The Concept
For the past month, Spanish audiences have witnessed the combined efforts of the whole advertising industry united behind the first initiative of its kind: “Publicidad Sí!” (“Yes to advertising!”). A total of 32 Spanish companies that represent the advertising industry have joined this platform, which also benefits from €1.7 million worth of advertising space that has been contributed by different sales houses (TV, online, outdoor and radio).
In a context of economic recession, “Publicidad Sí!” seeks to raise awareness about the advertising industry as a whole, especially its role as an economic booster; the industry currently employs 150,000 people and represents 2% of Spain's GDP – more than the whole agricultural sector. It also underlines advertising's value as a driving force within a properly functioning society, as it offers customers greater freedom of choice, assures competitiveness and supports quality content for media, as explained within the initiative’s “Ten Principles.”
How does it work?
Innocean Spain, the agency in charge of developing this campaign, created different TV and radio spots in which advertisers join forces for the common good. For instance, a well-known TV spot starts playing and is quickly interrupted by a spokesperson that works for another brand, who explains that advertising is so important for brands that the companies do not mind sharing their advertising space to promote a common cause.  For example, Danone’s representative pops into a Kia spot saying “Hello, you have never seen me in this ad, but I have a lot to do with it, because advertising contributes to more than 20% in the development of trade. So much so that I have been invited by another brand to share my message in their ad. I work for Danone”.
This same idea of synergy between competitor brands was applied to the press, with ads showing Calvo tuna and Micolor soap together, whilst the radio and outdoor campaigns predominantly featured informative arguments, with claims such as “This ad gives you freedom, as advertising brings independence to media” or reminding the listener how many people have been working on one single spot, emphasising that advertising also creates jobs.
Why does this matter to egta members?
Joint initiatives of this kind, which unify the whole industry behind a strong message, demonstrate a great willingness to spread the message that advertising is necessary for a properly functioning economy as widely as possible. It not only creates jobs and enables the existence of independent and high-quality media, but by doing so also creates wider social and cultural impacts. A recent UK study commissioned by the Advertising Association called “Advertising Pays” emphasised that, on average, every £1 spent on advertising generates £6 for the British economy.
It is not only in times of crisis that the whole industry must promote a strong image for television and radio advertising throughout Europe in order to grow the pie before sharing it amongst national players. Raising the audience’s awareness by emphasising that without advertising, there can be no quality content is certainly relevant for all European markets and strengthens the image of a strong, unified advertising industry, rather than highlighting competition between companies. |
