This year, ICEX Spain Exportation and Investment stood out on a creative level with the campaign “The cause of the accident that caused the fire”, with which it promoted the talent and creativity of the Spanish audiovisual sector and with which it was recognized in competitions such as Cannes Lions or the National Creativity Awards. Now it expands that differential approach with its latest campaign.
Under the concept “Know, Connect, Grow”, the organization is committed to an unusual approach in the communication of public institutions. And it has opted for a musical and innovative spot to publicize the reorganization and restyling of its website, as well as the services it offers to Spanish companies to promote their internationalization processes.
He has worked alongside the Espada agency and Santa Cruz Studio, which was awarded the public tender, and the creative company Little Spain. Together they have led the conceptualization, the production of the spot and the development of the campaign. The result is a disruptive piece, with a marked differential character and ready to generate memorability.
The ad, which featured the production company Plaza by Little, covers the intergenerational hit “Flying Free” to communicate the ICEX offer. The topic serves to build a parallel between the world of air transport and the strategic, operational and emotional journey that the internationalization of a business entails. Furthermore, it provides a rhythmic progression that accompanies the transition from uncertainty to international takeoff.
It presents a choral story starring various types of professionals linked to Spanish entities in different sectors, such as fashion, food or video games; and who are at different points in their internationalization process. All of them are assisted by the figure of the “ICEX Search Engine”, which represents the organization’s new portal, reflecting its capabilities in data intelligence, humanity, closeness and technology to help and accompany Spanish companies.
The piece reflects everyday scenes of business reality, from airports and fairs to meetings and pitches in offices; and exposes different processes, such as the search for financing, contacts in export markets, the decision to choose a destination, or the infrastructure for order management.
The campaign connects with different generations of professionals through music and imagination
Through a song and a widely recognizable imagery, the ICEX connects with different generations of professionals, and it does so with a contemporary audiovisual language. It is presented as an ally for businesses to explore opportunities, compete in new markets and drive growth.
The spot presents the claim “Know, Connect, Grow”, which also varies with the concepts “Compete, Conquer”. Thus, not only are the core values of the services that ICEX makes available to companies grouped together, but the natural steps of any internationalization strategy are also summarized.
The campaign, as Roberto Ruiz Antolín, Marketing Director of ICEX, explains to us, not only publicizes the services of the institution and its new portal, but also highlights the creativity and talent of the Spanish business sector and that behind each Spanish product there is innovation and the desire to go further.
And this idea has been expressed in the advertisement itself. “Our campaign is innovative because it uses a different way of speaking by an Administration towards citizens, but, at all times, the message is clear and aligned with our mission of promoting prosperity to the national economy through internationalization.“; explains Ruiz Antonlín. “We want to transmit confidence and energy at a complex time for international trade. In a context of uncertainty, it is important to remember that Spain has talent, innovation and the ability to compete abroad.”.
The campaign stands out for its daring, something that was even part of the briefing. “One of the key requests that ICEX made of us for this branded content campaign was to do something risky, different and unexpected. Speak with contemporary, close, human language but at the same time transmit excellence, rigor, innovation… So we had to take risks, no matter what..”; explains Nerea Goikoetxea, CEO and Executive Creative Director at Espada and Santa Cruz Studio, in statements to reason.Why.
The agency assures that the idea of making a musical was born in collaboration with Little Spain and seeks to explore new territory, while serving to simplify the complex. “‘Flying Free’ is undoubtedly a great song, a cultural hook that, regardless of tastes, lifestyles… even age, you have heard and hummed. Culturally, it is an insight that takes all people in Spain to a place in our personal memory.”says Goikoetxea.
ICEX hopes that the campaign will help position the institution as a modern, creative administration close to companies, capable of connecting with very diverse audiences. “At the same time, it conveys an idea of renewal, showing that at ICEX we are willing to experiment, without losing institutional credibility.“, Roberto Ruiz Antolín tells us. “We think that the campaign inspires optimism, reinforces confidence in our brand and in our mission of accompanying companies in their external growth.”
Goikoetxea also believes that the campaign achieves an interesting balance between the seriousness and rigor of what the ICEX wants to tell, all with a friendly, fun and catchy touch. He assures that it is an advertisement with ““many semantic layers that are not exhausted in a first viewing”something that will contribute to the success of the campaign.
In addition to the spot, the campaign is complemented with creatives for social channels and digital media that highlight the advantages of registering on the ICEX portal. It will also include paid media executions to attract new users and boost brand awareness.
