This week’s Hispanic Advertising Series story centers on agencies who have adopted a holistic approach to the marketplace, embracing the connection between Hispanic and mainstream culture.
“The Hispanic dynamic is exploding in popular culture,” affirmed Laurie Malaga, director of production at ad agency la comunidad. “Having insight into Latin culture is becoming essential for insights into the general market, especially in the youth market. This can be a great advantage for Hispanic agencies who realize that you have to evolve with the culture and it’s part of a bigger picture–and a disadvantage for those agencies who just want to keep their Hispanic niche and don’t see how it’s affecting the general market and how the general market is impacting the Hispanic culture. If you want to be a great Hispanic agency, you have to be open to this expansive relationship and connection.”
Malaga acknowledged that there remain agencies who like to stay inside their box and make good money by virtue of being specialists. “But if you don’t take into account how Hispanic culture is meshing into pop culture and the general market, you will wind up losing that specialty box.”
That spirit is reflected in the creative philosophy of davidandgoliath, which recently opened a fully integrated Hispanic division, dñg, under the aegis of Adela Romero. David Angelo, chairman/chief creative officer of davidandgoliath, said that at dñg, “Instead of being an afterthought to mainstream campaign and strategy, the Hispanic market is connected to the mainstream effort and developed as part of that from its inception.
Romero related that an integrated, holistic approach “helps us ground our work not in the differences but in fundamental values, universal emotions, finding commonality between very diverse segments, which is even more important when we target the youth market. The youth are redefining what the mainstream audience is. Hispanic youth help shape and influence the general market, particularly in California. Mainstream communications are being shaped by Latino influence and to try to separate the two is counterproductive.”
A notable example of keeping consistency in brand personality across Hispanic and mainstream markets is creative work for the California Milk Processor Board account. The famed, longstanding yet evolving “got milk?” campaign has been a staple in American advertising from Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco.
But the companion campaign in the Hispanic market had been quite different, including an approach centering on “Familia, Amor y Leche” (Family, Love and Milk). A little more than two years ago, agency Grupo Gallegos landed the milk account and decided to go with a campaign that was consistent in its light-hearted tone and special brand of humor with the spirit of Goodby’s “got milk?” Juan Oubina, group creative director at Grupo Gallegos, explained, “You don’t want a schizophrenic brand that has one personality in the English-language market and another in the Hispanic market,” he says. “You have to maintain consistency in brand personality because many Hispanic viewers are watching both English and Spanish-language television. Essentially, we’re one market.”
“Se7en” Turns 30, Gets A Special Restoration From David Fincher For Its Re-Release
For David Fincher, seeing “Se7en” in 4K was an experience he can only describe as harrowing. That or a high school reunion.
“There are definitely moments that you go, ‘What was I thinking?’ Or ‘Why did I let this person have that hairdo’?” Fincher said in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
He’s OK with the film being a product of its time in most respects. But some things just could not stand in high-definition resolution.
“It was a little decrepit, to be honest,” said Fincher. “We needed to resuscitate it. There are things you can see in 4K HDR that you cannot see on a film print.”
Ever the perfectionist, he and a team got to work on a new restoration of the film for its 30th anniversary re-release. This weekend the restored “Se7en” will play on IMAX screens for the first time in the U.S. and Canada, and on Jan. 7, the 4K UHD home video version will be available as well.
The dark crime thriller written by Andrew Kevin Walker and starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman as a pair of detectives looking for a serial killer was somewhat of a career-reviver for Fincher, whose directorial debut “Alien 3” had not gone well. “Se7en” was not a sure thing: It was made for only $34 million (and only got that when Fincher managed to persuade studio execs to give up $3 million more). But it went on to earn more than $327 million, not accounting for inflation, and continues to influence the genre.
Fincher has over the years overseen several restorations of the film (including one for laser disc) but decided this needed to be the last. It’s why he insisted on an 8K scan that they could derive the 4K from. He wanted to ensure that it wouldn’t have to be repeated when screens get more... Read More