Someone said Eternauta saw himself walking the streets of Buenos Aires. And the legendary shoes are back arrow. Perhaps the two stories are actually one, but it is best to start at the beginning. Every culture has its distinguishing characteristics, their tracks and make it recognizable brands in the world of human events. An archive of identity, like the rings in the trunks of trees, allows for different interpretations and recognize a vivid way some milestones in the history of peoples. Stories not only accumulate names, but also objects, pictures, small mementos stolen time: history memorabilia.
Along with the consolidation of capitalism and industrial processes, appears in the twentieth century mass culture, in addition to using traditional forms such as literature, music and painting, began to build supports that are typical of the time. Thus arose the film and her younger sister, the story. But the explosion of the industry also began to produce consumer products, which eventually ended up stuck to the popular imagery of these cultures. Thus arose trademarks, whose very appearance is a direct reference to identities specific national: American soft drinks, Japanese motorcycles, the red car Italian Argentine sandals. Just
Alpargatas is a company of 125 years, which began to grow with the manufacture of traditional jute-soled shoes that are always used in the field. With the decision to expand the market in the '50s and '60s created new brands, including shoes Arrow, the first national production and one of those responsible for the popularisation of sports shoes in the country. It was a great icon of the company for a long time and as many brands had its ups and downs, until around 2000 (with the great crisis in the making) decided discontinued. In keeping with the times, the company has just relaunched the arrow joining forces with other icons of Nac & Pop These three collections, tribute, including the reborn insert game Rasti; to Mafalda, Queen national cartoon girl, and nothing less than The Eternauta , the great creation of Hector Oesterheld (closed during military dictatorship), and artist Francisco Solano Lopez, the most important graphic novel of the Argentine comics. "We think what he could count on Arrow. The first thing we thought was to maintain its brand value flag in which the country can recognize some of its history, " Diego says Mohadeb, marketing director in charge of the project. "So we look for other expressions of our popular culture and so these three icons Argentines appeared related to young people, which is the natural age-Arrow and history."
- Does the work was done in collaboration with Solano Lopez?
"Of course. We work closely with him to see how we could make resurface two important symbols of Argentina, such as The Eternauta fundamental as the comic book, Argentina, and this mark as a reference to the domestic industry. Obviously, to work the character needed rights-which are not easy to get, like those of Mafalda - but the truth that when we told them the project, which meant arrow and what we wanted to redo both Solano and accepted Quino delighted. "The Eternauta
always had a strong political reading. How it absorbs the brand?
"The political significance is undeniable, the same goes for Mafalda , but we believe that the value of these creations than political, which is much stronger and broader in the artistic and cultural. The creativity behind the characters and the Argentine character is the value we wanted to rescue. Now for example, some political groups have also taken the character from their political view, and although both readings are complementary, we are not looking that association, just because they are on parallel paths. We thought it appropriate to assist in strengthening Eternauta The Cartoon as national icon and people connected with the drawing and to the design, so feel that way.
"It happens that the two characters represent the political history or look in a critical way. "Well, we are political animals and we can not hide the relationship between the historical reading of both stories and the values \u200b\u200bwe try to save as a brand and company. That is, we have history in Argentina, we recognize and we feel that these icons that are part of that history themselves have sufficient power to represent it. Anyway, perhaps this is part of a post rationalization: the reality is that what we seek was to relate the issues that both the characters and brand share as recognizable symbols of popular culture in Argentina. And from there to settle in the imagination as a mark of national flag, as with sandals. All social analysis and project look seems very wise, but honestly it was not our starting point.
- What was the commercial product acceptance?
"The shoes were released a short time ago, but in design environments, the media and the comic will tell you that the project has had excellent reception. A goal we are working is to give more visibility to the project: I think we need to do more than met our Eternauta. It is an almost personal score to settle, because I love to give the story, from our place, the push it deserves as a central theme in the genre. Anyway I think we should give it time: many times since we are eager to achieve marketing goals and this in fact is a process. I think with Mafalda work is easier because the character is much more massive. It is a project that we are still at an early stage seed and hopefully grow as we get it.
"So far we talked about what you bring these characters to make, but what this cross brings the characters?
We believe that something important may be the match on the idea of \u200b\u200brescuing a simpler world, coming to claim the basics against ostentatious, for example, the design we're used to seeing in global brands. Of course, while we respect the historic design and recognizable brand the Arrow of today are non-existent technology applied in the '60s and '70s, allowing you to compete on equal terms. Beyond that, it is very difficult for the brand can add something as complex characters and strong: it is we who drank more than we can provide. Beyond keeping force or claim them. Perhaps that bit against how much we get, but it is an honor to collaborate from our place in its dissemination.
"These partnerships are common among pop culture icons foreign and clothing lines, but do you remember you have done before with characters from the national culture? He
have smaller enterprises, design studies for example, limited collections. But I would say that massive, industrial scale, this is the first time. We have the competitive advantage of producing in the country, smaller brands that manufacture their products send out are not in a position to take. As for international brands, it is known that the costs of producing a large scale, for example in China, are much lower, but the fact that 90% of our national production is giving us the opportunity to be closer to the Argentine consumer the others are not. And that itself is a political decision.
- What do you think that this decision favored agreements with Solano and Quino?
"I think so, as if they had gone international brands to propose something like that would not have achieved these agreements. I'm convinced of that and very proud.
no longer snows in Buenos Aires (not now, maybe even more). But thanks to Arrow, Eternauta The first real walk on the streets of his city.
Article originally published in the Culture section Argentine Time.
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