In an interview, Santiago Keller analyzes this year’s festival and Latin creativity
Brazil is the second country with the most pieces registered in the 26th edition of the El Ojo de Iberoamérica Festival, which will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, starting this Tuesday (14). Of the total of 3,107 works submitted for awards, 498 are Brazilian.
First place in Argentina, with 504 cases. Brazil always brings freshness, art, innovation and relevant ideas, points out Santiago Keller Sarmiento, president of El Ojo de Iberoamérica.
The juries will also be chaired by Brazilian talents, with Marcia Esteves (LewLara\TBWA) in the Media category; Marco Giannelli (AlmapBBDO), in Va Pblica; Marina Pires (Media Monks), in Innovation and Creative Data; and Bernardo Romero (Klick Health), in the new Health & Pharma area.
To the propmarkSarmiento reveals the event’s news and analyzes the importance of Latin creativity for global advertising.
What are the expectations for the 26th edition of the Festival El Ojo de Iberoamérica?
In 2023, the festival will once again be a space for meetings, debates and exchanging experiences. The objective is also to recognize the best ideas participating in our region, in addition to highlighting the professionals and companies that created the most awarded pieces. And, with all this, continue to promote talent in our region.
What lessons did the pandemic leave behind?
Last year, El Ojo returned to being held in person, after two editions held online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With the return of the in-person modality, we also celebrate the first 25 years of El Ojo, which were also the 25 years of the entire Latin creative industry, of its integration, of sharing experiences, visions and thoughts, and of working together, increasing the ruler of our region and, therefore, also of global creativity. Furthermore, we celebrate the fact that, by working increasingly integrated and together, we enhance the region’s talent within our diversity.
What’s new this year?
This year’s edition will have two new awards. At the request of many members of the industry, the festival created El Ojo Sade & Pharma, chaired this year by Brazilian Bernando Romero, maker of Klick Health; and El Ojo Creative Commerce, which will be led by Colombian Manuel Bord, global CCO at VMLY&R Commerce. As every year, the awards will have more than 30 speakers, who will share their vision and thoughts on the challenges of our industry, the relevance of creativity, the importance of diversity, and how new technologies and artificial intelligence are transforming society. our industry.
What is the festival’s contribution to promoting Latin creativity?
We are sure that El Ojo will, once again, be the ideal space to recognize the best ideas and for the Latin creative industry to meet, debate, share experiences and build new perspectives capable of helping to build a better world. In this sense, for the New Talents 2023 competition, we present the brief on the importance of democracy so that students and young professionals can show their potential.
How many cases were registered in 2023? Is it possible to make a ranking according to the volume of registrations in each country?
Not counting the New Talents 2023 competition, an award that is still receiving submissions, we had 3,107 entries, an increase of 10% compared to El Ojo 2022, when we had 2,837 cases. This year, the five countries with the most registered campaigns are Argentina (504 registrations, representing 16.2%), Brazil (498, equivalent to 15.8%), Mexico (476, representing 15.2%), Colombia (343 , with 11%) and Spain (293, with 9.5). The five countries account for 68% of the festival’s total registrations.
This year, El Ojo will have four Brazilian jury presidents. How were these names chosen?
Of the 18 jury presidents, four are Brazilian. In the process of electing presidents and jurors, we seek to have diversity of points of view, professional backgrounds and outstanding leaders. This year, we will have the participation of Marco Giannelli, known as Pernil, CCO of AlmapBBDO, as president of Outdoor; Bernando Romero, maker at Klick Health New York and Brazil, who runs El Ojo Sade & Pharma; Marina Pires, general director of Media Monks Brasil, leader of the jury of El Ojo Inovao and El Ojo Creative Data; and Marcia Esteves, CEO and partner of LewLara\TBWA, who will conduct the judging of El Ojo Media’s work. They all have an important and notable trajectory in the sector and will contribute to choosing this year’s best ideas in each of their awards and then, together with all the festival presidents, they will choose the Grand Prix of El Ojo 2023.
Brazil has a significant presence in the awards. For this year, what do you hope to see from Brazilian plays?
Brazil always brings freshness, art, innovation and relevant ideas. a country with continental dimensions, with a diverse culture, which inspires and provides unforgettable campaigns, which help to build its own creative identity. I am sure that this year Brazil will present work that is as good or better than in previous editions.
What can the public expect from this year’s lectures?
The concept of El Ojo Ve ms all. In Spanish, it means seeing further, deeper and, at the same time, walking further, crossing new frontiers and pushing paradigms. Under this premise, we always look for speakers to tell us what they think, how they imagine the future and where our industry is going. As every year, El Ojo will provide inspiration, reflection, training and many ideas that will help participants to be better professionals and stand out in the sector. In addition to contributing to further boosting Latin talent and pointing to the construction of a better future for which we are prepared.
What themes will be covered at the festival?
Throughout the conferences, workshops and award ceremonies, ideas, inspiration, creativity, diversity, sustainability, culture, democracy, mental health, integration, technology and innovation, as well as artificial intelligence and its debate on the future, will be present. and what we want for that future.
