Alma’s ‘Hola Mexico’ Campaign wins Art Directors Club Award.

Alma picked up yet another industry award for its clever campaign for the Mexican Film Festival, and this time was the only winning agency to represent the US Hispanic market in the prestigious Art Directors Club.

The campaign, Adios Clichés, Hola Mexico, won a Bronze in the TV/Film: Cinema Commercial category. The award was announced April 4 at the ADC’s 92nd Annual Awards Gala at the New World Center in Miami Beach.

The concept was designed to introduce the film festival to a non-Mexican audience by literally blowing away every Mexican cultural stereotype they’ve ever seen. The TV spots featured deadly miniature pistols wielded by a Mexican renegade’s outrageous mustache. The ’stache pistols quickly dispatched a host of cultural props (mariachis, masked wrestlers, tequila, a chihuahua and even Frida Kahlo).

In a multi-screen, interactive, sharable campaign, this ironic über cliché killed the clichés, while also engaging the audience with things they don’t know about Mexico.

“As a native Mexican, I am particularly proud of this campaign because it showcased the depth and sophistication of Mexican culture to a whole new audience,” said Luis Miguel Messianu, Alma President and CCO. “It was a privilege to unleash Alma’s creative talents on such a worthy cause. And it was a lot of fun.”

The Hola Mexico campaign was also the most awarded single campaign at the 2013 ADDYs with a total of 29 awards, including three of the five best of shows that were given out in this year’s competition in the categories of Non-Traditional, Broadcast English and Digital.

“Alma’s success is based in its creative DNA. The fact that once again Alma has been recognized as one of the most creative agencies in the market makes us proud and excited for us as well as our clients,” said Isaac Mizrahi, SVP Managing Director.

The Art Directors Club is one of the most concentrated groups of creative talent in the world, and is a gathering place for leaders in visual communication. Judged by an international panel of the world’s most respected creative professionals, the ADC Annual Awards competition is dedicated to craft, honoring the best work from around the world in interactive media, broadcast and print advertising, graphic design, publication design, packaging, photography and illustration.