DAILY UPDATES from BUENOS AIRES

FIAP 2007

Today we were treated to the thoughts and ideas of Fernando Barbella, Creative Director at Ogilvy & Mather/Argentina.  Barbella stressed that all agencies and creatives in the industry should be aware of the changes in the rules of advertising and stop thinking in strategies like they use to do 80 years ago.

“Nowadays, the audience doesnullt want to be disturbed - they choose what to see and when to see it.” He sited the fact that we are now a generation of “digital natives” - those who were born surrounded by
digital tools. According to Barbella, that is the challenge facing us today: to reach and affect the consumers that are becoming immune to all of our traditional methods and media. As he furthered, “these digital natives are a new breed and we must act to get there attention.”

Perhaps a little Clockwork Orange for me, but another interesting point to the ever-changing consumer who is getting tougher to crack.

In the afternoon we met Ralf Langwost of Idea Management/Germany.  Langwost addressed the stats and reasons behind the most awarded pieces of creative, moreover ads that were winners of both Cannes and Effie Awards. These “double champions” as he called them, were the ultimate prize.  According to him, the seven conditions to have a creative and effective ad are: 1.) to be fast, 2.) to be based on one true fact, 3.) to be easily comprehended, 4.)to have a good base number, 5.)not to fuzz the message, 6.)to create additional attention, and 7.) having advertising vision.

Since that sounds easy enough, I expect all our readers to be winning awards left, right, and centre.  I know that’s a bit sarcastic, but I have to be honest.  Great work for me always comes from the heart and to be so scientific does not allow the piece of creative to be just that; “creative.”

But then again, what do I know?

Today one of the most interesting seminars was conducted by Marcelo Rivas/Product Manager of Alab who spoke at length about the new digital paradigm.  He went over the benefits of using Wacom technology - a digital pen and board - in a conference targeted for photographers, designers and art directors.

The talk commenced when he asked the audience how many of them already knew about this type of tool.  Interestingly enough, the hands began to rise as if we were at an auction. Rivas went on to explain that the Wacom board is ideal for optimizing the work regarding design and image editing because it combines the automated processes of Photoshop with the artists work “by hand” – and that in turn, the work itself becomes more intuitive and precise.

In order to demonstrate the real advantages of this tool, Rivas presented a challenge to the audience: “How many can trace a perfect zigzag line just with the mouse?” The answer, of course, was no one.  Yet it was done in seconds with this new tool - a simple yet impressive demonstration of the use of the digital pencil which wowed the audience. Rivas was careful to point out that the new equipment would only enhance good creative and that ideas were still the key.

An interesting start to the day followed by a wine tasting lunch provided by the main sponsors of the shows.  All in all, everything tasted good.

On the other hand, in the afternoon, some very particular characters placed themselves among the audience attending the FIAP:  a pregnant woman, an old lady in a night gown and slippers, and a Maradona-loving football fan.

They were with us to promote the next conference:  The Challenging Relationship Between Creativity and Mr. Target in the Media Explosion.  The presentation began with the unmasking of these curious characters who were young actors made up and dressed as stereotypes that usually form the target groups of any major campaign. 

Horacio Castelli (responsible for La Nube Inquieta and Mix) explained that this little performance demonstrated that more and more the consumer must be seen as a person and not just a group of figures and demographics. ‘This way of picturing our “customers” is now one of the resources used more and more in the advertising world: the urban intervention.  And when defining a target we now have to have in mind the soft variables: qualities that define a target composed by people and not numbers.’

Trust me, as consumers and as people I hear you cry “where will this all end?” – but think about this: every day the market is flooded with new ideas and mediums with which to present products. So it does become more important to understand how your customers behave emotionally -- we are after all, only human and buying decisions are usually made with our hearts.  (Gawd, that was passionate - I think the City of Tangos has affected my writing!)

FIAP has begun -- and so too has the networking! First, let's speak about Buenos Aires, a great city with something different on every corner (even streets filled with people tango-ing, I kid you not!).

Last night we started with a party for all delegates.  All I can say is 'wow, what a venue!  You immediately undertand the concept of why the Grand Ballroom is called the Grand Ballroom. The hosts for the evening event provided fantastic food and wine as well as a relaxed atmosphere (while I am sure my basic Spanish caused much amusement).  Nonetheless, it was great to meet and speak with so many new contacts.

This is a brief blog today as not much has taken place thys far.  I do not want to bore you with more tales of this poor correspondents late night networking (plus with all that free champagne, I'm not quite sure I can remember much).

Anyway, more tomorrow when the seminars start and the real hard work begins.




LET THE COMPETITION BEGIN!
Deb Mayo
23 April 2007

Well, the boys from London are out on the festival trail again.  This week our intrepid duo of Simon Furse and James Straker will be staking out FIAP 2007 (Ibero-American Advertising Festival) in Buenos Aires.  Since its inception in 1969, the Spanish-Portuguese speaking festival has been a high point in the season.  This year, more than 8500 entries and over 2000 delegates from all around the world are converging in Argentina where entries in the eight independent disciplines are judged and awarded: a) TV and Cinema; b) Print; c) Radio; d) Outdoor; e) Direct Marketing; f) Audiovisual production techniques; g) Interactive; h) Media innovation.

During this week several conferences, seminars, art exhibitions and workshops will take place, along with the exhibitions of all the competing material at FIAP. Representatives from advertising agencies will participate along with advertisers, creative studios, design studios, film and/or videotape, sound and music production companies; post-production studios, media and website design companies, all of them belonging to the Spanish or Portuguese-speaking markets.

The finalists at FIAP will automatically participate in the first edition of THE CUP (Inter-Continental Advertising Cup), an event that reunites the three most important regional festivals of the world: AD FEST (Asia-Pacific Advertising Festival). FIAP (Ibero-American Advertising Festival) and GOLDEN DRUM (New Europe Festival).

Also during the festival, the Young Creatives Marathon will be held in which several creative teams (a copywriter and an art director) will participate. The age limit is 28 years old and these teams are selected by representatives of the festival from each country. The teams will compete in the final round (24 hours to create a message according to a brief previously stated). The winners will be elected by a Jury of the most outstanding Ibero-American professionals in the business.

Of course FIAP kicks off with an opening cocktail party that Simon and James are sure to attend.  After that, expect daily updates from the festival as the duo bring us highlights and intrigues from the week-long event.

Stay tuned!