Boca where players renewed their
is a customer every agency wants to have. It is a category that is very good,
commitment to the shirt. The implementation of the campaign was based
and a company that is building its brand for many years, with very good
purely on this digital concept: "Burrito" Martinez erased all his followers
publicity. It was the customer we wanted in the category we wanted. That,
on Twitter and proposed winning them all back through his actions on the
plus the fact that we do not participate in many pitches, made us live the
court. It was a descent of a traditional campaign into social networks, but
experience with much enthusiasm. It was a shot of energy for the entire
we did not put a link on the TV commercial to raise likes, we rather sear-
agency.
ched for a proper idea on Twitter.
RODRÍGUEZ COHEN: It's a category that opens up a world of possibilities
GRAU: The television can tell one story and social media can tell another,
with regard to new formats. And it's all ahead of us.
although there is a bigger picture that unites them. It is good to consider
GRAU: Innovation is something we like. With Personal, we are moving towards that direction.
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