Betting on Ideas that Reshape Culture with Connie Santacruz

María Constanza Santacruz Gaitan, known as Connie Santacruz, is an associate creative director at DDB Colombia. Previously having worked for the likes of McCann and Ogilvy in Bogotá, she has over a decade of experience in copywriting for the Colombian and wider Latin American markets, and has created award-winning work for household names, like McDonald’s.

Connie’s work has been recognised by some of the industry’s most prestigious bodies and competitions, including Cannes Lions, El Ojo de Iberoamérica, the Effies, LIA and more. Last year, her agency, DDB Colombia, was the nation’s most awarded company at Cannes, and DDB as a whole was also named ‘Network of the Year’ at the creative festival. Not to mention, her office specifically ranked in the top five of the global Effies index.

To discuss how DDB Colombia has been achieving its recent success at the intersection of creativity and effectiveness, Connie spoke with LBB’s Ben Conway.

LBB> Tell us a bit about DDB Colombia’s 2023! What were the agency's biggest wins and successes last year?

Connie> In 2023, it was an impressive year for DDB Colombia, but I wouldn't call it just another agency year; rather, it marked the beginning of great things. We are an agency literally shaped by the people who work within it, the brands that believe in our work, and those that bet on ideas that reshape culture. These are ideas with relevant stances that entertain, are daring to move people, and reveal everyday, real things.

We focus on embracing and working on the premise that ‘we are creative because we are effective, and we are effective because we are creative’. This guides our thinking to generate more powerful and memorable ideas aligned with our clients' business.

I'd like to highlight DDB Colombia's most notable works, which received recognition at various national and international advertising and effectiveness festivals: ‘A Second of Happiness’ - McDonald’s Colombia, ‘Influencers Friends’ - AB inBev, ‘Gallery of Meme’ - Artrade, ‘Extintos’ - AB inBev, ‘McDonald’s Chocoramo’ - McDonald’s Colombia, ‘Corona Island’ - AB inBev and ‘Pre-concert Bud’ – AB inBev.

LBB> DDB was recognised as the network of the year at Cannes and DDB Colombia, and specifically ranked in the top five of the global EFFIES index - what is the key to this combination of creativity and effectiveness? What do these awards mean to you?

Connie> DDB Colombia stands out as a benchmark in the region for creativity and effectiveness. The key lies in our belief in the power to move. We move talented teams that are passionate about this business to create powerful and memorable creativity. We move businesses by understanding the objectives and needs of our clients, being relevant to brands, and making an impact on culture.

Being part of a network like DDB is something that fills me with pride. Awards hold great importance in this industry; for me, they represent everything, especially what is unseen - the behind-the-scenes of ideas and cases. Each accolade signifies the hard work of many individuals who believe in and give their all to make those ideas come to life - ideas that move and resonate within society.

LBB> Did anything surprise you in the creative industry last year?

Connie> Yes, and I hope to be constantly amazed in this industry. I served as a judge at the Ojo de Iberoamérica and had the opportunity to review work from various countries, all at a very high standard. I encountered good ideas with relevant tensions, powerful insights, daring brands and fresh perspectives.

It's challenging to choose just one piece of work, but if there's one idea that struck a chord with me, it's ‘The Last Photo’. Mental health is a significant issue, and the approach taken was truly impactful.

LBB> As an associate creative director, what did you notice were the dominant creative trends of the last 12 months? Did the awards shows reflect these trends accurately?

Connie> The most relevant trends included AI, industry-wide inclusion, ideas grounded in realness and supported by data, and something I particularly enjoyed was the resurgence of humour with greater force. And many of these trends were evident in numerous ideas that garnered significant awards.

LBB> How was DDB’s Bullseye meeting in December? What were some of the primary takeaways from that?

Connie> It's incredible and inspiring to see how the majority of offices in the region achieved Bullseye, demonstrating and reaffirming that it is a very solid network. Additionally, DDB Latina connects the region by bringing together the best talents. There are many strong offices in each country doing high-level work. In fact, at the Ojo de Iberoamérica, we were the best network of the year, and the best agencies by country were from DDB: Brazil, Colombia, Central America and Miami.

LBB> Coming out of those discussions, what are your expectations for the agency at Cannes 2024? Which ideas and partnerships should we keep an eye on? 

Connie> We are one of the strongest global networks at Cannes, with the network's goal to maintain that position. As an office, we are among the top five most effective agencies worldwide, and we have the challenge of once again becoming the best network on the continent. As an agency, we aim to continue delivering high-level work in each of our projects with our clients.

Undoubtedly, McDonald’s Colombia, Allianz, and AB InBev are three of our clients with whom we are doing fantastic, cross-functional work involving different offices. This will also be evident throughout the coming year.

LBB> What new processes and other innovations shaped the creative in 2023? 

Connie> Undoubtedly, this network's philosophy was truly innovative. The most ground-breaking aspect was understanding that creativity and effectiveness should carry equal weight. It's of no use being an incredibly creative agency if there are no results. Yet, it's also disheartening to have results without memorability. 

Therefore, aiming to be the most creative among the effective and the most effective among the creative was certainly the most challenging, complex and difficult formula for the network to embrace. It involves an enormous commitment from all areas, and upon witnessing the results, not just in Colombia but globally - becoming the Cannes Lions' ‘Best Network’ for the first time - I can say that the innovation was in advocating for creativity and effectiveness to be integral parts of the same value equation for our clients.

LBB> What do you think will be the next big trend in 2024? Will AI continue to influence the industry?

Connie> We have already experienced a more immersive world with the metaverse, and AI, which we have not fully explored yet, I believe, has a lot of potential. It is an intriguing and challenging tool. I cannot be certain, but I hope that what comes next leads us to more genuine interactions.