cruz/kravetz:IDEAS earns Telly Bronze for El Pollo Loco Tacos TV launch.

Hispanic advertising agency cruz/kravetz:IDEAS (CKI) enjoying its 10th anniversary with client El Pollo Loco, the Hispanic advertising leader earned four Bronze Telly Awards at the 28th Annual Telly Awards held in June, 2008. This prestigious award program honors the very best local, regional, and cable television commercials and programs, as well as the finest video and film productions and web work.

CKI received Telly Awards in four different categories, Food/Beverage, Use of Animation, Use of Graphics and Art Direction, for the breakthrough introduction of El Pollo Loco‚s Soft and Crunchy Chicken Tacos in a television spot titled “Taco Celestial.” The 30 second commercial offers a striking twist on traditional retail food advertising with pastiche animation. The clever use of graphics owes as much to Frida Kahlo as it does Monty Python. The eye-popping visuals were produced by Venice-based MAkinÉ in collaboration with CKI. Music and sound credits go to BCN Music and Tono Studios, respectively.

“We were tired of seeing smiling construction workers atop a scaffold eating lunch every time some quick-service restaurant was trying to reach 18- to 49-year-old blue collar Hispanic males,” explained CKI president and CCO Maite D’Amico. “The El Pollo Loco brand, with its sharp humor and wit, calls for a far more creative, out-of-the-box approach to direct response TV advertising. The spot we created for the launch of El Pollo Loco‚s new tacos features 2-D animated cutouts of people worshipping Celestial tacos‚ that are floating above a mountaintop on angelic wings. It‚s both surreal and fully engaging,” added D’Amico.

“The unique Taco Celestial‚ television spot had a significant impact on guests‚ demand for our new tacos,” said Karen Eadon, Chief Marketing Officer for El Pollo Loco. “It’s extremely gratifying to achieve such great results for our investment and we congratulate CKI on a job well done.”

The visual concept and art direction was conceived and overseen by CKI VP director of production/creative associate, Gilda Zevallos; associate creative director, Francisco Stohr and junior art director, René Saldaña.