A week ago a DDB TV commercial for Automercados won the Grand Volcano, the country’s dean advertising agency won Agency of the Year, a supermarket chain, precisely Automercados, won the Volcano for Advertiser of the Year and the surprise of the night was precisely that many like me expected Jotabeqú to win, both for its massive participation, its winning track record of years and for its Bavaria commercial.
In fact, the battle was marked from the beginning between the Automercados and Bavaria commercials, as they won the technical categories. And here is a very important detail for valuation purposes, since the so-called technical categories do not add up to the final score as agency of the year, as established in the regulations. That is to say, the volcanoes won in Editing, Direction, Photography, Art Direction, Animation and Special Effects, do not add up in the final election and therefore, do not add points. For this reason, both jotabeqú and DDB, who dominated this section of the awards, along with two Garnier Volcanoes, did not add points with these Volcanoes for the final designation won by Garnier BBDO.
In my opinion, the night had in Manuel Travisany and his team the unexpected winners, although after learning about their entries, it took us a few minutes to discover that these were very well deserved awards. In addition to the way Automercados accumulated Volcanoes and scores, in graphics they achieved a Gold Volcano, which they also added. In fact, for those of us who were adding without calculator what was happening in the event, we thought that DDB was taking the final award for their agency. Also, Alberto Quirós confirmed his power and leadership of repeated years, particularly highlighting his participation with that masterpiece of production that is Bavaria, as was also relevant Mauricio Garnier, the big winner, who smiled at the end to take the recognition he wanted so much and his group deserved so much. None of them do it alone, and for this reason, their teams are the real big winners, including the people in Accounts, Planning, Media, Production, Administration, all of them.
That’s why, given that I had the privilege of announcing the agency of the year, I was surprised and delighted to see that the agency that scored the highest was Garnier BBDO. I was happy because last year, the team led by Mauricio Garnier had worked their butts off to achieve it and even so, they fell short against Jotabeqú, winner in 2006. I was also extremely happy because that team includes two very talented and multi-awarded creatives born in Tribu, Pablo Cháves and Javier Mora, and for whom we continue to applaud and celebrate their triumphs. Likewise, in the Garnier BBDO team we are happy to see people very dear to us, such as Wady Calvo and Andrés Artavia, just to mention some of our former colleagues, as well as many friends of this guild of committed people.
I can’t miss the opportunity in this typing that I brought with me a few minutes ago, to highlight the absence of Ogilvy in this Volcano because they were missing and we miss them. They have every right to participate or not, and therefore, this is not criticism but simple commentary. On the same note, especially on a winning night for the Garnier group, it is strange that we never see Arnaldo José Garnier in these events, since the essence of his business is creativity, and therefore, it could be that he deserves his personal support. It is worth noting that Rodrigo Garnier, who normally accompanies his agency, was also absent, as well as some other agency heads, among whom I think Gustavo Orozco from McCann was also absent. We miss all of them and the others who were absent, and we look forward to seeing them in a year in the flesh.
During the course of the evening, Automercados also took an unexpected Volcán. However, seeing the trajectory of this advertiser, it deserves to be celebrated as the cherry on a cake of innovation and daring. In fact, Automercados lives in a retail world influenced by the Wallmart school, which focuses on prices as if they were the only important thing for it, the shopper in chief. However, this Costa Rican company, owned by the Alonso family and led in marketing by Javier Bouza, has always given us a more emotional approach, of greater tradition and quality, with great attention to relationship marketing and a consistent line of proposals of higher quality and greater commitment to the value of its brand. In fact, personally and due to a life trajectory related to Automercados, I consider that it is a Lovemark for many people and, moreover, it seems to me a deserved Volcano and of great recognition, since the winning commercial had their full approval and budget. Very good for them and congratulations to the Alonso family, neighbors of a lifetime, as well as to Javier Bouza and his team.
So, well, we all win and move forward one more year. At Tribu we celebrated our three Volcanoes as if we had won 30, and we feel satisfied. The year for us was not an easy one and so, in the midst of everything we went through we came to the conclusion that we had to celebrate them as if they were going to end. The night was for us an award and another mark to continue in the fight, where everyone contributed and among all, it is worth mentioning Paula Guevara, Marcelo Furrer, Joaquín Brenes, Eduardo Cerdas, Carlos Jiménez, Edgar Mora, Yami Oviedo, Armando Gómez, Patricia Orozco, Camilo Adames and everyone in the creative connection.
I trust that the other Volcanes winners have done the same, celebrate, for one is more than none, and not one was given away. So we all have to be satisfied, that Costa Rica won and the creative community of the country won.
That said, I like a night given out better than one in which an agency sweeps the board. I suppose the only exception to this comment would be if it were my agency doing the sweeping, and even then, perhaps I would reiterate my preference for a split night. In my spirit, the conviction is growing every day that we win more if we compete outwardly rather than inwardly, and as much as I’m fascinated by awards, I never for a moment forget that this is all part of a business.
That is, it’s about building powerful brands, ringing our customers’ cash registers first and along the way, as private companies, making authentic contributions to making the world a little bit better place every day. For this reason, I give my personal Volcano again to BAC and its values campaign, and the one won in the contest for the Andrea commercial is and will forever remain my big winner, because it speaks of struggle, perseverance, overcoming obstacles, tenacity, desire and refusal to fail. It is real life and it is the story of a friendly family and their inspirational little girl.
A week ago was the eruption of the 2007 Volcano, and today, it is time to restart the fight, because in less than a rooster’s crow we will be gathered again for the 2008 Volcano, organized, sponsored, ignited and turbo charged by the Costa Rican Association of Advertising Agencies, ASCAP, its Board of Directors and Lilliana Gonzalez, its Executive Director.
Do you agree with me? How nice! Do you think differently? Here you have a space to do so. I invite you to make your contributions and, as always, to make this a meeting point for friends.
Cheers!
PS
By the way, don’t even think that I worry about the wording or making a lot of sense. This is all about sharing, and that’s why I type freely without any fuss and with joy. Do the same, come on!
