AdWeek Panel
During Advertising Week LatAm, PRODU made a presentation titled How Culture Shapes Advertising that explored how artists have raised brands’ value, how they modify the way advertising is done so that brands interact with their target groups, and how Latino culture influences North American culture. The panel was made up of Ingrid Otero-Smart, CEO of Casanova McCann; Veronica Hernandez-Aguilar, CEO of Ogilvy Mexico & Miami ; and Rocio Fernandez, VP of business strategy at FCB Mexico. It was chaired by Mara Fernandez, associate publisher and director for U.S. Hispanic & Latin America at PRODU. Regarding the way brands also shape culture, Hernandez-Aguilar offered the example of the work for Victoria beer the agency did involving Xibalba, the underworld of Mayan mythology. “When we were given this challenge,” she said, “what we did was explore another underworld of ancient Mexican culture. What was amazing about this,” she added, “is that when you truly connect with your audience, they all make your content a part of themselves. When you build on that culture, it makes a brand much more relevant.” According to Rocio Fernandez, the focus is on understanding the culture you wish to influence. “Today, brands are participants in society – they are therefore part of the culture, a concept based on the fact that people come together according to their social habits. Things that influence culture dissipate barriers and borders right then and there.” Meanwhile, Ingrid Otero-Smart noted that the U.S. is experiencing a retroculturation, with Hispanics influencing many aspects of U.S. culture: “Latinxs want to be addressed with messages that respect and celebrate their culture. Among young people, the influence of Latino culture is more alive than ever.” She gave the example of Bad Bunny, who reached number one on the Billboard charts without singing a single word in English.
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