Sports brushstrokes in 2014

2014, a year of joy and pain for the United States of America, in relation to sport. During this year, a wide range of events have taken place. It's not over yet, but the moments lived have been unforgettable, for better and for worse.

First of all, the main soccer event, apart from the MLS annual championship, has been the World Cup in Brazil. It's widely known that, wether USA National Team is the best in generations, they can't compete with the first-level selections, such as Spain, Germany, Brazil... But the truth is that an american hero has emerged; Tim Howard.

Howard in the World Cup. Source: Creative Commons Search

The soccer team was kind of a roost, due to the fact that Landon Donovan, the best american player in history, wasn't selected in the 23 players that were going to Brazil. In the first knockout serie, against Belgium, they were quite inferior. USA managed to eliminate the Portugal of Cristiano Ronaldo, but they weren't able to defeat the sensation of the tournament.
Even though they lost, their goalkeeper, Tim Howard, had an incredible performance, with 16 saves, setting the record of the World Cup.

Changing ball, in basketball USA has smiled this year. The three main events were: the NBA Finals, the World Cup in Spain, and the women's World Cup. The american teams of basketball managed to win both tournaments, without almost no problems. However, the expected final against Spain couldn't be carried out because of our prompt elimination.

Khawi Leonard during the NBA Finals. Source: Creative Commons Search

In the national tournament, the NBA, San Antonio Spurs won against Miami Heat comfortably. It wasn't Lebron James, Tim Duncan or Tony Parker but Khawi Leonard won the MVP of the Finals with three incredible performances that gave the Spurs another ring.

Last but not least, as every year, the most important event was the Superbowl. New Jersey was the scenery of the XLVIII edition of the NFL final, that faced the Broncos of Denver and the Seattle Seahawks. The team of Seattle won, achieving their first Superbowl in their history.

NFL Superbowl. Source: Creative Commons Search

The duel against Russel Wilson and Peyton Manning was decided, with the win of the hawks player. However, the hawks quarterback wasn't the MVP, delivered to Malcolmm Smith for his decisive touchdown.

Tomás Orihuela
Journalism

The best of 2014: Grease once again

35 years after its successful premier, “Grease” main characters, Olivia Newton John and John Travolta, had reunited to once again bring us back memories of that popular musical film which made a generational change among people. Alcohol, peer pressure, pregnancy, sex and smoking were some issues presented in this film, what made people develop on a more open minded society. This film which was released in 1978, but set in the 50s, is considered by many as one of the best films of the decade, and even now it stills being considerer like that, as nowadays is one of the most played “last-century film", and its soundtrack has been qualified as one of the most successful soundtracks in hollywoods history. 

 

Olivia and John on the final movie scene, singing "You are the one that i want". Source: www.allposters.es

The success was so widespread that Rotten Tomatoes, a website launched in 1998 and devoted to film reviews and news about films, wrote years after its premier "Grease is a pleasing, energetic musical with infectiously catchy songs and an ode to young love that never gets old.” 

In this unexpected (Being precise, both actors coincided on a festival, and without anything planned they show up together on the stage) meeting, John and Olivia, the teen principal characters of the film, and idols of one hole generation, put their voices together and sang the popularly known song “You're the One That I Want”, making their fans, full of surprise, remind what that music meant for all of them. Even though lot of time has passed, both actors demonstrated that their voices still sound as good as they did on the film, film which as i've told before, obtained fame not only for its interpretations but also for its soundtrack, selling thousands of CD’s all over the world. 

John and Olivia’s voices were heard in every disco, shop and house 35 years ago, and now (last march twenty-seventh) they gave us the opportunity to hear them live, to revive once again those years of the 70’s, 80’s… those years of high school and the confusion of teen romances with infectious exuberance and humor.

Paula Ezcurra
Audiovisual Communication

A catwalk for the change

One of the most polemic and unexpected catwalks took place last 30th of september in Paris on the hands of Karl Lagerfeld. Head designer and creative director of the fashion house Chanel, as well as the Italian house Fendi and his own label fashion house. 

On the presentation of the spring/summer collection 2015 on Paris Fashion Week, an unusual show took place. Karl transformed the insides of The Grand Palais into a urban city landscape, decorated with grey buildings with old style balconies, a street with an uneven pavement, real sidewalks and puddles.

The show started normally. Models walked alone or by partners, wearing pieces of different shapes and colours and from dresses, to the typical Chanel suits. All of them wearing flat-shoes and simple accessories. Models from all over the world. A huge variety of nationalities and beauties. Cara Delevingne, Giselle Bünchen and the young Kendall Jenner are some of the famous models that participated in this amazing show. 

When all the pieces of the collection had been shown, from the far, a large crowd appeared. Leaded by Karl and his right hand Cara Delevingne by his side with a megaphone, and a large crowd of models following them. All of them holding banners with feminist slogans written on them and saying loudly and in unison: “What do we want? Free! When do we want it? Now!”.

A call for the rights of women and for the right to be different and stand out. Karl Lagerfeld once again, transformed his catwalk on a show full of glamour and a demonstration claiming the rights and equality of women to men nowadays. A real revolutionary in the eyes of fashion and society.

Carmen Salaverri 

Advertising and PR

Social media, a must in fashion

What is the hottest trend in fashion right now? Social media. It refers to how brands in the named sector connect with their target market via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on. Becoming a part of the social media network, allows companies in the fashion industry to capture a large audience. Fashion brands most often utilize social media for advertising. Other uses include reporting news, updates, announcements, events, promotions, and customer service. For example Facebook, to explain events and explain their newest stories and news. Twitter, to make shorts announcements and advertise their products and publish their show dates.

However, nowadays, I would say that Instagram is the most important source for fashion designers to publish their collections and to have others advertise them. A huge number of brands nowadays, use “Instagram stars”. This means that they give pieces of clothing to girls or boys who are famous on Instagram, so that others see that they wear their clothes and notice it. And also, brands even have their own accounts to show their newest collections and to publish their newest campaigns.

“Ignoring the Internet [and social media] is madness” Diane von Furstenberg.

The blogesphere is getting access. Important blogs are opening their way through fashion world. Bloggers publish their latest acquisitions and where they have bought them so that their followers can buy those products if they are interested.

Teen Vogue published by Jason Wgenheim and Ring mybell by Ashley Madekwe as Ashley Davenpor are some of these world´s famous fashion blogs.

Fashion is a must in our society and social media, plays an essencial world in the communication of this art.

Source: Twitter

Carmen Salaverri 

Music for you.

The presence of social media is something obvious nowadays in every topic.

Whatever you may want to do, you will have to use social media to get known and, somehow, get what you expect from that thing. 

However, how powerful can be social media in music?

I will explain you an example made with one of the most famous Djs all over the world: Avicii.

Universal Music made an experiment which was called Avicii x You to show how greatly powerful could be social media. The online music community were asked to collaborate with Avicii by uploading their own musical contributions in five sessions over five weeks in order to create the next Avicii's single and doing what was world’s largest music collaboration.

Avicii (Source: Electronicamx )

By the end of the project, a total number of 4,199 producers from 140 countries contributed with 12 850 sounds. The campaign was featured by worldwide media - online, offline and radio. It was mentioned over 20,000 times on Twitter with #aviciixyou and earned 3,3 million views on YouTube – with a total media reach of over 100 million and counting.

After this, do you still doubting of social media's power? If I were you, I would not.

Loreto Sesma Gotor.

Journalism.

Flying on Social Media

Now everyone has accounts in some social networks, a kind of social media. Here, people are more opened to other people; to share content is the principal aim; and companies know it. Having a positioned brand is very important, as the purpose of every company is to be in the consumer's life/mind/heart. Yes, I have written 'heart'. It is not sufficient to occupy the mind of the consumer, it has to exist an emotional connection between company and consumer.

Places where the brands want to be. Source: Self-produced

Futhermore, social media presence is very cheap, or even free if you create a good strategy. Today I have brought you one example.

# Air Asia flying on Facebook

Air Asia, a secondary brand of Malaysian Airlines, wanted to promote their new flights from Australia to Malaysia. The problem was that it was an unknow company and the competence was much stronger than them. Also, they had not money to launch a big advertising campaign and the time was too short. They decided to launch a social media campaign.

They created a Facebook campaign, in which they raffled a free flight from Australia to Malaysia. To enter to the competition, fans had to select 302 friends to fill an Airbus plane. If you won, you and your 302 friends could fly free and stay in Kuala Lumpur three nights.

Results? They doubled the number of flights; their Facebook fans grew 30%; 2 million people participated in their Facebook campaign; the public relations created was estimated to be valued in $1.5 million.

The key facts were that they created something viral; offered something free; and was very social, so the people were highly involved.

The announcement to participate. Property of Air Asia

Do you think Air Asia achieved their objective? Obviously. They did a viral campaign investing much less money than others do in creating big strategies on TV, printed ads,...  

There are thousands of social media campaigns. Do you know some different? Post a comment!

Iñigo Taibo
Advertising and PR

Sundance on the Social Media

Each time society is paving its own way within the technological world. Technologies are a really important part of our daily lives and social media, specifically, let us be connected and participate of every service that the network provide us. Every aspect of life can now take part of this world, also cinema, trough the usage os social media platforms. 

For Americas cinema the network has meant the increase of audience to whom direct their messages and suggestions, the introduction of platforms where they can be in contact with people and tell them about their films…  after all they are the ones who are going to watch their films. Thus, for actors, producers and even film festivals its really important to be connected with people, and let them take part of important decisions as users and consumers, and its what social media its letting nowadays. 

One of American cinemas most acclaimed section and which has benefited the most of this immersion in the social media are the film festivals. They are benefitting themselves of many social media websites the internet provides, as for example the  Sundance Film Festival, one of the most “Connected” film festival in the world. 

 This festivals most used media platform is Facebook, which allows producers to have and immediate contact with its followers, ask them questions, inform them with new updates about the ceremony, show them pictures of latest edition, and also let them comment on their personal timeline leaving their opinions. 

Other platform its Twitter, which allows easy accessibility between the user and the organizing comitee. It also allows followers to stay updated with the latest news, latest events, or new american films premiers. User can directly and instantly communicate with the festival and make suggestions, about who to nominate, which was the most well dressed, opinions about the winners.. 

The festival also has Youtube channel, where they upload videos with interviews to the nominates, to directors, to actors or actresses, also trailers, unseen scenes…  

Its Instagram account its also a really frequented one, it has more than 27k followers, which can see pictures and videos about the preparation of the festival, the ceremony itself, funny selfies took by actors during the ceremony, the awards before the delivery…

The festival its also on Pinterest, Kickstarter, Tumblr, Google+,… Which show us that in this technologized world its really important to introduce ourselves in the net, just to let people introduce themselves in the project and create an experience, which would let people enjoy with their contents.  

Paula Ezcurra
Audiovisual Communication