“Lucha vs Virus” conversation with Paco Olavarrieta,

d expósito & Partners launched the “Lucha vs Virus” PSA campaign to remind people that the battle against COVID-19 has not yet been won and that everyone should still wear a mask.  HispanicAd.com sat down with Paco Olavarrieta, Chief Creative Officer at the agency, to understand the genesis of the campaign and what it aims to achieve.

Q:  WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THIS CAMPAIGN?

A:  We at the agency were thinking of ways we could help the community in the face of this pandemic. We were monitoring and analyzing how the virus was impacting our community and how consumer, marketers and government agencies were responding.

The answer came once states once states started to reopen and relax certain restrictions. With summer quickly approaching, we suspected people would start relaxing their own restrictions, too. You know, we saw gatherings in parks or people meeting in their front yards but not always respecting social distance and not always wearing a mask. So we decided to send a message to remind everyone that this battle is not over, yet.

Q: WHAT IS THE CAMPAIGN MESSAGE?

A: We played with the double meaning of the Spanish word “lucha.” On one hand lucha means to fight or to struggle, and is used figuratively to express that one is working hard or “en la lucha.” On the other hand, lucha is embedded in the name Lucha Libre, where luchadores wear masks to hide their true identity. We saw an opportunity to leverage this cultural insight to remind people to stay in the fight – que sigan en la lucha, because as in Mexican wrestling, the one who loses the mask loses the fight.

Q: WHY DOES THE CAMPAIGN USE A MORE HISPANIC THEME AND NOT A UNIVERSAL ONE?

A: Because while there had been a number of messages in English about how to protect one’s self from COVID-19, there were nowhere near as many in Spanish. And it’s a pity because our community is one of the most affected. We are more likely to be deemed as essential workers, from nurses to delivery guys to farm workers, who have to be in contact with other people every day and be exposed to the virus. Also, we are more likely to live in multigenerational families, where one person can quickly spread it t an abuelito or abuelita who are more vulnerable. And while people can always disinfect themselves after when coming home, these families are at much greater risk than those that can shelter at home and work remotely.

Q; WHICH CREATIVE ELEMENTS ARE PART OF THE CAMPAIGN?

A: The idea centers on the luchador mask, which we tweaked to appear in the shape of a surgical or N95 mask. Or in other words, we designed COVID masks following the classic luchador mask patterns. We launched with fun, augmented reality filters on Instagram and Facebook, which allowed people to take a selfie or video and apply the mask to their face. There are three designs in all, with one of them having a more feminine look. We then created two TV PSA spots, one in Spanish and one in English, that we produced internally using stock footage and original graphics. There are also digital banners, radio and outdoor messages on the way.

Q: WHO  WAS PART OF THIS IDEA AT THE AGENCY?

A: It was truly a team effort. The ideation came from the creative team, including lead graphic designer, Yury Vargas, as well as Flavio Alvarez and Carmen Quang. The TV spots were edited by Juan Pablo “JP” Sarmiento, who did thorough research to find just the right footage. On the account side, Louis Maldonado led the creative strategy, and Monica Bernal managed the many moving parts and work flow to keep everything in sync, on track and on time. Our media team, led by Gloria Constanza, led media outreach to get the PSA spots and other creative on the air. And, of course, Daisy Expósito and Jorge Ulla who from day one believed in the idea and championed the agency effort, from day one.