The advertising industry is at a turning point, with new formats, the rise of AI, and a market with an increasing number of players redefining the rules of the game. Given this scenario, some of the most influential voices in the sector agree that the key to moving forward lies in authentic collaboration. The main goal of c de c 2025, held on March 21 and 22, was to demonstrate and analyze why we need to collaborate more and how to do so to strengthen the sector's creative muscle. Under the theme "Collaborating more, the best idea we've ever had," each of the presentations contributed their own insights regarding this need to break down walls and ceilings to gain a broader view of what we're working on and have room to glimpse what it can become. In his presentation, Hernán Casciari appealed to the most human and emotional side of the community, recounting how he survived a heart attack thanks to the "collaboration" of the hosts of the Airbnb home he was staying in. Fito Páez illustrated the ups and downs of collaborations in the musical world and how one must adapt and find common ground for them to work, without ever losing one's own identity. Eugenia Tenenbaum, an art historian specializing in gender perspective, made it clear that gender inequality persists in this industry and that "it's everyone's problem." "I want to speak especially to the men here today. You'll forgive me, but we don't want you to be our allies. We want you to be in the fight at the same level; you're not doing us any favors; you have to be there because you're as interested in this as we are: creativity, advertising, brands. We all benefit when there is a diversity of voices and perspectives," she stated in her speech. For her part, Laia Grassi presented the 10 commandments for the AI ​​era, which include not fearing AI and learning to collaborate with it, cultivating human skills, and using technology ethically and responsibly. In contrast to this presentation of examples of AI work, dental coach Brenda Cohen encouraged the entire Kursaal audience to get up and dance, with her goal of making it clear that expression is born from dialogue, not from a more individual perspective. TV presenter Minerva Piquero and Francisco Vaquero, Director of Corporate Marketing at Atresmedia, reviewed the current state of television advertising and urged the search for new formats to win over brands and strengthen ties with them, in order to regain their enthusiasm. VICIO spoke about these new forms and breaking the mold a bit, presenting the keys to their creative success. Discover the winners of the 2025 National Creativity Awards The most awarded agencies and advertisers of the 2025 National Creativity Awards

What's the best way to collaborate? Mónica Moro, creative director of This is Libre, was clear on this when we asked her this question at the conference: "It's essential that we're all pulling in the same direction." The creative insisted that collaboration must occur between agencies and teams to achieve more coherent projects and more efficient processes. Carlos Eiroa, Director of Brand, Advertising, and Sponsorship at ASISA, emphasized breaking down the barriers between creative, strategic, and commercial departments: "There should be a collision of interests and much more creative collaborations, with think tanks and a bit of order so everyone can contribute." For Jaime López-Francos, CEO of Dentsu Iberia, this collaboration inherently involves "true generosity." "This industry needs to move from words and literature to action. I believe that collaboration is generosity, knowing how to find the right partners who can take brands further, collaborating to deliver better results for clients," he argued. This vision is supported by Francisco Vaquero, who adds that we must "be willing to simplify the principles of the way we've always worked, have less ego and less fear, collaborate and test." Breaking down silos and increasing the involvement of marketing directors "We've been working in silos for a long time, and I think it's the biggest problem we've had for decades. There are creatives on one side, technology on another, accounts on another, paid media on another. There aren't really joint projects, but rather a combination of pieces; that's not collaboration. On a creative level, it makes us less effective," says Alejandro Di Trolio. "It's about increasing interaction between the advertiser side, the agency side, the different profiles we have, and above all, with the generational exchange that is taking place between the past and the future of our sector," noted Curro Palma, general director of c de c. "There's much more collaboration and transparency outside of creative agencies. That competition in other sectors is healthier, more genuine, and reaches farther," said Pepa Rojo, creative director of Meta Iberia. "I would like the marketing directors of the companies we work for to come and see our work and what we do in the C-to-C, because that would give them a broader, 360-degree view of the opportunities and potential of all the agencies in the sector," noted María Bima, General Manager of Manifiesto Barcelona. Valuing and Defending Ideas and Creative Talent Another common point was the urgency of valuing creative work, as Paco Mendoza, CEO of Publicis Spain, wishes: "We should all work to ensure that the value of ideas and, therefore, their remuneration, are not devalued." Mónica Moro also emphasized this point. "We need to collaborate so that projects are much more respectful, so that fees are truly in line with the time and competition processes. We need to go back, that's what collaboration is for, not everyone looking at their own navel, their most selfish interests," she stated. Furthermore, the creative director of This is Libre called for caring for the new generations entering the sector: "We need to look out for them and continue to have a solid industry that is seeing how some legs are falling apart." Aleix Puig, co-founder of VICIO, agreed here, and was clear about the importance of valuing teams. "The industry should invest in talent and retain it, and to do this, we need to pay people well, give them a good quality of life, and let creativity be creativity, because sometimes we ask for it but don't let it be realized," he explained. "Advertising should change its paradigm," asserted Hernán Casciari. "It's doing so in part, but it hasn't yet taken the great leap into the void, and that change gives me the impression that it needs to return to certain sources from before the invention of loudspeakers, even before the invention of the radio. Remember how we sold potions to make our hair grow in 1820," she remarked. Diversity and inclusion as creative pillars Yan de Simone, founder and CEO of BI Universe, insisted that agencies must be more inclusive and open creative processes to new perspectives: "Agencies, and creative teams, need that collaborative power, especially at the tables, to generate more diversity, to understand that creative processes must be carried out with part of those audiences, with those groups, with those communities, and above all, with specialists."

Writer and essayist Remedios Zafra brought us closer to an ethical and social perspective on collaboration. "The creative industry has the great advantage of seeming very articulate; you seem to collaborate more than in the creative sectors of the artistic and cultural world. From the outside, it's perceived with a certain amount of envy that there are already many ties between you, but it's true that sometimes you can fall into the inertia of seeing your colleagues as rivals, of understanding that everything in the industry is governed by the supreme God of capital. And I think it's important to remember that the industry is made up of people who work and are paid for their creative work, people who live together and whose work also affects society. Generating collaborations to reflect on the meaning of the work we do and honesty is important," she stated.