Advertising is not an individual sport, it’s a team game, so I’d never claim an award for myself but I have been very fortunate to work on several award-winning campaigns over the years. Below is a sampling of the most noteworthy ones my teams have won. I was the planner for all of this award-winning work and in many cases, I wrote the submissions to the awards shows and festivals.
2022 Cannes Lions and 2022 The One Show
The Story: The short version is that I was able to get a meeting with the then CMO of Burger King, Fernando Machado.
Our Zubi team presented him with three ideas, one of which was something called “The Forbidden Combo”, an unlikely pairing of BK’s Whopper with McDonald’s french fries, something fast food fans had always dreamed of. Though the idea wasn’t new, executing it became possible because of the proliferation of delivery services.
Machado asked us to partner with our WPP sister agency and BK agency of record, David. Ultimately the Forbidden Combo became “The Impossible Combo” and was executed by David in Brazil, using the delivery brand, Rappi. The Impossible Combo was a 4x finalist at The One Show and garnered a Gold Pencil for Interactive, Online & Mobile: Brand Partnerships and a Silver Pencil for Interactive, Online & Mobile: Brand Partnerships. The idea was also on three shortlists at Cannes and won a Silver Lion in Media.
2018 AAF District 4 ADDY Awards
The Story: Our work for WAHL in Mexico took best of show at the district level, which represents all of Florida and the Caribbean. Proof that, when allowed, great people can produce great work for clients who trust their agencies.
2018 North American Effie Awards
The Story: My client, DishLATINO, was a 2018 North American EFFIE finalist. The case study was for the integrated “Sigue Haciéndola” brand campaign the client launched in 2017.
The Story: Puerto Rico is facing an unprecedented economic crisis and MARCA’s client, Dish Puerto Rico, needed to connect emotionally with Puerto Ricans and let them know that things eventually have to get better. The insight in our creative brief was that ‘it’s always darkest before the dawn.’ We won a bronze for planning in the “Beyond Hispanic” category for this spot entitled “Dicen“.
2014 Hispanic Account Planning Excelencia (HAPE) Awards
The Story: A proud moment in my career as a planner came in April of 2014 when a strategy I wrote at Alma for a McDonald’s TV Spot called “First Customer” won a Gold and Best of Show. I had just joined MARCA a couple of weeks before and was on a plane returning from focus groups in Austin, Texas when I saw on my Twitter timeline that our submission had won big. My direct report, who I had been mentoring for several years, also won a bronze that night for another McDonald’s initiative. It’s a shame I couldn’t be there myself but I did meet up with my former colleagues to celebrate at the after party. I’ll never forget it.
2014 Hispanic Marketer of the Year
The Story: At the same AHAA conference where we took home the Best of Show for planning, McDonald’s was awarded Hispanic Marketer of the Year. Additionally, the spot “First Customer” was named one of the five best ideas of the year at the U.S.H. Idea creative awards.
The Story: Alma’s spot for McDonald’s entitled “Cancha” was short listed for cinematography. It’s not an award for planning or strategy but it was a beautiful spot that was shot beautifully and one of the pieces of work that I’m thrilled to have contributed to.
2012 ANA Multicultural Excellence Awards
The Story: McDonald’s won the Grand Prix for a radio campaign Alma created for the brand, entitled “Big Mac Life.”
2012 Hispanic Account Planning Excelencia (HAPE) Awards
The Story: Honorable Mention for McDonald’s “Mango Pineapple Fruit Smoothie” in the category for best strategic thinking for the introduction or repositioning of a product or service.
2011 Billboard Latin Music Marketing Award
The Story: Alma DDB won the TV category at the first ever Billboard Latin Music Marketing awards for a youth-oriented “House Party” campaign that featured up-and-coming artists.
2010 ANA Multicultural Excellence Awards
The Story: McDonald’s took home the Hispanic award for the work my Alma colleagues and I did on their behalf.
2010 Hispanic Account Planning Excelencia (HAPE) Awards
The Story: Bronze for McDonald’s “McCafe-Digital” in the category best strategic thinking for the introduction or repositioning of a product or service.
The Story: Alma’s upper management awarded me for “driving the best out of every team member, presenting and selling our ideas, and being a natural born leader.”
2001 Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Hispanic Marketer of the Year
The Story: Our client, Royal Caribbean, won this award for the Aventuras a tu alcance (Adventures within your reach) campaign we developed for them.
Henry Louis Gomez 