Jordi Lucas and Iván de Dios, founders of Málaga The Agency, explain how they resurrected the romance of Torre Mónica using artificial intelligence for Diario Sur. The campaign has reopened the local debate about the stolen plaque from the tower.
Behind 'Vuelve Mónica', the campaign that has brought back to the collective imagination the love story of Torre Mónica, are Jordi Lucas and Iván de Dios. Both founded Málaga The Agency, an independent full-service agency based in the capital, and have accumulated experience in some of the leading advertising agencies in the country: Contrapunto, Leo Burnett, Shackleton, Ogilvy, and J.W. Thompson, among others. Their accolades include hundreds of international awards, including 15 Cannes Lions. Information about this campaign and its creators is featured in an interview published recently by Diario Sur.
The video recreates Málaga in 1993 with details such as the aesthetics of the time, vintage cars, a Vespino, and Calle Larios. To achieve this, the creatives relied on the graphic archive of Diario Sur. "In Mónica's case, it helped us a lot with images of the couple and the city, to recreate the story realistically," they explain.
"AI is just another tool, like Photoshop was at its time or shooting in 16mm. What remains important are the ideas, the stories you tell"
Lucas and De Dios directed the piece shot by shot, as if it were a conventional film shoot. "Then you use AI as if you were directing a shoot: shot by shot, scene by scene," they detail. The biggest challenge, they admit, was conveying realism in the actions with people: "Making that emotion reach the viewer is the most complicated part."
The result has the approval of the real protagonists, José Carlos and Mónica, who exclaimed upon seeing it: "It's us!". "They are a lovely couple who deserve to have their story told again," the advertisers value.
The campaign has reignited the desire among locals to recover the memory of the tower and replace the stolen plaque. "That was our intention from the beginning: to recover the love story of the couple and turn the tower into an icon of the city," they point out. Regarding the impact of the initiative, they acknowledge that "it's easier for it to happen if it comes from SUR."
When asked about future projects, the founders of Málaga The Agency point to "great unknown stories in the origins of many Málaga brands that deserve to be told." The agency maintains an internal motto: "We make ads, we don't harm anyone."
You may also like
