Our Spotlight Awards 2021 are open for entries now and we invite you to get to know some of the judges. Matias Paglieri, Creative Director at Digitas Argentina will be judging the Still Life Photography submissions this year.

Production Paradise: You have been a Creative Director for a long time now. Could you give us some insight into your background and how you got to your position as a Creative Director?

Matias Paglieri: I was lucky enough to enter the advertising industry as soon as I finished my studies. In the first two years of my career, I worked for three different agencies where I learned a lot. Then I settled in DDB as an Art Director for two years and from there I moved with my partner to Wunderman Thompson, where I stayed for five years, with a lot of interesting projects (some recognized in prestigious festivals) which made me grow, and I went from being a Junior to Creative Director. Finally, in the pandemic and from the living room of my house, I arrived at Digitas Argentina, a place with a lot of growth ahead, and from which you can also learn a lot.

Production Paradise: You participated in projects with clients such as Phillips, Coca Cola and Disney. Could you share with us one of your favorite campaigns you have worked on, and why?

Matias Paglieri: Last year I worked with Tuenti, a small phone company from Argentina. Even though they are a small client with low budget, we were able to develop several campaigns and activations that turned out to be very interesting.  For example, during the pandemic we celebrated birthdays frustrated by the quarantine inside Fortnite (let’s keep in mind that Tuenti’s clients are centennials).

Another one I like is called Discount Time, it was an activation for Copa America at 2019, where we took advantage of the time added by the referee to launch promotions only during those minutes.

You can find all these projects and more at www.behance.net/paglieriduran

Production Paradise: Your work has been recognized in festivals like FIAP, The Webby Awards and many other advertising festivals, could you tell us more about it? Which one has been the most special one so far?

Matias Paglieri: Yes, part of my work and all my team was recognized both in Latin American and International Festivals. For me, in advertising the most important award at a creative level is Cannes Lions, I won this one in 2017 with Ecoalarm, a campaign for a foundation that cares for nature, and in terms of effectiveness of the idea, the Effie Latam. Anyway, I think that the work itself has to be relevant and that makes it stand out at the festivals.

Production Paradise: Working in an agency, what’s your opinion on how the advertising world has adapted to the pandemic situation? Is this reflected on how the campaigns are developed?

Matias Paglieri: I feel that the agency world has adapted quickly to the pandemic. Working remotely already existed, with the difference that now it had to be full time remote. Perhaps the hardest part was guiding clients through something that was totally new for everyone, so it’s always good to have a strong relationship between the agency and the client.

It has shown that, even in a pandemic, it is possible to produce very good campaigns. Obviously, there are markets that were very affected and that didn’t help, but that’s where we have to become more creative.

Production Paradise: It is your first time judging in the Spotlight Awards. As a Still Life Photography judge, what are you expecting to see in this competition?

Matias Paglieri: I am looking forward to seeing great photographers with a very good aesthetic sense and a great arrangement of the elements. I also save room for surprise!

Production Paradise: In what ways do you think Production Paradise Spotlight Awards could benefit photographers?

Matias Paglieri: These Awards are a great opportunity for all participants as it gives them exposure to showcase their work. They can also see the work of other talented colleagues.

We want to thank Matias for sparing time to share with us. We can’t wait to see the submissions for the Still Life Category for this year’s Edition of the Spotlight Awards!

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