In the midst of an impeccable organization, typical of the most correct hosts, the Wave Festival has left me with a positive balance.
This year there were about 1,800 entries, an amount that is not surprising if you compare it to Antigua. Of all the entries, around 1,200 were Brazilian, with the big winners divided between Cariocas and their Argentinean neighbors.
The Radio category, which I judged, turned out to be a light exercise. There were about 90 or so entries, so the job was simple. First we listened to all of them one by one, and without expressing arguments we chose the short-listed ones by simple majority. Then in a second round we assigned metals, with a vote in between and a lot of discussion.
In the end we selected the Grand Prix for Coincidences by Giovanni+DraftFCB. We awarded 6 Golds, 9 Silvers and 7 Bronzes. Sharing with the jury was a very pleasant experience, and as always, I learned a lot. very grateful!
If from 1,800 less than 100 to radio, and if this is an indicator of the decline of the category, dear all, it is confirmed that it is an area of opportunity. The level that came to Rio was low in radius, with the exception of the few pieces that merited advancement.
And why is there not more Latin participation? In my opinion it is a question of influence and budget. Wave does not generate local headlines and the money is reserved for Cannes. It is still perceived as a Brazilian festival and we are not sure it will add to the Gunn Report.
The ROI (return on investment) in prestige of Cannes is the highest. Even so, in our case in Costa Rica, the Volcano and the Pregonero have an impact on our business, due to the impact it has on local public opinion and the influence it generates in the market for new accounts. For now, winning in Rio does not have Roi for a Costa Rican agency, and for this reason we did not register, although we would do it to add a new figure in the showcase.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Publimark Lowe, one of the few Costa Rican agencies with entries, as they won a well-deserved money in Radio for Chevrolet with their campaign for Cruze. Very good! I loved voting for it.
In the end, the Wave award ceremony had no more than 170 people in a small room, with a lukewarm atmosphere, little emotional and with great absentees. Neither Serpa, Valente nor Fernandes were at the awards ceremony. The Film Grand Prix went to Del Campo and none of its leaders were there to collect a statuette.
The exception is in the seminars where all the guests arrive. The problem for me is that I don’t understand Portuguese at all. Here is one of the summaries, precisely from Serpa who repeated with his Almap BBDO as Agency of the Year for the fifth consecutive time.
Brazil’s local festival is still a small event, although its powerful owner Meio Mensagem has the gasoline and the megaphone to make it big. To make it authentic Latin American and of international relevance, they still have a lot of work to do. The language barrier is an obstacle, local interest is not seen in the hotel and there are many consolidated options to overcome, if we take into account the Ojo, the Fiap and Antigua. It is not going to be easy for them to grow. The important thing is that the best ideas are rewarded and talent is stimulated for more.
I must close this note with a special thanks to Advertising Age for proposing me, to Meio Mensagem for all their attentions and to you for reading this far. In Brazil they confirmed once again that they are great hosts, and because of this, I can already dream of what the World Cup and the Olympic Games will be like. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything, including that window to Copacabana that I really enjoyed working from.
I leave you with a summary of the winners, which of course, occupy a separate note, where Costa Rica is mentioned because the cover of the Book was once again designed in tiquicia, this time by JWT. Very well done.
