Inside the Jury Room: 7 LATAM Finalists Will Compete on the Global Stage

Tuesday, November 12th marked the Latin American jury day for LBB’s Immortal Awards. Held in partnership with The Lift in Mexico City, jurors from across the region debated over 32 shortlisted projects before eventually picking seven Finalists to represent LATAM at the final global round of judging on December 5th.

The seven projects moving forward in the process include work for Apple, Coca-Cola, Movistar and more, submitted by companies including TBWA\ Media Arts Lab Miami, Ogilvy Colombia, Grey Argentina, and GUT.

Making the decisions, this year’s LATAM jury room was made up of: Luciana Abramzon, executive creative producer, LANDIA; Jessica Apellaniz, chief creative officer, Wieden+Kennedy Mexico; Sergio Briseño, vice president of strategic planning, DDB Mexico; Joaquin Campins, executive creative director, GUT Buenos Aires; Juan Cárdenas, vice president creative, VML Colombia; Montserratt Cuevas, general creative director, The Juju Mexico; Adria Jáuregui, creative director, Ogilvy Mexico; Ana Noriega, chief creative officer, FCB Mexico; Alexis Ospina, chief creative officer, Grey Mexico; Dani Ribeiro, chief creative officer, WMcCann; and Manolo Techera, chief creative officer, M&C Saatchi Mexico.

The work that was selected includes projects for iconic Latin American brands and international names alike, as well as work that best represents the creative processes and cultures of the diverse and vibrant region. Here’s what the jurors had to say about the seven Finalists…

Apple - ¡Suerte! (submitted by TBWA\ Media Arts Lab Miami, Landia Mexico and EXILE)

Sergio Briseño, VP of strategic planning at DDB Mexico described ‘¡Suerte!’ as “an interesting case” because it goes beyond conventional advertising and showcases the region’s creatively skilled talent, and their ability “to portray magical and fantastic stories… in a pertinent way to a product or brand."

The Juju Mexico’s GCD, Montserratt Cuevas, called it “a heartfelt love letter to Mexican culture” and “a beautiful self-search story” with a unique, vibrant character thanks to its elements from Mexico’s rich heritage. “Every aspect of this project celebrates the intricacies and the essence of Mexican culture.”

La Loteria, the Mexican bingo which the film centres around, is part of the nation’s roots, explained Adria Jáuregui, creative director at Ogilvy Mexico. This gave the film “cultural power” for the Mexican audience, and watching it, she said, “becomes an amazing trip through our childhood memories!”

Ana Noriega, chief creative officer at FCB Mexico praised the beautiful craft, graphics, audio and general surrealism of the work too, noting how the campaign built from Apple’s previous Mexico-inspired film, ‘Huracán Ramírez vs La Piñata Enchilada’. “Apple has managed to integrate Mexican culture and technology in a fresh way,” she said. “Why did the jury champion this project? Partly because of the above, the fresh way of integrating Mexican icons with modernity. The craft was also very much liked.”

Coca-Cola - Recycle Me (submitted by Ogilvy New York & LOBO)

Juan Cárdenas, creative VP at VML Colombia really loved this project for its synthesis and simplicity, and the decision to make it a global round Finalist was unanimous. “It has everything an idea needs to communicate and be remembered,” he said. “The idea has a universal visual language that can be understood anywhere on the planet, which makes me think it’s a great representative of the region. It’s an idea from LATAM for the world.” 

It was also the favourite piece of Grey Mexico’s CCO, Alexis Ospina, who also celebrated its simplicity. “It is one of the most memorable campaigns of the year, with a world-known brand, and is a pride of the region. The vote was unanimous. The case study is amazing.”

Filsa | Baylor International | Cruz Roja Colombiana - Filter Caps (submitted by Ogilvy Colombia)

Ana described Ogilvy’s ‘Filter Caps’ invention as “a great design that solves a serious problem in a simple way”. And this problem solving capability was evidently a major part of the jurors’ considerations, as Sergio explained: “An immortal idea for me is in part one that lasts over time thanks to its relevance and transcendence, and without a doubt this idea has a lot of that,” he said. “This is a clear example of how creativity can lead us to ideas that not only solve challenging realities – which we have plenty of in LATAM – but above all, [which can] generate real and ‘immortal’ change in people's lives.”

Mercado Libre - Handshake Hunt (submitted by GUT)

LANDIA’s executive creative producer, Luciana Abramzon, said that ‘Handshake Hunt’, which turned Mercado Libre’s logo into a scavenger hunt for deals, made the supermarket chain “the undisputed leaders of Black Friday”, with an innovative strategy that impacted transactions. “It was one of the campaigns that we undoubtedly feel represents the great work that has been done in Latin America and that also, in my opinion, works globally in every sense. It's an outstanding creative work that has had a meaningful impact on its audience, which clearly makes it a great Immortal Awards contender.”

Juan also loved the campaign because it directly sold products at the same time as being creative. “It’s an idea that represents the creativity of the region very well, showcasing our simple and fun way of thinking, but using a completely universal language,” he said. “And it does so for Mercado Libre, a Latin American brand that has already accustomed us to seeing it win awards at festivals around the world." 

One of the highest rated ideas from the jury – and the most popular of three shortlisted campaigns from the brand this year – Alexis said that ‘Handshake Hunt’ transformed Mercado Libre into an icon, while remaining entertaining. “That is not easy to achieve and Mercado Libre did it very well. It is fun and recursive – a quality of Latin creativity. The entire panel of judges loved it from the first moment.”

Super Extra - Rice of Glory (submitted by Grey Argentina)

“This idea is pure fun,” said Joaquin Campins, ECD at GUT Buenos Aires, “and innovating in a category like rice, especially for a promotion, is no small feat.” The campaign’s ability to achieve a lot with a simple execution was highlighted not only as a reason for its success with the jury, but also as “a key aspect of the region's DNA.”

“The Rice of Glory is a little proof of how big an idea can go, when it has the power to become a hack and be bigger than any other media!,” added Adria.

Telefonica Movistar - This is Not a Game (submitted by VML Mexico & Landia Mexico)

A fan of the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, Montserratt was struck first by the level of “tricky details” involved in the production of ‘This Is Not a Game’. “From the storyline and how it's shot to mimic character movements, to the dialogue, everything is precisely crafted to give you that immersive feel,” he said. However, he said that the project’s true power lies in how it highlights a widespread problem in Mexico: vulnerable people being recruited by the cartels. 

“We agreed on the importance of this message and the need to get it through to teenagers,” he said. “By shedding light on this issue in an engaging and relatable way, the project has the potential to resonate deeply with its audience and spark much needed conversations around the problem. It's a bold and necessary depiction of a pressing issue, and its impact could be far-reaching, especially among the youth.”

TyC Sports - The Argentina Hotel (submitted by Mercado McCann)

A native Argentine himself, Joaquin shared that it was almost impossible for him to not love this piece. But beyond the obvious emotional connection to the nation's recent World Cup win, he also said that the concept exemplified the classic storytelling style of Argentina. “It’s filled with humour, clever nods, and hidden details, alongside smart dialogue and insightful observations.” 

The project truly connected to the jurors, bringing smiles to their faces and evoking an emotional response – a value which Joaquin said can’t be underestimated in a time where audiences are constantly bombarded with communication and content. 

“It’s a clever reminder of how we can make people talk about an amazing event, such as the World Cup, without speaking about the winning team itself,” said Adria. “I think the lateral thinking in this idea is great proof of how we Latin Americans think and solve our problems with a little laughter involved.”