From Desachate to the World: Uruguay XXI Expands Its Commitment to the Internationalization of Uruguayan Advertising

With more than three decades of history, Desachate once again established itself as the premier gathering for the Uruguayan advertising industry. In its 36th edition, held at the Hotel del Lago, the festival recognized the year’s most innovative campaigns and strengthened its international profile through new partnerships and a networking space organized by Uruguay XXI.

For the fourth consecutive year, Uruguay XXI and the Circulo Uruguayo de la Publicidad collaborated on a strategy to boost the international presence of Uruguayan creativity. What began with support for the submission of Desachate award-winning entries to El Ojo de Iberoamérica incorporated a new initiative this year that capitalized on the presence of international jurors.

As a precursor to the collaborative work with Desachate, in 2023 the campaign “Desde el lugar del otro” (From the Other’s Perspective), by WildFi for Techo Uruguay, won silver in the Public Good Actions on Digital Platforms category at El Ojo de Iberoamérica. A year later, three Uruguayan entries supported by Uruguay XXI were awarded: “The Uncrashable Tucson” by From for Hyundai; “Paramount NS Now” by Publicis; and “Todos somos Sub20” by VML.

“These distinctions validate that Uruguayan creativity has the capacity to compete and resonate with global audiences,” noted Omaira Rodríguez, a specialist in Creative Industries at Uruguay XXI, referring to the impact these awards have on local agencies and brands.

In collaboration with the Círculo Uruguayo de la Publicidad and the Desachate organizers, Uruguay XXI helped assemble an international jury composed of leading figures from agencies, platforms, and creative studios across the region, who provided strategic insights into the entries to be presented at Ojo de Iberoamérica.

Taking advantage of the presence of these international decision-makers, Omaira Rodríguez, Creative Industries Specialist at Uruguay XXI, gave a country presentation that highlighted Uruguay’s creative and audiovisual capabilities, as well as the competitive advantages the country offers for international productions. The event was followed by a networking session, in which Uruguay XXI’s Export Manager, Pablo Pereira, also participated, bringing together the jurors with representatives from Uruguayan production companies.

A festival that celebrates local talent

In the competition, VML was named the festival’s top agency at Desachate, followed by From and Publicis Ímpetu. Other agencies recognized included Notable, Punto Ogilvy, Havas, DDB, and Amén McCann.

Among the campaigns awarded Gold are “Exposición de la autoestima” (Self-Esteem Exhibition), by Ogilvy-Grupo Punto for Unilever; “Olimpack,” by From for PedidosYa; “Seguro del Hincha” (Fan Insurance), by Publicis Ímpetu for Supermatch; and “Operación Grafiti” (Operation Graffiti), by Amén McCann for Océano FM.

The evolution of the relationship between Desachate and El Ojo de Iberoamérica reflects a broader strategy: to position Uruguay as a regional hub for creativity, innovation, and audiovisual production. In an industry where international visibility often depends on high registration and distribution costs, institutional support aims to open new opportunities for local agencies, production companies, and brands to gain a presence on the industry’s main stages.