On My Radar: Hugo Diaz

As integrated producer at BETC Paris, Hugo Diaz leads the agency’s branded content and digital offering and has recently overseen campaigns for Ibis, Canal+ and SuperLoto.

Having moved to the company from Ogilvy last year, he has worked alongside a spectrum of talent in the French capital but below we hear about some of his inspirations outside the walls of his workplace, including pranks for Pepsi, Hollywood acting dramas and the good, old-fashioned act of socialising.

What’s the best ad campaign you’ve seen recently?

The recent Pepsi Max test drive Jeff Gordon Gets Revenge prank. For me, it’s one the best viral hits of 2014 so far, for three reasons:

Firstly, because we’ve all seen the original prank that was out a year ago, and it was a great viral success. So taking the chance to do another prank based on the same execution was a risky exercise - and it managed to do even better than the first one.

Secondly, because it cleverly gives a clear answer that most viral pranks face: is it fake or not? And this one – unless journalist Travis Okulski is also a great actor – sure is real. You just have to see how the guy freaks out when Gordon is chased by police to be convinced.

Lastly, because it’s not a one-off anymore, it’s taking the Pepsi Jeff Gordon viral to another level by creating a real story around it; reacting to controversy, putting the idea into perspective. It creates a very nice conversation around the brand.

If I had to pick the best from 2013, I would say the Jean-Claude Van Damme Volvo Epic Split film. It’s beautifully shot and it’s emotional, yet funny. Because it builds on the Volvo Live Tests saga. Because of Jean-Claude Van Damme.

What website(s) do you use most regularly and why?

I listen to a lot of music so I would say Soundcloud and Grooveshark, which are both great for discovering the best electro and tech mixtapes on the planet and managing playlists – you should listen to the electrifying sets of Florian de Lomme (pictured, below). The bad thing about it is that my iTunes has sadly become emptier as the months go by. My iPhone continuously plays 4-5 albums which I never take the time to update.

I’m also a huge Tumblr user. Not so much as a contributor but because I find it one of the best places to get visual inspiration and discover new stuff.

What’s the most recent piece of tech that you’ve bought and why?

An LG washing machine. It has an LCD touchscreen and 50 different programmes I didn’t even know existed… I find it quite telling about how technology has invaded our daily lives.

Facebook or Twitter?

Facebook, because I kind of like stalking people!

Seriously though, because it’s a great way to get a glimpse at all the best viral stuff just before it gets big… as long as you’re friends with the right people, of course. And some of my friends apparently have a LOT of spare time to spend searching for funny content and Internet memes.

What’s your favourite app on your phone and why?

Mail, mail and more mail. And Google Maps because I’m terrible at finding my way around.

What’s your favourite TV show and why?

I watch a lot of shows but my favourite one is HBO’s Entourage (pictured, below). It’s not a TV show, it’s a group a friends you hang around with. I almost quit everything to try my luck as an actor in LA because of the show before realising that perhaps it wasn’t the best idea after all.

Also recently, Eastbound and Down; because it has the best punchlines ever, because of Kenny Powers and just because it’s produced and written by Will Ferrel aka God.

What film do you think everyone should have seen?

Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It has a million ideas that are still used today.

Where were you when inspiration last struck?

Hard to say, but I was probably out socialising. To me, curiosity is like a muscle you need to train to trigger inspiration and meeting new people is the most efficient sport.

What’s the most significant change you’ve witnessed in the industry since you started working in it?

The end of traditional production channels. Clients are asking for a specific medium less and less and creative teams are no longer working in this framework. Content ideas that have digital activation, events that are connected to social media, connected objects giving birth to new business models – this is the advertising of today.

All production departments in ad agencies now have to work together and to understand each other. I think there will be a huge change in the next few years on how production departments are organised in agencies, towards more flexibility and more integration. I wouldn’t be surprised if people from very different social and professional backgrounds start joining the industry again, like in the early 80s.

If there was one thing you could change about the advertising industry, what would it be?

The fear of trying. It’s what’s killing the business. Everybody in the industry should understand how fast the environment changes and that trying new things (and sometimes making mistakes) is the only way to achieve great advertising.

As long as challenges are set and risks assessed by all parties – clients, agencies, production companies – there should be no boundaries. And I’m puzzled by how limitations and conservative opinions can sometimes also come from the inside. That’s why the role of agency producer has changed over the past years. We’re no longer here at the end of the process just before pressing the button, but at an earlier stage to push ideas and convince everyone that, yes, it can work!

What or who has most influenced your career and why?

The idea that we are also in this industry to have fun. To me it’s the only way to produce great pieces; fun equals enthusiasm. From Ogilvy Paris to BETC, I’ve had the chance to work with some creatives and CDs who were true believers and enthusiasts. I think you can feel in a piece of work whether the people who created and produced have had a good time doing it or not.

Tell us one thing about yourself that most people won’t know…

I started in the business as an account manager and I’m lucky because in a short space of time it gave me an overview of how the whole process was working and where the different leverages, from strategic thinking, to production, from social activation to media planning were. Thankfully enough I quickly found out where my true position was and where my skills would be best used.