Advertising in Spain: painting a positive perspective

Advertising in Spain
With one of the highest unemployment rates in the world (23.7% as of Q4 2014), the nation of Spain has certainly seen more prosperous days.

However, despite the relatively grim political and economic status, the world of advertising reflects a different outlook in Spain.

This month, Creative Culture is uncovering a selection of viral campaigns that represent the celebration of the nation’s perseverance through adversity, and a steadfast commitment to its cultural roots.

Movistar and La Roja
The first was created by Spanish telecoms provider Movistar (owned by Telefónica), the main sponsor of the national football team, “La Roja”.

In this recent ad, famous players are disguised as everyday individuals in the workplace (cooks, landscape workers, etc.), as they try their hand at a few jobs off the pitch. After completing one day of work, the players quickly understand the level of difficulty involved in each role, emphasising the invaluable contribution of these people, day after day.

Campofrio and corruption
A campaign that follows this theme was recently released by cold meats brand, Campofrío. Using a fire that occurred at a Campofrío factory last year as the focal point, the ad first conveys how corruption and business closures have left the people of Spain feeling completely burnt out in 2014.

As the story develops, the people come together to fight the fire as a community. The brand’s signature adverts always include a comical twist with well-known comedians, to reinforce the sentiment that now, more than ever, no one should allow their joy to be snuffed out. One of the comedians featured this year (the chief fire-fighter) is Gila, one of the nation’s favourite comedians. While Gila died some years ago, the legacy of this famous phone scene lives on through the ad. This tactful use of endorsement further solidifies the idea that it is their very roots as Spaniards that make them unique.

La Casera and a beach bar
As political corruption increases, so does the percentage of young people that are uprooting their lives in Spain, for the chance at a more fruitful opportunity abroad. Last summer, shortly after the media reported Spain with one of the highest negative migration balance in Europe, local soft drink brand La Casera released the following real life ad. The short video tells the story of Ale, just one of the thousands of young people who have gone abroad in search of a brighter future.

Upon visiting him in his new home of Vienna, family and friends surprise him by bringing a piece of his hometown, Málaga. The brand reproduced Málaga’s beach bar in Vienna, completed with Ale’s family, friends and dog. The viral campaign for tinto de verano shows that despite the thousands of kilometres that separate them (2,787km, in this case), people of Spain can still take pride in their cultural origins.


The current economic situation in Spain is creating a unique opportunity for global brands and agencies.

Marketers targeting the nation should understand that this audience is not one that dwells in the hardships of the times, but rather with determination, they push forward in unity. 

Read more from Creative Culture in our Clubhouse.

 

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