For Héctor Fernández, CEO of the VMLY&R agency in Mexico, the Cannes lions are related to brands that are superior in equity and business. “We live in a world where thanks to these measurements we can have a very clear vision of where we stand, that’s why we like to participate,” he says.
This year was not the exeption. The agency did not hesitate to enter some of its creative pieces in the highest advertising festival that rewards creativity in the world, and almost at the end of the contest, VMLY&R was awarded a bronze lion, while the Commerce division with a silver and a made of bronze.
VMLY&R won it in the brand experience & activation lions category, with the Plasticoff campaign for Whirlpool, in which it shows how the brand’s technology is capable of breaking down the plastic that comes in its appliances by submerging it in water.
“We want to be an agency that will be talked about for decades, with talent that will lead the industry for years to come. We always set ourselves a little higher goals because the achievements of an agency help the destiny of its brands rise and influence”, commented Fernández.
Corona shines again at Cannes
Instead, VMLY&R Commerce won a Silver Lion in the Mobile category and a Bronze in Creative Commerce with the campaign for Corona “Jersey Pay,” a soccer jersey that doubles as a digital wallet.
Santiago Cortés, CEO of VMLY&R Commerce, explains that this initiative was born in response to the acts of theft that occur inside soccer matches, especially of handbags and cell phones, which for the brand implied a decrease in its sales. .
The agency, then, took on the task of converting soccer team jerseys into wallets, with the possibility of paying without human contact and without cash. To achieve this, an RFID tag was attached to the garments, which sellers could scan to make the corresponding transaction.
Expansión (E): What is the value of the campaign both nationally and internationally?
Santiago Cortés (SC): Great question. Well, I think that one of the great things about this idea is its scalability. An idea becomes global when it meets the same need in all markets. Turning your soccer jersey into a payment method is a global idea.
I: How did the idea come about?
SC: To constantly challenge ourselves to understand how to make the user’s experience with the brand an experience of value. All points of contact with the consumer are an opportunity to innovate, surprise and facilitate the purchase.
I: How long did it take to develop it?
SC: Between strategy, testing and execution, almost a year.
E: Did the end result stay true to the original idea?
SC: You know you have a great idea when you begin to see the scalability that is taking along the way, as each one of those involved sees more potential and scope, which makes the idea go from being an idea, to a reality, one of the biggest challenges of creative ideas.
E: What results did the initiative have?
SC: In the first week 30K tags were inserted and there was a 35% increase in sales volume in the stadium, but the idea is still ongoing.
