Most Read of 2023: LATAM
As we come to the end of another year (seriously, where has the time gone?) we like to take a moment to reflect on the great creative, stories and people that have graced the pages of our Little Black Book. Today, we’re reminiscing on and celebrating the contributions from the Latin American region, compiling some of the top-viewed articles that LATAM had to offer in 2023.
This Latin selection includes some innovative and award-winning campaigns, detailed deep-dives and interesting interviews from across the region - represented by a variety of creatives and creators from Colombia, Peru, Honduras, Mexico, Brazil and more.
FYI: All of the headlines are hyperlinked, so you can easily click through to each article.
Grey Colombia and supermarket chain Makro kept everyone's eyes peeled with this fresh idea in June. With waste being a big talking point of the year, as people continue to grow more aware - and concerned - of how much they throw away, it's no surprise that this campaign, which gets to the core of the issue, was one of the most read articles on LBB in 2023.
Nikon Stands up against AI
While 2023 saw artificial intelligence take over pop culture, the iconic photography brand Nikon teamed up with Circus Grey Peru to remind us that the real world is full of natural beauty. Using the tagline: 'Don't give up on the real world', the print and OOH campaign 'Natural Intelligence' highlights just that - the brand's commitment to photographers and their talent for capturing beautiful images without the use of AI.
Turning a Masterpiece into a Hellscape for Diablo IV
For the much-anticipated fourth instalment of the 'Diablo' videogame series, Brazilian visual arts and animation studio Black Madre produced a recreation of Hieronymus Bosch’s painting ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ - only with a Diabolical twist. To find out how they brought this demonic hellscape to life, LBB's Ben Conway spoke with Icaro Yuji, head of art, and Cesar Maciel, head of animation, at Black Madre.
‘Jingle Therapy’ Helps Puerto Ricans with Alzheimer’s to Remember
Created by VMLY&R Commerce for the Puerto Rican Alzheimer’s Association and the Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) radio stations, the SBS’ 80-year archive was turned into a form of therapy to help improve the lives of patients living with Alzheimer's. This purposeful project caught the attention of LBB's readers as it cleverly utilised the collective nostalgia of the most famous advertising jingles of Puerto Rico’s past.
De la Cruz Ogilvy Creates Innovative Digital Tool to Prevent Food Waste
We're staying in Puerto Rico for this article, but returning to one of the year's hot topics: reducing food waste. Using the power of AR and Computer Vision, Ogilvy's Puerto Rican office created a social filter for supermarket SuperMax, allowing its products to display a second use after they reach their 'use by' date. This technology gave countless products a second life, and was made accessible on all Meta Spark platforms and open source on www.reusables.ai.
Why Wunderman Thompson Mexico Wants to Build a Reputation in 2023
At the start of the year, Wunderman Thompson Mexico's CCO, Omar Fabián, and ECD, Jonathan McVinish, spoke to LBB's Ben Conway about how 2022 was “a year of firsts” for the office, and laid out their game-changing plans for 2023. "The name of the game for this year is to build a reputation for the agency," said Omar.
‘Heaven Fish’ Turns an Annual Miracle into Opportunity for the People of Honduras
Every year in the Yoro region of Honduras, a phenomenon happens: fish fall from the sky. Scientists believe it's because of water cyclones, believe it or not. Ogilvy Honduras turned this into an opportunity to help support the local community, teaming with Regal Springs to gather the fish and give the local people exclusive rights to sell the fish. The campaign went on to win Gold in the Brand Experience & Activation category at Cannes. You can also hear what Alan Cruz, head of strategic planning at Ogilvy Honduras, had to say about this project - and the rest of the agency's successful last few years - in this follow-up interview with LBB's Ben Conway.
5 Minutes with… Xavier Serrano
Interviewed by LBB's Ben Conway after joining DDB Colombia as CEO in the first month of 2023, Xavier Serrano discusses with LBB his career path thus far, his passion for teaching and Colombia’s future as a creative and production hub. Among other topics, he shares his advice for the next generation of creatives and how he will use creativity to solve problems throughout the year just gone at DDB Colombia.
Corona's Natural Living Billboard Uses Wind Power to Travel Through Nature
Peruvian artist Edi Mérida is known for his moving sculptures that roam across beaches powered only by the wind - so what better vehicle for Corona's 'Powered by Nature' campaign? The beer brand partnered with Fahrenheit DDB to craft a moving, living billboard that travel across the Peruvian landscape. It's beautiful, unique, and 100% natural.
How This Agency Is Making Yucatán Mexico’s Creative Hotspot
This interview with Jorge Vales Bolio, the GCD of family-run creative agency, Vales, shows how a new generation is continuing a father’s legacy and how the company is helping to put its hometown of Mérida, Yucatan, on the international map. "From scouting to production management, local talent integration, accommodation and everything [else] you need to have an amazing production experience in one of the best cities in Mexico, the beaches, haciendas, colonial heritage, jungle, and many other things make Yucatán a great place to visit.”
