Face to Face Webinar: FIAP winners acknowledge the festival’s importance for their work and for the region

Pride, satisfaction, celebration, privilege, confirmation, responsibility, reflection, representation, happiness, welcome surprise, thanks, a hug for the ego, inspiration, honor, authenticity, history, and doing, doing, doing are some of the words and phrases with which representatives of the finest works presented at FIAP 2022 described the Ibero-American Festival of Creativity. In order to celebrate and get feedback on the results of FIAP’s 51st edition, the Face to Face Webinar brought together: Diego Rodriguez, creative VP of Ogilvy Mexico; Alvar Suñol, co-president & chief creative officer of alma USA; Gustavo Lauria, co-founder & CCO of We Believers USA; Alexis Ospina, executive creative director of Media.Monks Mexico; Sergio Franco, executive creative director of Fahrenheit DDB Peru; Raul Cardos, founder of (anonymous) Mexico; Mauri Clavijo, executive producer & partner of Oriental Films Mexico; and Julio Alonso, executive creative director of LLYC Spain. The meeting was moderated by Mara Fernandez, senior director of PRODU for the U.S. Hispanic market and Latin America. For Suñol, the weight of an agency’s work lies in emotionally connecting brands with consumers and doing so with strong, unforgettable ideas. “So I think it’s great seeing that reflected in the (FIAP) festival, where most of the awards honor that very concept,” he said. In the process, alma received the Great Sun of Ibero-America, 28 medals and was the biggest award-winner among U.S. Hispanic agencies. It was also named Agency of the Year. ”I think it’s pretty hard to be Agency of the Year unless you have a number of ideas competing in the different formats for different clients – which I believe is yet another example of the creative excellence that characterizes all we do as an agency,” he said. “I believe that in FIAP, being a Latino festival, our work is was looked upon fairly. And I believe Latinos put their own stamp on the work they exhibit, which allows us to compete in different way here compared with in other markets, countries and continents. Our work has its own seal and I like it to be seen and felt,” said Rodriguez, whose agency – Ogilvy Mexico – won five medals (one gold, three silver and one bronze) for its Nuestras Manos (Our Hands) production for Victoria Mexican Lager Beer by AB InBev.For Lauria, winning any relevant prize keeps an agency moving ahead. “It makes you want to keep doing projects that entertain the public, that influence people’s lives, that have an impact on brands, and that don’t make us feel like we’re working at all, but that we’re actually doing some good. That’s what makes us want to get up every day and grab a pencil to start writing. That’s how it is with every prize – each one makes you want to do something even better.” His agency, We Believers, took 15 medals (eight gold, seven silver), two Great Suns of Ibero-America, and a mention as Independent Agency of the Year. “The idea is that we’re working on something we like, or at least in my case, something that entertains me, and that’s good for brands, that builds brands for clients…and then later you go and measure what you’ve created against work by the best agencies, in this case of the region, whose work you really admire and that win prizes at all the festivals, because to win a prize in a festival like this one is wonderful and super important,” said Cardos about what FIAP represents for (anonymous) Mexico. His agency won four medals (two gold, two bronze) plus a Grand Prix for Production for his Virus commercial.For his part Clavijo, whose production company Oriental Films was honored as Producer of the Year, won the applause and gratitude of the agencies and advertisers it serves. After all, the commercials it worked on racked up 20 medals in FIAP 2022. “I believe in the first place that (festivals) are a hug for the ego, since one goes to the festivals to win. And we the producers are grateful because the agencies trust us with the kind of scripts that normally raise the quality of the production company’s reel. Which is what we need and why we’re always displaying our latest works.”