Luis Miguel Messianu Especial Cannes
Luis Miguel Messianu, founder/president of alma DDB and global creative director for McDonald’s, was named president of the jury in the area of Advertisements in the Ibero-American Festival of Creativity (FIAP). In talks with PRODU, Messianu shared his vision about the importance of FIAP for the regional advertising industry, and offered some hints about what he hopes to find in the winning entries. FIAP for Messianu not only represents a renowned industry festival, but is also a meeting place for the most notable talents of Latin America. “It’s the festival of the greatest lineage,” he noted, and its long history and ability to adapt to technological changes has made it a reference in the business. Messianu also expressed his pride at taking part in the event and strengthening even more the existing ties.. The executive also referred to the characteristics that an ad or case should have to win in the FIAP category of Advertisements, emphasizing the importance of “the big idea behind the great advertisement.” As he explained, the jury should ask itself if the piece grabs attention due to its originality and unexpectedness, whether it offers relevant information about the product or service, if it manages to win the attention and arouse interest, and finally, if it moves people to take action or generates a change in the audience’s behavior. “These criteria are essential for honoring the most outstanding entries,” he said.As for the current challenges facing the advertising industry, he noted the need to keep up to date and to evolve at the same rhythm as the culture, the technology and the diversity of media. He also mentioned artificial intelligence (AI) as a topic at its peak. However, instead of seeing it as an enemy, Messianu considers AI to be a great ally of creativity. “The key lies in taking advantage of its potential for coming up with novel, effective ideas.”Finally, in analyzing the level of regional creativity, Luis Miguel is optimistic and notes the growing influence of Latino creativity in the world. According to him, Latin American creativity is at the level of the best markets of the world. However, he urged professionals to stop playing defense and advance without complexes. It’s important to keep thinking of relevant ideas for local markets, but also of ideas for export, so they bear the distinctive seal of Latino creativity to other markets.
