www.lionsdailynews.com friday, june 24 , 2011

Talking up
Mexico
Mexico has what it takes to be an
advertising A-lister — great locations,
a deep creative tradition, abundant
talent, excellent facilities — so why is
it still playing catch-up to the US?
Gary Smith reports
THERE are many misconceptions about Mexico,
the biggest and most inaccurate being that Mexicans
are lazy. In fact, Mexico is one of the most
hard-working nations in the world.
Another widely held idea about the country that is, however,
true is that the Mexican advertising sector has not yet found
its own form of creativity. “Being such a close neighbour to the
US has tended to make agencies mimic what they see across the
border, because it is regarded as aspirational,” says Alejandro
Cardoso, CEO of Publicis Latin America. “So despite the fact
that Mexico has deep roots in art, architecture and film, and has
its own very individual sense of colour, we are not seeing that
expressed in ad campaigns. But it’s something I feel very deeply
about and I’m committed to changing it.”
Change is partly being forced by the arrival of the greater
accountability that comes with digital technology. “Digital is
growing fast and the work is evolving rapidly,” says Hector Fernandez
Maldonado, joint-general director and vice-president of
creative at Publicis Mexico. “What is changing is that agencies
are increasingly interested in pleasing consumers as much as
clients. And since digital started to erode the dominance of TV,
they are very bothered about what they say about brands, especially
when it goes viral.”
He adds: “We are very optimistic about the future. What
we’d really like to see is Mexico better represented at events like
the Cannes Lions.”
The Mexican Association of Filmmakers (AMFI) has been
working for the last 30 years with a group of commercials producers
dealing with production-related issues in Mexico. This
entails developing tools and criteria to improve and professionalise
the industry and to negotiate, as a group, benefits for its
affiliated producers.
“Mexico’s production standards are very high,” says Carlos
Barrón Noé, director general of AMFI. “Mexican technicians
and production crews have always been among the best qualified
in the world, thanks to our motion-picture industry and the
production services we provide to foreign clients, especially
those from the US.”
AMFI members also work in the production of local ads,
which is a large market comprising about 3,500 TV commercials
a year for national broadcast. “We believe the volume of local
spots will grow considerably over the next few years thanks to
the spread of cable TV,” Barrón Noé says.
One of Mexico’s most valuable resources is its people. “Our
members range from well-known directors through to young
directors at the beginning of their careers who are doing inter-
esting things,” Barrón Noé, says. “We have production companies
for all tastes and requirements. And, as I just mentioned,
the quality of our technicians is also a significant attraction for
producers who are thinking of coming to film here in Mexico.”
Mexico’s geography and climate — two essential elements
in the production business — are also a great advantage. Barrón
Noé elaborates: “We have deserts and tropical rainforests, the
Caribbean and the Cortes seas, and our architecture goes from
colonial houses to state-of-the-art, intelligent buildings. To be
honest, you can find almost any location you need in Mexico,”
he says. “And we also have a good infrastructure, with the most
modern sets, audio studios, post-production services, restaurant
services and equipment-rental services.”
There is also a valuable tax-exemption programme and
AMFI now has total support from the country’s film commission.
“On top of that, Mexico is in a very strong geographical
position, being close to the US and easy to reach from both Europe
and Asia. All of these elements make filming in Mexico a great
experience,” Barrón Noé says.
Given the number of negative stories about Mexico’s warring
drug barons, worries about security are a major concern for
AMFI.
“This is an important issue and, at the moment, there are
some places we wouldn’t recommend for filming purposes,”
Barrón Noé admits. “But we are talking about only a very few
places along the border with the US. Mexico is a big country and
drug-related violence is located in very specific areas. So saying
that it’s not safe to film in Mexico is a bit like saying you shouldn’t
work in the US because of tornados. You certainly don’t want
to be working in tornado country during the tornado season,
but that does not mean you have to avoid the whole country.
The same thing goes for Mexico. There are some areas you should
stay away from, but most of the country is perfectly safe.” ^
MEXICO 47
n
Publicis’
Alejandro
Cardoso:
committed to
change
FRIDAY, JUNE 24,2011