US Hispanic Creatives talking negatively about our ad industry?

US Hispanic Creatives talking negatively about our ad industry?

The creative process and the impact on our US Hispanic Market Industry are un-questionable. The positive images they create about our consumers, our clients, our market and our Industry is one element of our success.

Every professional, Hispanic agency and media vehicle work as diligently at elevating the importance and the professional work we are all collectively creating in all advertising disciplines.

But, there is a grey cloud over our Industry.

The increasing incidence of creative directors and other creative employees at US Hispanic advertising agencies talking to Central and South American creative trade journals and speaking about the lack of expectation our consumers have from a creative stand point and their inability to be able to produce creative that does not have restriction by corporate American on the thematic, tone and content.

The overtones do not portray our Industry in a positive light. We encounter many obstacles towards increasing the importance and viability of our Industry. Do we need help in creating more negative images from the inside of our Industry?

This is unacceptable, careless, ego driven and industry damaging to our agencies, media, professionals and our Industry.

It is just a few individuals that do no understand the business relationships between the Central and South American ad industry and the US Hispanic Market ad industry.

Estamos lleyendo lo que dicen. The global market is a small industry.

Would they take the same stance in the pages of Ad Age, Hispanic Market Weekly, Marketing y Medios or with us at HispanicAd.com?

Probably not, since they would be committing professional suicide in the US Hispanic Market.

Since the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies conference ‘Rompiendo Barreras’ in September 2005 (New York) is dedicated to the Creative process, this might be a topic of interest to discuss.

Should you feel that you need to respond to this editorial, please do not hesitate. Please e-mail us at in**@********Ad.com . We will be happy to post your comments on www.HispanicAd.com

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We have received over 25 comments back from our readers regarding this story. Some negative and some positive. We will only posts those that are signed and those that we have approval to use from their authors. Below you will find those that we have received approval to post.

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Dear HispanicAd.com editors,

Thanks for this story because you’re very right…we don’t need this. While our Hispanic Ad Industry has grown in strength and out of its infancy, now we’re in our teens and we’ve caught the attention and respect of the Adults in other areas of the older advertising community. They don’t need to witness the ego-driven and selfish, childish antics of a few who for whatever reason, can’t seem to appreciate what they have or perhaps realize the hard sacrifices that others have made before them.

I say to those few: “Grow up, stop your whining and realize that nothing is perfect, but you don’t bite the hand or the industry that feeds you. That’s why we’ve formed various Hispanic Marketing Associations of professionals in PR, Promotions, Creative, Media, etc., and if you haven’t noticed, we even have our own Awards programs!”

Thanks

Wanda Reyes
National Marketing Director
People Business Solutions, Inc.
San Antonio, Texas

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In response to your email notice of this morning pasted below:

As a creative, who recently decided to start an agency dedicated to creating better work both in the general market and the hispanic market, I have a few thoughts:

Discussion about all aspects of our industry are a necessary part of growth. Obviously, this is a topic that has struck a cord but why have you not chosen to include it on your website? Industry leaders, Creatives and Executives alike, should be interested and open to discussing this. Today’s leaders are more focused on producing work that is ground breaking and up to the same standards as everyone else since we are all competing for the same marketing dollars as general market, and even global agencies.

Maybe, these few and far between persons who do it in a negative way “could” speak about it in a different light, but that is their opinion. And in a free open discussion, opinions should be welcome.

I argue, this is a GOOD THING.

This “grey cloud” that you have referred to is an important process in nature. Keep in mind that even after the worst storms, there is sun again.

As an industry media outlet, YOU SHOULD BE EMBRACING the conversation, not trying to hide it, and frankly I think THIS is the grey cloud we should be worrying about. I urge you to open this conversation up to both sides, not simply take a tone of “WE (the one’s who know) ARE ASHAMED AT YOU (the ego driven, crazy, careless creatives)! Maybe these Creative Directors have not spoken to you, because of precisely this kind of email, tone, and inability to be self-critical. How many Creative Directors are invited to speak about this topic on your pages? Thankfully, there are other media outlets, in this case creative specific, that are not afraid to discuss the topic.

Creative is a part of this industry also, and you FORGOT TO MENTION IT! (proving yet again the need for this kind of conversation)

AND PLEASE stop threatening people with “professional suicide” •• since they would be committing professional suicide in the US Hispanic Market. •• since most of these people have made GREAT sacrifices already to come to this country and be part of an industry that obviously after your commentary, is inappropriately ungrateful to their input.

Estoy leyendo lo que dicen.
José Reyes

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HispanicAd.com

Congratulations on your bravery at stepping up and exposing this dirty little secret. It is quite true. Most of these complainants are just Quacks intent on building their “creative” reputation. It is Downright Disgusting to read their opinions about the state of Hispanic Creativity in the US. It is Ironic they work in this Industry. It is as if they are Ashamed, instead of being proud of the work. Methinks their machismo is at work here. (Another dirty little secret: how many Hispanic women work in these creative departments). Ooops, I forgot, its all about soccer.

Sometimes these creatives come up with a hit, most times they miss…Over the past 15 years I’ve seen the mediocre work coming out of the agencies these purportedly “hot” creatives have been hacking away at here in the US.

In fact, I have an ad on a reel that I replay over and over, and still do not understand what the ad idea is about, even if it is clear who the ad is for. It comes from one of the incredibly creative hot shops out of Miami. I showed the ad to a group of Communications MBAs and they did not understand it either. Keep in mind that many are advertising and marketing professionals in their day jobs. I think only one person in the group said they “got” the ad.

There is an undercurrent among the US Hispanic creative community that constantly blame the Clients that pay their salaries for the low quality of US Hispanic advertising. Its like McDonald’s blaming their patrons for the quality of their hamburgers.

Conversely, not all advertising produced in Latin America is excellent. I’ve had many debates about this. Some of these “creatives” are honest & decent translators of ideas. Others just copy, rob and hi-jack previously done ideas they’ve seen on creative awards show reels.

You would laugh if you hear these quacks gather round and talk about “creativity”. You should embed someone in your staff at one of the infamous Circulo Creative circle jerks. You would hear words like brand, insight, Nike, creative concept, FIAP, cool, hip, Cannes, oro, trendy, ojo de iberoamerica, cutting edge, thrown around repeatedly in the same way a parrot repeats it wants its cracker.

The worst habit these monkees have is that they constantly remind us how great the advertising from their particular country is, especially if they’re from Argentina. It may be true. Though I believe the Best Advertising from Latin America comes from a non-Spanish speaking country: the many times World Football Champion Brazil.

To those US Hispanic Creatives talking negatively about the industry, I say: Ponganse a trabajar…

Michael Dozier

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What else is new?

This is an ongoing saga. Since time immemorial U.S. creatives were always heavily criticized by South American nationals for ‘our lack of ingenuity and creativity”.

Our brothers to the South, felt ‘in charge and in control’ of the future of Spanish language creative.

They were the saviors. They ruled.

They were going to teach U.S. how ‘real creative’ is achieved and put together.

They were going to show U.S. creatives how to handle ‘unruly and ignorant’ clients who just did not know any better. Heck, most of the time clients are gringos who can’t even speak Spanish!

Our Latin brothers to the South were holding the truth. We in the U.S. were just in the way of progress….

The fact is there exists an intrinsic difference between creative styles to the North and South of the borders.

North is more pragmatic, goes to the source of the problem, is more direct, and obviously in tune with its Anglo or anglicized audience. After all, the English find a cubicle for every thought, a space for every word and their descendant ‘Anglos’ just carry those attitudes by nature. From there, their ‘creative style’ is born. P&G by nature. A bit dry. A little too serious overall. To the point, ‘mama.

On the other hand, we have our Latin Americans. Passionate, romantic, idealistic and at times unruly.

Not every peg ‘fits its niche, and not ‘every niche accepts its peg’.

We do not make single file lines, attack’ a bus or train or plane, in mass. As if it was the last one. As if the first in the plane arrives earlier to his/her destination.

The creative derived from this atmosphere is perfectly reflective of its environment. Happier, romanticized, full of imageries (sometimes only understood by the creatives themselves) and much less pragmatic.

The Creative Hispanic-American, in North America brings a lot of that ‘energy’ with him, but encounters a new , more ‘ordered world’, where he no longer is the big Creative Guru, but the new creative guy at such and such agency. His agency is not the Main Agency, but a secondary one and sometimes a third to the African American.

There are different rules that govern here, and it’s the client and their Main Agency who are in command, since their voice is heard by over 200 million people +….. and therein, the quagmire.

There is a set strategy, a set tone, a set look and in 9 out of 10 cases everything and everybody works around it.

Spanish is seen as a nice, growing, important segment, but a segment nonetheless. Not the total, as is the case down South.

This entails a need to work harder and to concentrate on how you evolve the system , and grow it and bring about those innovations you talked about for so long .

Bitching and moaning is ok sometimes, and sometimes it even gets you a job, but now is time to deliver on the promises of yesteryear.

The real challenge is to be creative within the realms of the limitations established by your market, your audience, your client and your own inspiration…. Not to bite the hand that feeds you! Stand and Deliver.

Castor A. Fernández

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I’m amazed and offended at the same time by this article and some of its readers comments. To read that a news source attempts to exercise power over our creative community and over the first amendment by threatening creatives who speak to other media and saying that they don’t have the guts to do it. Been aggressive simply doesn’t speak well of those who does it . This is a paleontological way of seeing the business and by the use of threats I wonder if these creatives that talk to other media do so because this one might not be as respectable for them as it exercises the “power’ of the press wrongfully. Freedom of speech is a right and we all can exercise it without fears. Issues like this should be brought out to the open for discussion, because out of debates we can improve ourselves and we definitely have a long way to go. I believe that speaking behind the back is not right but so is the tone of this editorial. I would love to see Hispanic ad journalists to sign their editorials articles in the future.

Marcelo Paez

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Should you feel that you need to respond to this editorial, please do not hesitate. Please e-mail us at in**@********Ad.com . We will be happy to post your comments on www.HispanicAd.com