What it is – Spanish (Texas Gas Service)

The Spanish version of the TV spot I described in my previous post (below).

Agency: Sanders\Wingo

What it is – English (Texas Gas Service)

This was the second TV commercial I pitched in my young advertising career. It ended up winning a Telly Silver Award. More importantly, it won Texas Gas Service some much needed brand recognition and positive feedback.

Objective: With little recognition in the Rio Grande Valley, our client asked us to create a spot that would help them become a brand name in the region. Texas Gas also requested that we stay away from the cliche natural gas messages. (When a client doesn’t want a cliche, you love ‘em for it.)

Strategy: If your customers and prospective customers don’t know who you are, put some meaning behind your name while making a public relations event out of the process. When I wrote the spot, I wanted the audience to get a sense of pride when they heard the words “Texas-Gas-Service” being defined by their friends, family and neighbors … pride in themselves for knowing and having those qualities … and just as importantly, perceiving Texas Gas Service as a community member for sharing in those same virtues.

Things to notice: The spot was shot in the Rio Grande Valley using local talent, helping give the TV spot and Texas Gas some buzz even before the commercial aired.

Things you can’t see: I really wanted to direct this but wasn’t granted the opportunity. Weeks earlier, the first set of commercials I had ever pitched were green lit by another client. I didn’t direct those either, which was fine by me until I saw the final product. While those TV spots were by no means bad (the client liked them a whole lot), I saw a lot of missed opportunities that could have made them excellent. And so when I was denied a second time, I braced myself for the worst, especially given that the director was new to the agency.

When the director flew back into town with the finished product I was … happy. He took my script and made it all his own, producing an even better (albeit different) spot than what I had envisioned.

Copywriter: R. Vega

Director: R. Espinosa

Creative Director: R. Espinosa

Agency: Sanders\Wingo

my uncle, the babysitter

I wanted to make a film about two male relatives who only know how to show their affection by antagonizing each other because, until I reached my late twenties, this is exactly the type of relationship I had with my uncles, cousins and brother.

Things to notice: The shot from 2:20 to 2:45. The camera goes from first person to third person. While on set, it dawned on me that it was the only (read: most fun) way to shoot the scene.

Things you can’t see: I shot this in 8 hours (including a long break for my child actor who was just going nuts … but this was his first film and he did great) and finished editing two days later. This was my final project for my first production class as a USC School of Cinema-Television* screenwriting graduate student.

*Now the USC School of Cinematic Arts

Writer/Director/Cinematographer/Editor: R. Vega

Fruits of Labor (US Postal Service, Dinero Seguro)

Beauty that never saw the light of day.

A little more abstract than the execution posted below, this piece made it to the final round of presentations before getting cut.

Things to notice: The three hands create a tree: the two bottom hands symbolize the roots while the top hand represents the trunk and branches. I like Carlos’ effective use of red in the middle of the ad. It draws your eye to it.

Things you can’t see: Though it seems silly now, I was hesitant to pitch this execution because it so closely resembled the idea I had for my “Textroot” logo (see my blog banner). In the end — and this debate took all of a minute in my head — I decided that it was fine for two executions to be alike in spirit and, more importantly, that my clients and my employer deserve the best of my ideas … that’s why they pay me.

Copywriter: R. Vega

Illustrator: C. Lopez

Creative Director: M. Correa

Agency: Sanders\Wingo

Send/Create (US Postal Service, Dinero Seguro)

Appeared in East and West Coast markets.

This is one of my favorite pieces from my days at Sanders\Wingo. We worked hard to infuse the Post-it-sized newspaper sticker with as much story as possible and ended up with a beautiful creation that our client loved (and so did we).

Objective: Position Dinero Seguro as a trustworthy money transfer service to Latin-American consumers, particularly Mexican immigrants. Peak interest so that readers look for full page ad (which, sadly, we did not create) inside the newspaper.

Strategy: Tell the consumers’ story in a way that honors their efforts and their culture. Make Dinero Seguro part of that story.

Things to notice: Mural style illustration with Aztec-like design in the background. The husband and wife’s arms form a circle, a symbol of their unified efforts. The word “Envias” (you send) is transformed into the word “Creas” (you create) when it crosses Dinero Seguro, positioning the service as an integral part of the relationship.

Things you can’t see: This was a total team effort. We filled an entire wall (a very big wall, I might add) with ideas on how we could should use the 4″ x 4″ space. No one idea won out. We saw different elements and themes that looked like they could work well together and matched them up until we found something undisputedly  dynamic.

Copywriter: R. Vega

Illustrator: C. Lopez

Creative Director: M. Correa

Agency: Sanders\Wingo