by Matthew Jones

Few people speak with as much passion and enthusiasm about advertising as Federico Duran.  His love for his work comes through in nearly every sentence he speaks, in one way or another.  That’s the kind of drive and dedication it takes to build a career like his – and to create the kind of lasting, impactful campaigns that he has penned.

Duran is the senior copy writer, art director at Bromley Communications, which is arguably the most prestigious Hispanic ad agency in the Americas.  He is an integral part of the team that creates the Continental Airlines and Payless Shoe Stores campaigns that come out of the agency.

Duran’s career began back in Argentina, at Lautrec Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, working on accounts like Adidas, Honda and Revlon.  It proved to be a great training ground right from the beginning.  “As an intern, I learned a lot,” said Duran.  “The people were amazing.  Two of the creative directors went on to run their own agencies.”

Eventually, after years of notable accomplishments, Duran’s reputation stretched to the U.S., and Bromley’ chief creative director, Catarino Lopez, brought Federico stateside to work with his agency.  They hadn’t previously met one another, so the process took place mostly in the digital space.  “Thanks to the Internet,” said Duran.

Duran is not shy about sharing his appreciation for his career.  “I love the creativity,” said Duran.  “I like to see how good creatives can bring a solution to a marketing problem.  I’m very happy to be in advertising.  This kind of work is awesome.  I say ‘Thank you’ every day.”

From a very early age, his fascination with advertising has always been obvious – few who know him are surprised that he has followed the path to agency life.  “When I was young, I had a lot of magazines,” said Duran of his lifelong dream.  “But I never really read the articles.  I just read the ads.  I still do that today.”

There are a lot of elements that feed Duran’s energy in his job.  Aside from the artistic creativity, the variety of challenges and duties helps to keep him, and his ideas, fresh.

“The job is different every day – you have to bring new ideas every day,” explained Duran.  “If you have a (typical) office job, you probably use software like Excel.  You do everything the same way.  Soon, you’ll burn out.  I never get tired of advertising because you’re forced to change your scheme all the time.” 

Getting the Concept Right

For most creatives, the process of coming up with a strong campaign is part art, part research, and part strategic conceptualization.  Duran is no exception, and he approaches every new campaign with as much information and insight as possible.

“You get the brief.  You read it.  You understand the product,” said Duran of the initial stages of his creative process.  “But then you have to change.  You think like the target.” 

For Duran, it’s also important that he understands the product itself – all the attributes, features and uses that set it apart.  “I try to buy any product I work on – unless it’s BMW or something.  Then I can’t do that,” he explained with a laugh.

Sometimes, getting to know a product isn’t so easy.  “My first account was Always (a leading feminine protection product),” said Duran.  “I bought it, but I never used it.  So I put it down on the table in front of me, and I tried to think like a woman.  I rented a lot of different women’s movies.  My wife helped me understand the product.  I understood her a little more during that period, too.”

Duran’s sense of humor about his work is complimented by his disciplined approach to creating great creative products.  For him, it’s not so much the task of coming up with a great idea as it is a need to develop an effective pool from which he can pull many great ideas.

“The most important thing is to understand the product and the target,” explained Duran.  “Then, you can conceptualize the ideas.  You have to have a global concept, not just one idea.  If you have a strong concept, then you can make 1,000 good ideas.”

Duran feels very comfortable with his current work because he feels understood and supported by his largest clients.  “Continental Airlines is a totally different kind of client,” said Duran.  “They try to be different from the competition.  The competitors try to speak to you in a sentimental tone.  Continental goes right to the consumers’ needs.”

According to Duran, this is an invaluable attribute in a client, and it allows him to create his best work.  “They’re open-minded – that can be hard to find in this business, including the multicultural part of the industry,” he said.

It’s All About the Work

If the work of a campaign lives or dies on the inspiration of the creative from which it is born, then Duran's success can be attributed, in part, to a number of inspirational people who have touched his life – friends, family and role models alike.

“My brother is a professional photographer in Barcelona,” Duran said of his original inspiration to pursue advertising as a career.  For many, that first step is the most important part.  “He’s the one who introduced me to advertising.  He found me my first job.”

Over the past 12 years, Duran has had the opportunity to work with, and be encouraged by, some highly celebrated names in the industry.  He’s not hesitant to mention them by name.  One of his creative inspirations is Juan Cabral, creative director, Fallon London.  “He has an awesome mind,” said Duran of Cabral.  “His work is amazing.”

Another key figure in Duran’s professional life was Pablo Del Campo, owner, Del Campo, Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi.  He describes Del Campo as “truly one of the best in the world.”

Also on the list of key figures is Ernest Bromley, the founder of the agency where he now works.  “I’m proud to work here because of people like Ernest Bromley,” said Duran.  “His office door is in front of mine, and his door is always open.  If I have a problem, he takes the time to help me find a solution.  I’m very proud to work for him.”

With all of Duran’s accomplishments and success, there is still much work to be done.  The advertising industry is changing at a faster rate than ever before, and it’s up to all of its participants, clients and agencies alike, to keep up.  According to Duran, those competing in the Hispanic marketing arena have extra obstacles to tackle for the future.

“In the industry overall, I think we’re still in the general market shadow.  We need to respond to this,” said Duran.  In his eyes, the general market agencies sometimes paint Hispanic agencies into a box, limiting their creative freedom by forcing them to follow a general market model.  While all marketing experts agree that a corporate brand should be fluid and consistent across all disciplines and targets, most niche marketers know that the challenge can still – and must be – met without compromising creative freedom.

“Sometimes, we don’t have our own ideas built into the work we provide,” explained Duran.  “That takes away from our identity – we lose it to work under the general market direction.  They try to make us adapt our work from the mainstream campaign, but it shouldn’t have to be the same approach.  There are differences.  In our work, we focus on the insights.”

Not to mention, some ideas just don’t translate well across cultures.  “Sometimes, the general market direction is just wrong for the Hispanic market,” said Duran.  “That’s bad for our market.  The ads don’t reflect us.”

Another obstacle Duran sees facing his business are the financial and resource issues that often go hand in hand multicultural marketing.  “Typically, the general market receives about 90 percent of the ad budget, with the remaining 10 percent split between the Hispanic, African-American and other markets,” continued Duran.  “Yet we’re held to the same results.  We have to be more creative, but with less money.”

Regardless of political and financial challenges, Duran never loses sight of his professional goal – to create and deliver a Latino voice for his audience.  According to Duran, that is the key deliverable of each campaign.

“Every day, I try to find the inherently Latino insights to a creative idea,” said Duran.  “In the Hispanic market, the concept of family is different.  In the U.S., you finish school, and you move away to a different state.  For us, it’s different.  When I hit 18, I moved four blocks away from my parents.”

Understanding these differences is the main value Duran brings to his clients.  Through his passion for uniqueness, he has earned numerous awards and accolades for his agency and clients, including three Bronze Awards at the Iberoamerican Advertising Festival earlier this year.  His recent campaign for the National Pork Board, “Mentiras (Lies),” was named Creative Spot of the Year by Marketing y Medios magazine.

“The most important thing a creative can do is to be impactful with ideas,” said Duran.  “When you’re watching TV in the U.S., you have about 20 different spots for 20 different brands during a given show.  Five of those brands represent your direct competition.  How is the target going to pick you out?  You have to always come with fresh ideas; intelligent ideas;  creative ideas.  The only way to reach your target is by being unique.  That’s my philosophy.”

According to Duran, all the creative energy in the world is useless if it’s not shaped by another invaluable ingredient – drive.  Duran describes one of his greatest advantages with one word:  “Work, work, work, and work.  I spend 12 hours a day here, and I work some more at home,” said Duran.  “At five o’clock, you should be turning off your computer, not turning it on.  If you spend more time thinking, you can bring fresher ideas.  I love this job.”

According to Duran, the work ethic required in this business is one of the early surprises for people who enter it without knowing what is really required.  “People think this job is cool, and that it’s glamorous.  They think it’s easy.  That’s totally wrong,” explained Duran.  “I work harder than a doctor.  This is a hard industry.  You have to live in your clients business.  They’re paying good money – you have to earn it.”

Duran is quick to point out another important fact, as well – you can’t do the work alone.  His "dupla" (creative) partner is creative director Joaquin Ares, the one person Duran can’t do without.  “He’s an awesome person,” said Duran. 

Above all, Duran’s greatest asset is also his greatest joy – his family. It’s the one thing for which he is most thankful.  “I’ve been in the U.S. for about two and a half years.  I’m very happy,” said Duran.  “My wife, Alexia, is from New York and my daughter was born in San Antonio.  If I’m successful, it’s because I have a wife behind me who is awesome.  I want to say that because I love her.”