Festival Intelligence: Community, Passion & Partnerships – FOMLA Award winners 2019 | M&M Global

Festival Intelligence: Community, Passion & Partnerships – FOMLA Award winners 2019

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of award-winning media and marketing campaigns at the Festival of Media LatAm Awards 2019 came from Brazil, Argentina and Mexico alone – with a strong focus on communities, local passions and purposeful content partnerships. 

Brazil performed best in terms of country, taking home more than a quarter (26%) of the total Gold, Silver and Bronze trophies, followed by Argentina (25%) and Mexico (23%). Dominican Republic, Colombia and the US were awarded four trophies each, El Salvador three; and Ecuador, Puerto Rico and Uruguay with one each.

By entering agency / media partner, Initiative swept the board, walking away with 21% of trophies handed out, followed by MediaCom (12%), OMD (8%) and FOX Networks Group (5%). Other agencies to take home at least three trophies included Mindshare, Z+, J. Walter Thompson, Ampfy and Adsmovil. 

Drilling down into the Gold winning entries alone, Brazil also came out on top with a 33% success rate. For this reason and given that it is amongst the top 10 largest advertising markets in the world (and top in Latin America), we’ve put the focus on multi award-winning entries from this market to uncover what themes and trends marketers can learn.   

With winning entries from a range of brand sectors, including Technology, FMCG, Travel and Not-for-Profit, the most dominant theme across these Brazilian entries was partnerships, brought to life in a variety of ways – ranging from branded content and documentaries to sports and unique brand tie-ups, that were tailored specifically to appeal to Brazilian consumers.

These entries tackled a range of societal and real-life issues, more commonly considered to be taboo subjects including female empowerment, LGBTQ and disability – highlighting that Brazil is leading the way in taking a stand on Inclusivity and Diversity. 

The range of media used across entries was nothing if not creative. From using sidewalks and boarding passes as core media channels to creating powerful TV documentaries through a real-life lens, social media continued to play a key role in amplifying and further raising awareness of the issues covered.

Another core consideration in the Brazilian entries was the focus on the people. Brazilians are known for appreciating the value of their origins so ensuring that was considered at the heart of the communications plan ensured that all these campaigns were locally relevant – with a sense of community and a focus on consumer passions the key threads tying these campaigns together. 

Given that Brazil is one of the world’s most spirited lands, with Brazilians arguably the most exuberant and passionate people in the world, it’s important for brands to connect with them in the most authentic and relevant ways, by tapping into their interests and passions. Combining forces through powerful content partnerships and a having joint purpose can go a long way in achieving this.

We put the spotlight on the five multi award-winning campaigns from Brazil, which highlight these trends:

ramp

Without A Ramp, A Sidewalk is a Wall | Movimiento Superaçao | Z+ | Brazil

Shortlisted for:  Best Use of Ambient Media (GOLD WINNER), Impact Award (SILVER WINNER), Best Event/Experiential or Sponsorship Campaign (BRONZE WINNER)

Summary:

People with disabilities live in a world of limitations. Without mobility, they don’t have access to public health, education, work, leisure, etc. Sidewalks are something people don’t usually give much thought to. However, they are critical for urban mobility and can be a huge problem to a key part of society. As it is such an important problem for people with disabilities, Movimiento Superaçao wanted to generate awareness among the rest of the population and bring the conversation into the spotlight.

The strategy from Z+ consisted in using sidewalks as a media channel. Its use as the central element of the campaign would help to raise awareness about the problem a sidewalk without a ramp means for a person in a wheelchair. When a person with a disability encounters a sidewalk that is not accessible, it is as if he were facing a wall. To reflect this idea, the agency thought about turning those sidewalks that are not adapted to people in wheelchairs into authentic walls. It was extremely important for this initiative to have a real impact on the life of wheelchair users. Therefore, it was necessary to generate awareness for this activation to reach as many people as possible. To achieve this, the agency needed a channel that had a high reach among Brazilians, which was appropriate for photo content and was also used for activism. So, it chose Instagram as it provided everything needed to spread the message.

First, Z+ invited graffiti artists to paint sidewalk curbs that, the walls that only wheelchair users see. Then, it photographed the work and created a gallery on Instagram to show the graffities. It also created a website (www.calcadaemuro.com.br), to encourage other artists to take action and paint sidewalk curbs that needed an access ramp. All graffiti works were mapped on Instagram to make it easy for City Hall to locate.

See also: Socially responsible stunts in Brazil

drinkable boarding pass

The Drinkable Boarding Pass | GOL Airlines | Adsmovil | Brazil

Shortlisted for: Best Event / Experiential or Sponsorship Campaign (SILVER WINNER), Best Independent Agency Campaign (SILVER WINNER), The Creative Use of Media Award (SILVER WINNER)

Summary:

In a globalised world, we find a tendency that’s increasingly latent of valuing that which represents people within their own communities. This valuing of origins awakens, in the globalised human being, a connection called Glocal – where I identify myself as a citizen of the world, but value brands, products and services that reveal who I am within my community. With this in mind, large brands that are able to generate this type of unique identification within the communities where they are inserted, have a greater chance of truly connecting with their consumers. 

By bringing together two iconic native brands – a soft drink brand and an airline – with one of the most important championships in the world, Adsmovil found an impacting way to position these brands, side by side with their consumers in their daily life. However, in soccer events such as these, several brands look to take ownership of the theme, and this is why it was necessary to create an action strategy that would surprise the consumer by doing something that had never been done before, that would represent the creative character of Brazilians themselves and that would turn into a remarkable memory for the consumer in this moment of celebrating sport. Besides this, it was also imperative to include the consumer himself in the action when generating an exclusive experience with the brands, turning these brands into the true protagonists in the conversations about the America Soccer Cup. 

Official sponsors of the CBF – Brazilian Soccer Confederation, an airline brand joined a soft drink brand from Brazil to create a special action to cheer the Brazilian national team. The companies developed a customised boarding pass laser printed on a soft drink can, in a special machine created for the Conmebol 2019 America Brazil Soccer Cup. The check-in terminal remained available throughout the duration of the South American tournament in the lobby of the Congonhas Airport, in the city of São Paulo. The clients who had bought direct flights could do their special check-in in the soft drink machine created especially for the action and they’d get their boarding pass printed directly on the soft drink can. 

stay free

Our blood, our body | Stay Free | FOX Networks Group | Brazil

Shortlisted for: Best Branded Content (SILVER WINNER), Best Use of Content (SILVER WINNER)

Summary:

The goal of Stay Free was to naturalise menstruation and show how it helps women progress. Menstruation is a taboo avoided in society. Since it is not discussed, women keep suffering be it from a public health point of view or a cultural point of view. Unlike the classic pad commercials, it needed to talk about the negative side regarding menstruation. Gen Z is already having a different and more progressive relationship with their body and openly talk about this issue even in political terms. So, for this campaign, FOX Networks chose to depict the documentary through the point of view of five unique girls. 

The brand’s goal was to reach 16-25-year-old girls in Latin America. For this reason, it was very important for the content to reach different types of girls. Besides, since it is a very serious and urgent matter it had to communicate the brand’s message in a very authentic and truthful way. That is why the media partner chose to do a documentary to express this reality through the point of view of the protagonists without having traditional interviews with parents or specialists. It followed the day to day life of five incredible girls while they talked about feminism, the relationship with their body and the different life difficulties they had. 

To give a strong and political approach to the brand’s message it invited a female director who has been involved in feminist activism and has several projects revolving around the female body. Most of the crew involved with the project were women, to help give a truthful interpretation of the characters’ voices. To reach the very digital young audience, it released the content simultaneously on TV and YouTube – with different digital assets to address the issues in different ways be it with numbers or with advice and additionally had a .com hub with all of the content. 

intel

Hack the city | Intel | FOX Networks Group | Brazil

Shortlisted for: Best Branded Content (GOLD WINNER), Best Use of Content (GOLD WINNER)

Summary: 

Following Intel’s global concept, the beauty inside, and National Geographic’s core values of sustainability and higher purpose, Intel joined forces with National Geographic to develop documental series about making a meaningful impact in society by solving real problems in the city through art, design and particularly technology, strategically choosing relevant and alarming issues in Brazil. In order to amplify the attention to the campaign it carefully selected the places for the art interventions: to discuss the invisibility of immigrants it picked one of the main and busiest avenues of São Paulo; for the dark and unsafe spots it selected a traditional but decadent neighbourhood; to approach racism it chose one of the world’s largest favela; and for the violence against LGBTQ selected a neighbourhood that is very symbolic for the LGBTQ struggle. 

As an authentic National Geographic Channel series, Hack the City had to be aligned to its contents and core values. So besides discussing meaningful issues of the city, it also chose to shoot in a way that captured the beauty through impactful images to deeply touch the audience. Besides, the content is about design and urban arts which naturally reflected in its photography. Hack the City is a weekly mini-series with four 15-minute episodes. Each episode focuses on an urban intervention conceived by a creator who uses a computer to design the project. 

Hack the City goes beyond the screen and makes a real impact on people’s lives. It was released on September 12th, 2018 on National Geographic Channel Brazil and its website simultaneously. The show is essentially about real issues and real life. So, the post-production was designed to bring the audience closer to Sao Paulo’s reality. It also developed content especially for social media, like posts and stories on Instagram with the city intervention’s photos, promo videos, and highlights of the episodes on Facebook. Hack the City was also promoted on National Geographic Magazine as an advertorial double page. 

Screenshot 2019-10-25 17.13.47

Goleiro | Uber | Tech and Soul Comunicação e Marketing | Brazil 

Shortlisted for: Best Event/Experiential Campaign (GOLD WINNER), Best Independent Agency Campaign (GOLD WINNER)

Summary:

Today Uber in Brazil has 500,000 drivers and is an important ally in the generation of income for 13 million people who are unemployed. And, in order to fulfil its purpose of turning urban mobility more democratic and accessible, the brand needs cars and cellphones. But Brazilian traffic is one of the deadliest in the world. Texting and driving is the second major casualty cause, stands even before intoxicated driving. However, 51% of drivers still admit to texting and driving. To help Uber to change that, Tech and Soul found a unique way to call attention to that, making Brazilians experience the risks of this bad habit through their biggest passion: football.

During a major Brazilian championship match, a goalkeeper checking a mobile was spotted by football fans and the player’s irresponsible action stormed social media and press, generating the biggest weekend talk. When the goalkeeper finally linked his attitude with texting and driving, the whole country was paying attention. The idea was to capture the attention of the press with the cell phone being used in an inappropriate place. The intention was to make people angry at the situation at first, and when the subject was everywhere, the agency would reveal the true intent of the act. The message launched as #largaOcelular, which is used both for goalkeeper ́s Atletico and for those who drive using the cell phone. Uber talks to the public in general and this action was for Brazilians in general.

The agency planned the stunt with Atletico’s managers and the team’s goalkeeper, Santos. At the game’s first moments, without telling even his teammates, Santos checks his mobile which was immediately captured by fans who promptly shared stills and videos on their timelines. The agency monitored social media and helped the news to spread organically by sending the video anonymously throughout Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to soccer fans, digital influencers and sports groups, etc. At the very beginning of the second half, sports journalists and columnists started commenting too. Outraged against the player’s attitude, different interview channels chased him by the end of the match demanding explanations. The next day in a press conference at Atlético Paranaense club is where the Uber and Maio Amarelo action was revealed. A new wave of information stormed regular press and social media, spreading out the elucidation. The action was applauded by the majority of press and social media channels.

See also: Socially responsible stunts in Brazil

Check out the full list of Festival of Media LatAm Awards 2019 winners here

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