U.S. HISPANIC Versión en español
#PRODUprimetime with Ríchard Izarra about the 30 years of Gastón Soso and his company Nocaut
19 de junio de 2024
Gastón Soso, co-founder of Nocaut: The concept of designing specifically for television screens had been an idea we'd harbored for some time
Gastón Soso, a co-founder of Nocaut, a creative services agency specializing in crafting campaigns and promotional materials for studios and platforms, is celebrating three decades of continuous work in the industry. #PRODUprimetime, hosted by Ríchard Izarra, explores Soso’s career and the journey he and his partners undertook to achieve their success, all while remaining based in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina.
“Thanks, Ríchard, for inviting us. It’s a great pleasure to be here. We always like to share our beginnings, because it highlights how far we’ve come. Thirty years ago, when linear editing meant working with clunky cassette decks and non-linear editing was unheard of, our first foray into the audiovisual world was a surprisingly rewarding one: capturing ‘quinceañeras’ and weddings. They were cherished events for families, and we took pride in documenting them,” said Soso, Account Director and co-founding partner of Nocaut.
ROSARIO AS A BASE
Hailing from Rosario, Argentina (roughly 300 kilometers from Buenos Aires), the company shares its roots with soccer legend Lionel Messi. While Miami has historically been a hub for Latin American media ventures, especially since 2000, they’ve established a presence there as well.
“We never felt the need to relocate. Although Miami is our current base, allowing us to expand our client network, staying in Rosario was always the plan. Back in 2000, the industry standard was to move to the US, especially Miami, for success. But being Latino, we were determined to stay put, even avoiding Buenos Aires. With some creative resourcefulness, we figured out ways to send materials and collaborate with major TV networks, proving you don’t have to be geographically central to be successful,” says Soso in the #PRODUprimetime interview.
FIRST NOCAUT’S CUSTOMERS
Beyond their early ventures filming social gatherings, birthdays, and weddings, these three talented and resourceful friends started making a living in the audiovisual industry at a young age. By 2000, their entrepreneurial spirit led them to work with LAPTV, a company specializing in channel packages.
“Our journey began in 2001 with a company called LAPTV, a pioneering Atlanta-based firm whose signal package was carried by Moviecity, working with Juan Pablo Mascali, who has been a friend of ours for lifetime. We collaborated with them on their very first promotional campaign, a groundbreaking effort that seamlessly integrated design and animation into on-air advertising – a concept far ahead of its time, considering social media wasn’t even a factor back then. LAPTV was impressed with our work, and this successful project marked a turning point, solidifying their trust in us as their go-to partner for content promotion,” he explained.
“The concept of designing specifically for television screens had been an idea we’d harbored for some time,” he said. “This vision blossomed in Atlanta, where we landed a significant partnership with CNN en Español. This collaboration marked another major leap forward, propelling the expansion of our business in that region.”
SEBASTIÁN CARAZAY AND RODRIGO JÁVEGA
Three childhood friends from Rosario were the creators of Nocaut 30 years ago and they are still together; in addition to Soso, they are Sebastián Carazay and Rodrigo Jávega.
“What’s truly remarkable is that after 30 years, our company is still just the three of us. People are often surprised to hear that. It’s true, the early days were filled with fun and discovery. But as with any company, growth brought its challenges. We’ve navigated growing pains and tough decisions along the way. Yet, through it all, we’ve persevered. It’s been an incredible journey, and we’re excited to see what the future holds,” said Soso.
He explained how, even though the company has grown to over 20 employees, the core team structure established at its founding remains surprisingly intact. Everyone still plays a vital role, with the managers transitioning into more supervisory and client-relationship-focused positions.
From the beginning, each of us played a crucial role, like the legs of a stool. Sebastián, our audiovisual director, brought his expertise in video production. Rodrigo’s design skills became the company’s design foundation. And, at the company’s inception, focused on animation.
WHY NOCAUT? HOW HAS THE COMPANY BEEN CHANGING?
Nocaut (meaning knockout in English) is a name that Rodrigo Jávega proposed more than 20 years ago in reference, obviously, to the term boxing.
“Author Julio Cortázar famously compared novels to boxing matches won by rounds (in 12 rounds, he said), while short stories by knockouts. They demand a powerful impact on the reader. This philosophy aligns perfectly with our work. For most of our journey, we’ve focused on short-form content like music videos and promotional pieces. We understood the power of these concise narratives and aimed to deliver a knockout punch with each project,” explained Soso.
In the interview, he discussed the dramatic shift in the promotional landscape. He explained how his company has had to adapt, going from a pre-social media and AI world to one where these tools are central to their work.
“The need to constantly evolve and embrace new trends is paramount. Social media has become our primary focus for the past several years, and it’s clear that younger generations have a deep understanding of this space. Their expertise will be crucial as we build integrated teams that leverage the power of artificial intelligence, a technology that’s already impacting our industry,” said Soso.
CONTENT NEEDS TO BE PROMOTED
Soso referred to the importance of promoting the content. He concluded by highlighting the evolving nature of content promotion. “Gone are the days of simple commercials for LAPTV promos in the 2000s – today’s campaigns are multi-faceted beasts. From digital and social media to print, radio, and even augmented and virtual reality, the promotional landscape has exploded. This constant growth necessitates continuous learning, a core value for our company.”
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