Working for Quilmes is a big challenge

What does winning gold for the Quilmes campaign mean, especially since it was one of the campaigns competing for the Gran Effie?

What’s interesting about the Effie Award, in our opinion, is that it rewards effectiveness through ingenuity, strategy, and creativity. If something wins without one of these components, we usually disagree. We believe that “Blanqueo de envases” meets these criteria, which is what makes this achievement so significant.

What do you think were the key factors that made the campaign deserving of the gold?

It has a clear insight. It incorporates humor tied to current events. And it provides a significant benefit to the consumer at just the right moment. On top of that, this “equilateral triangle of communication” is packed with branding, so we assumed it would yield good results. Thankfully, it did.

How is the relationship with Quilmes, a brand with which you’ve built a long-standing partnership, extensive knowledge, and which, in addition to working with various agencies, has its own in-house team?

The relationship with Quilmes is excellent. Working for the brand is a big challenge. Because of its rich history in communication, the ongoing revolution in advertising today, and the fact that as a synonym for beer and Argentinian culture, consumers hold it to high standards. On top of that, the competition is obsessed with undermining it, adding another intriguing layer. To tackle all this, we are a team that believes in strategy, ideas, and collaboration. And by team, I mean the brand, us, and their in-house agency, with whom we have a great relationship and mutual respect.

What’s the balance for La América in 2024?

In 2024, the agency opened its first office outside Argentina, in Mexico City, and is already working on its first local projects, which will soon be shared. In Argentina, we had a very successful year. We launched the Quilmes campaign as a tribute to Angel Di María, including the design of a commemorative can and the use of artificial intelligence, as well as the “Blanqueo de envases” campaign to recover all the empty Quilmes bottles forgotten in Argentinian homes, with which we won this Effie. We worked on “Lucchetti Platón,” among others, the new “Arlistán cat” campaign, the “Gallo Cucú” for Arroz Gallo, and brought Pan Rallado Preferido back to screens with the “Felicitá” spot. We launched a new edition of Carrefour’s “Precios Corajudos” and their new app.

We also strengthened our relationship with Banco Provincia, developing several campaigns such as “Provincia 2.3,” “Verano,” “Mesa de accionistas,” and “El mejor amigo del bonaerense” for Cuenta DNI, and we were honored to win a Martín Fierro award.

We began collaborating with Swiss Medical Group, developing their new communication and branding strategy, including the campaign to support the Argentinian Olympic team and the new “Chateá, llamá o vení” campaign, for which we created a new service channel for their members. Additionally, LA Buró (our design and motion studio) carried out a restyling of the visual identity of both the corporate brand and all its clinics and hospitals. The Buró also designed the new packaging for Quilmes’ non-alcoholic beer and its limited-edition can. It developed animations for various brands and campaigns, and for the first time, one of the commercials for the “Mamá Lucchetti” campaign was fully produced in-house. Overall, our balance for the year is overwhelmingly positive.

What are the agency’s projections for 2025?

We recently partnered with Frávega and are working on developing their new positioning and communication strategy. We’re also collaborating with La Virginia on a new campaign for their tea line, and we began working in Paraguay on the communication and creative strategy for the food company Conti Paraguay. So, we anticipate a 2025 full of exciting developments from these and our other clients. LA Buró will continue to grow in design and animation, and La América México, which just started, will undoubtedly gain momentum soon, adding new collaborations, projects, and talent, and starting to have a significant impact in the vibrant Mexican market.

Additionally, something that excites us greatly is that we’re developing our own brand of consumer goods. For this, we’ve partnered with a company that brings us the know-how, production capacity, and distribution network. This will be a major milestone for us: in 2025, La América will not only be an agency but also an advertiser.