Diana: Saint Cecilia's day

What can I say about music? I have lived such mesmerizing moments with it that I would be delighted to share this feeling with everyone.

Sometimes people are put off by classical music, which makes me feel both discouraged and disappointed; I´m utterly convinced that most of the times this rejection is brought about by the lack of musical culture in our society. Take the case of Holland or Germany, where practically everybody plays an instrument or sings in a choir ... 

The truth of the matter is that music, undoubtedly, helps us to be happier, either by playing an instrument or listening to it.  Inevitably, music grabs you and you become part of it, wrapped in a world of sensations and pleasure. 

I attach a video of Vivaldi´s popular composition “The four seasons”, starring Anne-Sophie Mutter, one of my favorite violinists. I´m a big fan of this piece and, roughly every two years, I prepare it with four pupils and I organize a concert where each pupil plays a season. 

Long live Music!! Long live Saint Cecilia!!

My favourite advert

Belén Sanchez: 

Do you remember the legendary ONCE summer advertising campaigns in the early / mid 2000s? They had great success across the country, mostly due to their popular jingles, which are still hummed by many Spaniards. Some of their catchy melodies became the “song of the summer”, namely “Tapitas”, “Cremita”...

They were created by advertising agency DDB, and funnily enough, the striking lyrics were written by the publicists while having a beer.

They wanted us to associate the "Cuponazo de la ONCE" with some typical Spanish summer scenes, and there is nothing more typical in July and August, especially in the South of Spain, than a waiter “singing” the tapas you can taste in a bar, or someone applying sunscreen protection on someone else’s back on the beach.

The same agency workers - who were truly surprised by the overwhelming success of the campaigns - lent their voices for the radio commercials, and starred the famed TV ads. Almost everyone in the agency took part in the advertisements, from the secretaries to the cleaning staff. In my opinion, not only are these adverts absolutely brilliant, but also a good example of how to make a successful campaign without paying millions of dollars to a media star.

Thanks Belen! Your post brings good memories of past summers. I also remember the hilarious ONCE commercial breaks on the radio featuring the voices of Gomaespuma. Let me remind you of one famous example:

Diana Dominguez: 

TV ads are, in my view, part of the so-called seventh art (like short films). I must admit that, by and large, ads have improved a lot over the last few years.

We are used to watching them without paying much attention - probably because of the large amount of crappy ads we usually watch (for example, soap ads. I just can´t stand them). But suddenly, one day we are sitting idly in front of the TV and we become absorbed in a song, a feeling or a funny slogan. 

Unquestionably, this is the goal of the ads: captivate the viewer / consumer. Many big brands have shown that ingenuity and creativity are the key to advertising success.

One of the ads that have hooked me lately is the one for Fanta: it´s witty, funny and realistic. I just love it!

Well done, Diana. I do like this extended version of the ad, which I'd not seen before. Now, you told me you were looking for an equivalent in English. Well, how about this other one starring ... Mr Hitler himself! - sometimes fiction is larger than life!

C'mon folks, keep sending your fave ads!