Crossing cultures to generate freshness

The independent Argentine agency, La América, founded in 2017, recently launched its second operation in Mexico City, led by Alejandro Domínguez, Co-Founder and Strategy Director of La América. In this exclusive interview with LatinSpots, Alejandro discusses the challenges and goals of launching a new La América office in Mexico City, shares how they are fostering relationships to attract new clients, and anticipates what La América will bring to the Mexican advertising industry as its unique contribution.

Alejandro, you are leading the launch and operation of La América in Mexico. Why did you decide to start operating from Mexico City?

Since we transitioned from being Madre to La América, part of our strategy has been to work for other markets, which we've been doing from Argentina. We've often been asked why we didn't open in another country, and I think we didn’t do it until now because we always saw the agency more as a place we enjoy inhabiting rather than just a business. So, if we were to open elsewhere, it had to be somewhere special. And I’ve always wanted to experience living outside of Argentina, and now I can do it, and Mexico is that special place: it offers me the language, a culture that fascinates me, friends, a lot of affection, and I think it also has many opportunities to work with depth and commitment, just the way I like.

It’s a country that's in the global spotlight for its cultural heritage, investment opportunities, strategic geographic location, presence of top global industries, and great growth projections. But above all, I believe it’s experiencing a moment of change and social redefinition that’s incredibly interesting. I’ve been working for several years on diversity and inclusion issues, and I can see that the upcoming change here in this regard is of such magnitude that it will turn Mexico not only into the number one hub in Latam but also into a global powerhouse. La América as an agency and I as a person want to be part of this energy and contribute our grain of sand to the construction of this new era in Mexico. So here I am, ready to give my all to expand our know-how and way of working to the region, with the goal of ending the year working as a team with a few clients who share our vision of change, the very reason we came here.

What can you tell us about La América's philosophy and culture?

At La América, we are a very diverse team with a very simple goal: to come to work each morning with enthusiasm, supported by a philosophy based on the values of independence, respect, hard work, and honesty. We are driven by the ambition to generate the greatest positive impact on how companies develop their businesses and connect with people.

We have developed a fully collaborative work process (we’ve been working around a single table since we started the agency in 2005) and dedicate a lot of time and effort to learning from our clients, their culture, their business, their value chain, and, of course, their consumers. We love being nerds about our clients’ businesses and from there being able to ask good questions, provoke good conversations with them, and develop serious and deep diagnoses. And when we have a good diagnosis of a brand and its challenges, we act as any good agency should: we develop creative campaigns that have high impact and the ability to resonate with everyday people to boost our clients’ sales. That’s our work agenda: creating brand cases that work on the street, not just in the advertising stands. And doing so in a way that lasts over time and doesn’t exhaust itself in a single campaign.

How is the agency structured in Mexico, and how will it be integrated with the office in Argentina? What can you tell us about the creative leaders for the Mexican office?

The same philosophy that brought us here is the one we’re bringing to Mexico because it’s tied to our way of feeling about advertising. Opening our first office outside Argentina will allow us to add talent in Mexico City and combine it with what we have in Buenos Aires. The idea is to facilitate exchanges among our people and cross cultures to generate freshness and added value in both places and throughout the region. As for creative leaders, it’s not the time to reveal names, but it’s worth noting that we always operate as a collective; the agency doesn’t have a single creative figure, but rather our structure is based on the cooperation and complementarity of talent among those of us who work here, which is why names aren’t important and won’t be.

Which clients are you starting with in Mexico?

That’s a good question: we didn’t come to Mexico through any particular client. We came because we like Mexico and its people. And this is the moment to meet all these people; we haven't stopped meeting with industry folks, among whom there are potential clients, of course. It's about finding those who are willing to bet on change, to have a different view of their businesses and brands, to ask uncomfortable questions that will take us to the next level of client-agency relationships, to strong creative provocations, and above all, to an agency that seeks to do serious work and do it seriously. I know this is slower than winning a pitch, but it doesn’t worry me; it’s the way that works for us to build long-term relationships like the ones we have with our current clients. The launch of La América Mexico is still very recent, but we will have good news soon.

Alejandro, you’ve just relocated to Mexico. On a personal note, what can you share about your experience?

Oh, I feel so well-received that I’m very happy to be making La América and my life here. It’s very easy to socialize; there are many people who are very open to forming new connections. And on the other hand, I’m impressed by the overwhelming, entrepreneurial energy I feel, at least in Mexico City. Now I’m eager to explore other cities like Guadalajara, Monterrey, and many other places this country has to visit and learn from. I’m really happy to be here, and I hope I can treat Mexico as well as Mexico is treating me. I hope I live up to this culture.