I see it as simple as this: the Volcano is our national championship. The Antigua, Ojo or Fiap festivals are regional tournaments, and without a doubt, Cannes is the world championship. The Volcano, however, is the sole responsibility of Costa Ricans, both to care for and protect it and to evolve and improve it.
The pomegranate comment
However, after he ignored my invitation to dialogue, I refer to the pomegranate comment launched by Arnaldo Garnier here as President of the Garnier Group, which includes dozens of companies in communication in many countries, including brands such as the dean Garnier BBDO, TBWA, Rapp and others. In that comment he let it be said that the Volcano had failed, and in this regard he wrote: “And regarding the Creative Festivals in Costa Rica, “El Volcan”, failed. Only the Effie will be an important event, because of its international support. The Festival that was consolidated in the region was the Antigua Festival”.
I do not believe that it is positive to isolate, avoid dialogue, sow suspicions and above all, make comments with no intention to build. For this reason, I choose to put everything under light and transparency, exposed to criticism or disagreement, to propose, to do and to build. There is no better disinfectant than light. And to polemicize, two intelligent parties are enough. (See from my blog: Viva la Diferencia, Another point of view.) My invitation to the conversation is still open.
About the regional tournament
The first thing is to recognize Antigua. I said it since 2008 when I went for the first time in this article El Jade está en Antigua. I also commented it in the publication Antigua without Surprises in 2008, Antigua for the better in 2010, as well as in Let’s learn from the great Antigua Festival in 2011. I talk and write about the Antigua festival because I know it, have been there, enjoy it and celebrate it. Like others, I don’t talk about what I don’t know.
Guatemala has achieved an excellent level of festival, although I believe that today Antigua is in a higher division than the original. The Ugap festival is so powerful that today it competes with the Fiap and the Ojo de Iberoamérica, just to mention two. However, I believe that Guatemala “lost” its national championship, and now hosts its brand new Latin American level regional festival.
It seems to me that Costa Rican or Guatemalan creative talent no longer has its first level of exposure in Antigua, (First Division) and for this reason, I think it could become the Volcano, whose scope is defined only for Central America and the Caribbean exclusively, although it is still primarily Tico.
I do remember that the ultimate winner of any festival is always the client of the participating agencies. They benefit from the creative talent stimulated, ignited and challenged at the festivals, to translate it into the daily work we do for their brands. (See from my blog: Compete to Win, 10 Reasons to go to Cannes Lions, I wish more agencies would take up the challenge, Stimulate Competitiveness).
About the national championship
The Volcano is a local festival, as important to creativity as the first division is to national soccer.
Now what follows is simple as well, so I won’t go deeper and I do it by asking: Who could think of soccer without local, regional and world tournaments? Would anyone in their right mind think of eliminating the Spanish League and then pretending that Spain would win the World Cup? I believe that the Volcano is as necessary as the First Division is in national soccer. If it is not good and needs to be improved, that is another matter. It is worth mentioning the Pregonero de Bronce by La Nación as a local contest that is also very important.
As a member of Ascap, and during the 4 years I was its president, I did everything in my power to strengthen the Volcano, to enlarge it and make it the national stage. It is very comfortable to criticize from the position of the passive observer, who does nothing for years, does not contribute or give an idea, and then one fine Saturday morning comes up with a destructive comment. Of course, while the great creative talent at the Garnier BBDO agency was among the winners of the contest, we never heard don Arnaldo complain about the Volcano.
It is worth mentioning that House Rapp, from the Garnier Group, participated in the last Volcano and deservedly won nothing less than the Volcano for Best Work of the Festival. This is how I celebrated it on my blog: Two surprises to celebrate. The people in the Garnier group, among whom we have great friends, know how to win, know how to compete and are great creatives. However, today the president of their group discredits the Volcano. I do not know what to think.
For example, the case of Tribu DDB
When Tribu DDB won the Volcán for Agency of the Year for the third consecutive time, La Nación, the main newspaper in the country, published it: Tribu DDB is recognized as the best agency in the country. Adlatina published it here and LatinSpots published it here. El Volcán has resonance, it is internationally recognized and has local impact, both in the advertising community and in advertising clients.
Just to cite an example, when Telefónica arrived in Costa Rica, it looked among the country’s agencies. Then, the creative prestige of Tribu DDB, among other things, due to our good results in the Volcano, led this great advertiser to contact us. Later in the competition we managed to win the account. Everything adds up and in this case, the Volcano made its contribution. The news was not long in coming: Tribu DDB will work with Movistar in Adlatina and Tribu DDB wins Movistar and celebrates in LatinSpots. Thus, all our clients enjoy our creativity, competitiveness and focus on the future, including the famous… ¡Tome Chichí!
In short: El Volcán is a success! You just have to compete and win, while bravely facing the risk of losing. Normal.
A word about Effie
In this brief chapter, I am happy for you to opine that the Effie will be a success in the country, particularly because it was a representation that I achieved for the country. After calls and written communications, in February 2009 I traveled to New York, at my own expense, to bring the Effie to the country and put it in the best hands: Ascap (today the Community). In the meantime, Don Arnaldo, how have you contributed to the country’s advertising industry? Where are your contributions, your ideas, your legacy?
For us at ASCAP (today the Community), it was a pleasure to see that Garnier BBDO participated in the last Effie (here the winners of the Effie 2010). If I am not mistaken, the dean agency took 3 deserved Effies out of 5 entries. It was precisely where Tribu DDB entered only one case, Osa Campaign, to win the Effie in its category and then the Grand Effie, so we say that we achieved a 200% effectiveness. Not bad.
The next Effie is coming up and once again the exciting opportunity to compete. It’s even more exposure and thus, more opportunities to stimulate the incredible creative talent in the country.
A quick word about Cannes
When I first went to Cannes, about 6 years ago, Costa Rica did not even have a representative of the festival in the country. There was little or no participation, and we didn’t know the route to the Lions.
As happened with the Effies, I had the opportunity to bring the representation to ASCAP, as there would have been no better organization to receive it. Once again, instead of criticizing and sawing at others, I rolled up my sleeves and gave the country’s creative community one more contribution. This is what Terry Savage, Chairman of Cannes Lions said in my LinkedIn in February 2010: “Jorge were instrumental in helping us appoint ASCAP as the official representative for Cannes Lions in Costa Rica a real service for Cannes and a real service for advertising in the region “.
By the way, it is worth adding that I also facilitated the representation of Cannes for the agency associations of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, because when working for advertising and creative talent, borders do not exist.
Today there are many young Ticos who have been in Cannes thanks to the Young Lions. Four agencies have brought Lions from Cannes: JWT, DDB, jotabeqú and now Tribu DDB. Many agencies participate in the world festival, and since Garnier BBDO also participates, I guess there is no discussion about Cannes.
I do add that the ideal is that Volcán, Cannes, Young Lions, Effie and all the activity has the support of everyone in the Community (formerly Ascap). We can be separated by abysses of differences, and there is no doubt that in creativity we find the essence where we should unite. (See from my blog: What is the reason to be a member of Ascap? and The last advertising agency in the world).
Closing of the day
Along with the advertising and commercial communication community, I am attentive to continue contributing. It’s no good criticizing if nothing is being done. Under the background of the opening of Ascap, the representation of Cannes and the Effie, the inspiring Young Lions and many other contributions achieved as a united team in the association, I clarify that I am almost turning the page of this monologue (which I would have liked to be a dialogue) and I continue.
However, I still have a few issues to clarify. I’ll be back tomorrow. Or the day after.
