To listen to the most awarded creative of the last 15 years in Argentina, I sat in the front row of the Ojo de Iberoamérica to take notes. If Pablo talks, I listen. I am his fan and over the years we have become friends. I admire him a lot as I admire everyone in his agency.
President and partner of Del Campo Nazca Saatchi Saatchi, his presentation started with a great video, which I love and celebrate. It is for Playstation and it shows the child that we all carry inside, and I add, that we should protect. In fact, it closes by saying “stay in a state of Play”.
Let’s watch today’s first video:
He started the conference by asking people, “What do you like to play?”. People responded and Paul started his presentation from the center of the audience. He also asked those present, “What do we want to play?”. He says that advertising is something to enjoy, to win as much as possible.
Pablo del Campo commented that if he didn’t consider advertising to be a game, he would simply do something else. I couldn’t agree more, and indeed, there are much better businesses. Many of them.
He passed the image and moved on to talk about the challenges and how they organize. He proposes to focus and organize around big challenges. They range from winning an account to producing the most beautiful commercial in the world. And in that sense, the awards allow you to organize what you want to achieve.
“A Lion at Cannes can be an empty thing,” but they help you put your head and heart behind the idea to achieve something. “I have no doubt that it is something extremely organizing,” because it is a challenge that focuses and aligns. “Winning a Lion is Cannes is one thing, but winning it with Procter Gamble was something very organizing at the agency.”
Then he showed the Ariel poster, from about 7 years ago, which generated the first Gold at Cannes for PG. “A little bit at a time on public roads, and then on TV”. (He showed “Big brother”.).
Then he moved on to “Who you play with”. His slide said Network, Team and Customers. And to my surprise he then put up a slide with Kevin Roberts and Bob Ishwerwood. He killed me! These are two people I admire, count among friends and it highlights relationships, loyalties and the wonder of having a great team to share. It went on for a while with Kevin and Bob on the screen, and I couldn’t help but miss great friends. He then introduced that wonderful zoo commercial, where he highlighted that it was Bob who chose and paid for the soundtrack.
I have to admit that 10 years with Saatchi left a mark on me and I will always look back on that period as one of wonderful inspiration.
Then Pablo came and showed photos of his team with Pablo Battle and Hernán Jáuregui, Chavo D’Emilio, Sebastián Garín and Pablo Gil. He remembered Vega Olmos for whom he worked for 6 years. He set aside time and talked about the people he “played” with for years, even though today they are leaders in their competition. “This job is full of talented people, but talented people who break their souls is another thing”.
“All the energy was in winning accounts, and as much as possible to do a good creative job.” He showed the succession he was putting together and among others, “guys” like Gastón Bigio, Mariano Serkin and Pablo Gil among others. He said that he worked very closely with the people, their dreams and searches. He exalted the value of local work and the importance of people being able to see it, illustrated with graphics for the Buenos Aires Zoo that we all remember. “He opened a lot of doors to clients for us.”
So he went on to that wonderful Pampers commercial that I used many times we used in presentations when we were Saatchi. “Winning with Procter is something that has to happen, because it’s our biggest advertiser.”
He then continued with his story and placed on the slide the photo of Gastón Bigio as the one who continued to manage the team. That stage was close to CTI, today Claro, and he reviewed the importance of local projection (CTI Do it for all of us who did not make it).
The moment then touched Mariano Serkin on the screen. And he told how he wanted to play, and he stated it clearly: with Maxi Itzkoff. He accepted half the salary and proposed his way of playing. Then Pablo recommended the life plan for the very long term, followed by the work being done by the guys who are now in charge of the agency: Mariano and Maxi (Teletransporter, Narigones, etc.).
In his presentation, Pablo did not show any hint of presumption. On the contrary, with humility, freshness and visible sincerity, the only thing he did was to tell the story of his agency, his cases and the people who have played for years in Del Campo.
“I don’t know how we are on time,” Pablo asked, and when he tried to skip two commercials, the crowd whistled and asked for more. Without thinking, he added Cadbury in two versions that again drew applause.
He showed a brutal Heineken commercial that never came out. “We have battles every day!”, and we have a great opportunity: “Advertising always gives revenge”. “It’s good to manage my anxiety,” and summed up, “There are moments. Some to move forward and others to hold. Then there is the time for it to happen”.
He followed, as if he needed more, a short film recalling the battle of the surfaces. He said that the idea had its moment, and recommended understanding that there are things that can be very good, even if customers don’t love them.
“The hub and soul of advertising will continue to be the day-to-day with our customers,” “It’s something we can’t lose. It is the essence of our business.” “The temptations that advertising opens up are enormous”, and thus he summarized: “the day to day is the key”.
Within his script, he moved on to “who wants to play?”, talking about talent and clients as well. He reminded that not always structures are ready for all clients. “Not all agencies are for all clients!”.
In the midst of his words, his time pressure, anxiety and a certain anguish for so much he wants to share, Pablo del Campo was showing more and more himself, more genuine and intense. He moved on to the Norte Photostop and we all loved it. Great.
“To finish”, within the rules, “it’s great to be in such a competitive region”. “The interesting thing is that each of the agencies has its own rules, but in Latin America, it’s the search for great ideas.”
“We all win”, and although we all want to beat others, because it is in our essence, it is better if it is done in a healthy way, “we can continue to grow as an industry”.
In closing, it was a thank you very much and he left us with the last “Playstation” commercial, thank you Pablo!