Gabriel Lora left Mexico for his two judging roles at MAD STARS not expecting to be an Executive Juror as well. He seized the moment when the offer was made to him at the eleventh hour. Joji Jacob had fallen ill.
“I was on the plane on Friday and received a text that Joji Jacob was unable to come to MAD STARS. ‘So do you want to be an executive juror?’ it said. And I was like, ‘Okay, I’m not ready for this…but maybe I am.'”
A teacher, investigator, developer, communicologist and audiovisual artist, he has worked throughout his professional career in almost all areas of digital marketing – from creative design, content and media strategy, as well as business development and marketing projects, e-commerce and apps.
Gabriel has worked at FCB México, one of the most prominent and award-winning agencies in the country, for five years and across its merger with international consultancy firm, Newlink’s Mexican arm to create FCBNewlink.
He has worked in both public and private marketing areas, focusing on obtaining results, the development of comprehensive strategies between organic and paid, as well as proposals based on the construction of a brand and business at the same time. He is also an entrepreneur and owner of Treidi, an exchange and barter platform that seeks to promote the circular economy today.
What stood out for you in your “impromptu” executive judging experience?
MAD STARS is bigger this year in many ways and more oriented to connecting everyone – Young Stars, New Stars, Jurors, organisers. This year, we’ve had more time to meet and talk to the other jurors and organisers. I also participated this year as a Young Star judge, so it was an awesome experience for me. I learned a lot about being an executive juror – the responsibilities and the things that I need to do to work with my group. Plus, I have a wonderful group judging Print, Radio & Audio, Design, Direct, Strategy and SDGs (Sustainability Development Goals). This was quite interesting because I came from an art background, but work in digital. So it was interesting to evaluate and judge different categories that are not in my comfort zone. Entries came from all over the world, but it was also very interesting to try to understand how Asian advertising tries to resolve some problems, some cultural tensions, and how they adapt or understand the strategic thinking to problem solving. It’s sometimes very different but sometimes quite close to how things are done in the West.
Last year, my judging sessions were all online but this year with the second phase judged in person, it was interesting to have the opportunity to discuss entries in a deeper way. In my group, the jurors came from all parts of the world so it was very interesting to see how their perspectives and my perspective created a full picture. This opens your mind totally. Sometimes, when you thought in the first phase that one piece of work was good, in phase two you got to explore new ways to understand it.
Many entries provoked a lot of discussion when it came to choosing Grand Prix winners. AI President was one. It’s a huge, beautiful piece of work and we discussed a lot. Our first concern was wondering if it was in the right category, because it was in Print. We understood why it was there, it was for AnNahar Newspaper, but it felt bigger. Fit My Feet also generated a lot of discussion. How the case was built was incredible. I want to see how it evolves and gets bigger. Because one thing that we discussed a lot in the group was that there were a lot of good pieces, but they could be applied in a specific context. For the Grands Prix, we wanted to applaud “big work”.
What did you expect the Young Stars to bring to their competition?
I recently listened to a talk about a Mexican marketer who was was telling us that our generation, Millennials and older, we understand AI and are using it to amplify our skills and to amplify the work that we have been doing for 20 or so years. But younger generations are the ones who are going to show us how we can use AI for new things, really new things. Not only to use the model that we know works, and amplify or scale or something but to show magic with AI. And I couldn’t see that really in the work. Some of it was very, very good but I was expecting a little more. I think that it was partly because of the brief. The brief was good, but it was very open, very general. The Young Stars used AI as asked, but used it as a tool. At the end, though, we saw a few works that were very interesting. I’ve had enough years in the industry to be able to see the seeds that can transform into a tree. I could see the potential in the work of many of these young people. I’m very happy with the selection of the works that we have made winners.
What advice would you give to anyone hoping to succeed in an advertising career?
Honestly, I don’t know. I am not a good advisor. But what I do want to say that I always feel that strategic thinking is the basis. I know that we work in the creative industry – in FCB we have this phrase, this mantra, that creativity should be an economic multiplier – but if you don’t have a good strategy, it doesn’t matter. Without a solid strategy behind you, you are not going to have a powerful idea that can change the world. For me, this is what people entering the industry need to understand. They also need to have processes, to have structure in the way that they think – to know how to build an idea, how to build a campaign, how to build a strategy, how to build everything. For me structural thinking and a strong strategic are the foundations of good work. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the creativity area, it doesn’t matter if it’s in social media, in media or in accounts.
AI has so much power that is still not fully understood. Please provide your understanding of its greatest powers for advertising & brands
I think that the monster below the bed, because AI is going to be huge, is that you need that you need to know the right questions to ask AI. If you ask dumb questions you are going to get dumb answers.
