The creative advertising world is more than served with the existing festivals. With a revitalized Clio, a sustained Ojo and Fiap, a consolidated San Sebastian, the NY Festivals, London, Dubai, the Drum, etc., etc., etc., etc. and countless local or semi-regional festivals, why would you want one more?
In our tiny Central American dimension, the Volcano does not compete with the Caribbean or Antigua, but rather they interrelate, intertwine and strengthen each other by creating a more competitive environment. It is in interdependence where the greatest strengths are achieved, and for this reason, Central America needs more exposure for a better creative product. Thus, precisely because of the need for more competitiveness, because of the importance of improving rivals and especially to raise our creative level, in Ascap we decided to open the Volcano to Central American agencies. Not to compete with Antigua or Panama, but to propitiate a higher level of exposure, to open borders and abandon the typical isolation of the Tico completely and forever.
For this reason, it is a pity that in the first Central American Volcano, as I understand, the Guatemalans have not decided to come and compete. Hopefully it is not because of a union agreement, and hopefully it is not because of assuming the Volcano as Antigua’s competition. Hopefully it is just a matter of budgets or the relatively short notice we gave them to prepare. Hopefully, next year they will come to showcase with us in our backyard, just as we have done in their wonderful festival. And of course, I hope that the opening has been understood as another space for them to get acquainted and not as a matter of competition between festivals, because I insist, we don’t need one more.
We are 41 days away from the next Volcán and although for a moment we were worried about a low participation, everything seems to indicate that we will once again break participation records and with it, another opportunity to show what we are made of. We know that we will have a lot of agency initiative, also known as “truchos”, so we also anticipate that we will have surprises.
In the meantime, like you, I am having a lot of fun with the AntiVolcán blog. He is very nice, witty and with a very good sense of humor. I’m also anxious about these festivals of ours, because although they don’t make a big splash in the big world, they do have a great relevance in our own countries.
