THE CONQUISTADORS METHOD

A GUIDE FOR ADVERTISING AGENCIES AND PRODUCTION COMPANIES.

THIS BOOK IS ABOUT OUR BELIEFS.

BY READING THIS BOOK, YOU’LL GET A TASTE OF WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE COME FROM AND HOW WE WORK.

WHO WE ARE.

THE CONQUISTADORS COLLECTIVE IS A MUTI-DISCIPLINARY COMMUNICATIONS GROUP DEDICATED TO MANUFACTURING CHEMISTRY BETWEEN BRANDS AND CONSUMERS THROUGH IDEAS, INNOVATION, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY.

HOW WE ARE.

OUR ROOTS ARE HISPANIC. OUR MANNERS, EUROPEAN. OUR CURIOSITY, AUSTRALIAN. OUR UNAPOLOGETIC REBELLIOUSNESS, SOUTH AMERICAN. OUR WORK ETHIC, AMERICAN.

WE’RE CURRENTLY SETTLED DOWN AS NEW YORKERS.

AFTER A 16 MONTH WORLD TRIP, COLLABORATING WITH TOP AGENCIES FROM THE 5 CONTINENTS, WE OPENED OUR FIRST OFFICE IN A MIDTOWN MANHATTAN PENTHOUSE.

BUT OUR SOULS ARE STILL NOMADS.

SOME OF THE BEST AGENCIES AND PRODUCTION COMPANIES IN THE U.S., CANADA, AUSTRALIA AND EUROPE BOOK US EVERY MONTH.

MOTHER, SID LEE, JOHANNES LEONARDO, ATTIK, DROGA5, OGILVY, YOUNG & RUBICAM, DDB, BUCK, THE LIFELONG FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY, GOOD MORNING FILMS, ACNE, SAATCHI SYDNEY, PUBLICIS MOJO, DDB LONDON, ART DIRECTORS CLUB, METROPOLITAN REPUBLIC JOHANNESBURG, HYDROPONIC SURF CLOTHING, MODERN ASSEMBLY AND UNISTRAW HOLDINGS ARE SOME OF THE COMPANIES THAT HAVE HIRED US.

WE CREATE THINGS BEYOND ADVERTISING.

THERE’S A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CREATIVES AND ADVERTISING. WE LOVE TO DO ADS BUT WE ALSO LOVE TO CREATE THINGS THAT AREN’T NECESSARILY ADVERTISING.

THE CONQUISTADORS INVEST PART OF OUR TIME (AND MONEY) IN THE CREATION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.

HOW WE WORK WITH AGENCIES & PRODUCTION COMPANIES.

STEP 1. MARKETING EXECUTIVES, CREATIVE DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS AND RECRUITERS ASK FOR OUR AVAILABILITY AS THEY WOULD ANY OTHER FREELANCER. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT WE ARE A WHOLE FREELANCE CREATIVE DEPARTMENT.

STEP 2. WE ASSIGN YOU A CONQUISTADOR AS THE LEADER OF THE PROJECT. THE SELECTED CONQUISTADOR ATTENDS MEETINGS, CONFERENCE CALLS, PRESENTATIONS AND BRAINSTORMING SESSIONS.

STEP 3. ONCE WE ARE BOOKED, THE SELECTED CONQUISTADOR GETS THE BRIEF IN PERSON AND THE WHOLE CONQUISTADORS TEAM STARTS WORKING ON THE BRIEF. FOR DAYS, WEEKS OR MONTHS.

THE METHOD:

A FEW CONQUISTADORISMS.

A CONQUISTADOR ALWAYS BRINGS YOU NO LESS THAN 6 IDEAS AND NO MORE THAN 10.

WE UNDERSTAND HOW FRUSTRATING IT IS FOR A CREATIVE DIRECTOR WHEN A TEAM ONLY BRINGS BACK ONE OR TWO IDEAS. TO AVOID THIS UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING AND A WASTE OF TIME, WE BRING BACK A REASONABLE NUMBER OF IDEAS.

A CONQUISTADOR ALWAYS CONQUERS FAST.

DEADLINES IN ADVERTISING ARE TIGHT AND CREATIVE DIRECTORS NEED THINGS FAST.

THAT’S OUR JOB. DELIVER WHEN IT’S NEEDED.

IF A CONQUISTADOR’S IDEA DOESN’T FIT IN A TWEET, THEN THE IT ISN’T GOOD.

IDEAS THAT CAN’T BE EXPLAINED IN 140 CHARACTERS ARE PREDESTINED TO DIE. THAT’S WHY WE WRITE THEM IN A VERY SIMPLE WAY.

A GOOD CONQUISTADOR THRIVES ON ENERGY.

PRESSURE, TIGHT DEADLINES, AND ANXIETY BRING A WONDERFUL ENERGY THAT CAN BE CHANNELED INTO THE BIRTH OF AN IDEA. OUR BEST IDEAS COME TO US WHEN DEADLINES ARE APPARENTLY IMPOSSIBLE.

A CONQUISTADOR NEVER LEAVES A FELLOW CONQUISTADOR BEHIND.

IF A CONQUISTADOR LEADER IS STRUGGLING WITH A BRIEF OR PROJECT, THE WHOLE FAMILY IS READY TO HELP.

CONQUISTADORS KNOW THEIR KIND BEST.

TO MIX A FREELANCE WRITER FROM HERE WITH AN ART DIRECTOR FROM THERE SOMETIMES WORKS, BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT DOESN’T.

CEOS, ECDS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS AND CDS DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO DEAL WITH THE CHEMISTRIES BETWEEN CREATIVES. THEY JUST WANT THE JOB DONE IN TIME. PLUS, IT’S EXHAUSTING FOR CREATIVES TO WORK WITH SOMEONE THAT THEY’VE NEVER MET AGAIN AND AGAIN.

FORTUNATELY, WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER VERY WELL.

A CONQUISTADOR IN YOUR OFFICE IS ALWAYS WORTH IT.

THERE’S ALWAYS DOWN TIME DURING PROJECTS. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TIME BY TWEETING OR INSTAGRAMMING ABOUT THE CONQUISTADOR YOU HAVE WORKING IN YOUR OFFICE.

MAKE OTHER AGENCIES JEALOUS.

NOT EVERYONE CAN BE A CONQUISTADOR.

WHEN EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT TOOLS AND PLATFORMS TO CROWDSOURCE AND CONNECT THOUSANDS OF CREATIVES WITH YOUR AGENCY OR BRAND, WE INVEST OUR TIME IN BUILDING A TEAM OF SELECTED INDIVIDUALS THAT ADD THE RIGHT EXPERTISE TO OUR COLLECTIVE.

EVERY CONQUISTADOR IS AN EXPERT IN THEIR AREA.

HONESTLY, WOULD YOU PREFER TO SEE A MENU WITH 2,000 DISHES OR A MENU WITH 10 OF THE BEST?

A TRUE CONQUISTADOR ALWAYS SPEAKS TWO LANGUAGES. EVEN IF IT’S JUST THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE.

WE ARE A MULTICULTURAL TEAM, SO EVERY MEMBER OF THE CONQUISTADORS COLLECTIVE SPEAKS THEIR OWN MOTHER TOUNGE AND OF COURSE, ENGLISH.

THE LIVES OF CONQUISTADORS ARE COLORFUL. NOT THEIR IDEAS.

WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS THE IDEA. PERIOD. WE DON’T SPEND TIME TRYING TO HYPNOTIZE OUR CLIENTS WITH COLORFUL AND PHOTOSHOPPED IDEAS. WE WORK HARD TO GO DEEP INTO THE CORE OF THE IDEA THROUGH WRITING AND BLACK & WHITE SKETCHES.

A TRUE CONQUISTADOR DOESN’T NEED AN OFFICE. BUT KNOWS HOW IT FEELS TO WORK IN A NICE ONE.

IF YOU WANT A BREAK IN YOUR ROUTINE OR A CHANGE IN YOUR ENVIRONMENT, COME AND VISIT US. WE CAN WORK TOGETHER IN OUR SUNNY PENTHOUSE LOCATED AT 1220 BROADWAY, MANHATTAN.

© The Conquistadors Method, New York, 2013.A book created by a few Conquistadorsin a few awesome afternoons at 1220 Broadway.Printed in April 2013 by Printing Resolutions.