He has been working in the complex world of communication and advertising for over 30 years and still gets excited when talking about creativity, brands, messages, clients, and media. From studying computer science to becoming a key figure at the creative and audiovisual production agency Sin Palabras Creativos, Rafa Clarimón has witnessed and participated in the evolution of the sector in Aragon: new media, new languages, new technologies. From print ads in newspapers to social media and digital hyper-segmentation, from black-and-white television to artificial intelligence, from billboards and traditional advertising panels to TikTok. “At the end of the day, it’s all about communication,” he adds.
ZARAGOZA.- The evolution of advertising cannot be understood without the transformation of the media, technology, and social habits. From the first advertisements in newspapers and television to digital hyper-segmentation and artificial intelligence, the sector has undergone a structural change. In this interview, the Zaragoza-based advertising executive—proud of the awards that are consolidating Sin Palabras Creativos (SPC) as a benchmark for quality and creativity in the Aragonese and national scene—reviews his career, analyzes the evolution, the present, and the challenges of the sector, and reflects on the future of creativity, artificial intelligence, and communication in Aragon and around the world. “What is not communicated does not exist” remains a current axiom.
QUESTION: Have you always worked in advertising? Are you a born advertising executive?
ANSWER: Yes, indeed, although I studied computer science. Then, life, for family reasons, brought me closer to the sector, I became hooked on this world and yes, here I am.
Q.- Since you started in advertising, how has your work and the sector evolved?
A.- More than advertising, over time I have learned that we are actually talking about communication: marketing, creativity, and technology form a whole. The truth is that it has evolved a lot and continues to do so. And increasingly quickly, among other things due to new technologies. For me, communication is a container that encompasses marketing, creativity, advertising… At the end of the day, everything is communication. There are people who are dedicated to more pure communication, such as journalists, and then there are others of us who help brands, institutions, companies, etc., to communicate their benefits, news, or value propositions.
Q.- How was advertising done before and how is it done now? The leap in 30 years is considerable.
A.- Back then, in the 90s, we had one television station, TVE, with two channels, a number of radio stations, print media, and cinema. There were no billboards, no internet, no television opening, no YouTube… Today, marketing and advertising have undergone a radical change. The arrival of new media, for example, led communication agencies to establish creative criteria that previous media did not allow.
«BEFORE, WE HAD THE PRESS, RADIO, CINEMA, AND A TELEVISION WITH TWO CHANNELS. THERE WAS NO INTERNET, NO MUPIS, NO DIGITAL PLATFORMS. TODAY, THE CHANGE IS RADICAL: NEW MEDIA HAVE OPENED UP CREATIVE POSSIBILITIES THAT DID NOT EXIST BEFORE AND HAVE COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED THE WAY CAMPAIGNS ARE PLANNED
Q.- So, is there a before and after the arrival of new digital media?
A.- Absolutely. Planning used to be simpler: press, radio, television, cinema, and outdoor advertising. Today, the same creative approach has to be adapted to multiple formats: social media, banners, video, press, commercials, events, digital platforms, etc. In addition, budgets and segmentation make planning much more complex.
Q. Have the new media made advertising more complicated? Have they made it more creative? And more expensive?
A.- They have made it more complex. There are more media, more channels, and more audience fragmentation. And social media has changed consumer behavior: today, everyone wants to monetize and communicate. Advertising planning today is often complex for two reasons: not everyone has a huge budget to make large investments, and there are more and more media outlets. Practically everyone wants to monetize.
It used to be easier to plan: in Zaragoza, you had Cadena SER, Heraldo de Aragón, El Día, a number of cinemas… It was easier to define a campaign.
Q.- How have “communication” and “creativity” evolved?
A.- There has always been good creativity. Spain has historically been a very strong country in international festivals. What has changed is the training, audiovisual culture, and life experience of the younger generations. Traveling, consuming content, and learning about other cultures broadens the creative outlook. Right now, very good, very emotional, very focused campaigns are being made. Creativity and design have improved. Society has also evolved: people who are now in their sixties didn’t have the opportunity to travel as much as eighteen or twenty-year-olds, and traveling and getting to know other cultures opens your mind.
«A COMPANY IS MADE UP OF PEOPLE. BEING INVOLVED AND CLOSE TO THE CUSTOMER, WITH THEIR NEEDS, AND HAVING COLLEAGUES COMMITTED TO THE PROJECT MAKES EVERYTHING WORK WELL. WE HAVE INNOVATED IN MANY ASPECTS AND WE ALWAYS TRY TO BRING ADDED VALUE TO CAMPAIGNS, EVENTS, AND PROJECTS. IF THE CUSTOMER TRUSTS US AND COMES BACK, THAT IS THE BEST SIGN THAT THE WORK IS WORKING.
Q.- In this intense chain, what is your area? Where do you come in?
A.- I consider myself a multitasker. I really enjoy contact with clients, cross-functional work, and collaborating and working with creative teams, designers, producers, and technicians. It’s difficult to define yourself. I am from a generation that has experienced many changes and has been fortunate enough to learn about and work with different media and to experience many processes: outdoor advertising, film, press, digital press, agencies, design boutiques… We were there at the beginning of the internet, when no one knew what email was, and now we are working with artificial intelligence. This gives us a global vision of the sector and, most importantly, of what the client wants and needs.
We have fantastic colleagues, creative at all levels, and sharing projects with them is what makes me contribute and enrich myself. And this gives us a global vision of the sector and, most importantly, of what the client wants and needs.
Q.- You have managed to associate Sin Palabras Creativos with a quality brand. What is the reason for your recognition?
A.- A company is made up of people. Being involved and close to the client, understanding their needs, and having colleagues who are committed to the project makes everything work well. We have innovated in many areas: in presenting campaigns, in creating them, and in organizing events. We have tried to set ourselves apart, and I think we are succeeding. We are constantly thinking of new types of actions to propose to clients and meet their needs. We provide quality service at all levels. If the client trusts us and comes back, that’s the best sign that our work is effective.
Q.- Is the marketing and advertising sector in Aragon saturated?
A.- It has gone from a drought to a deluge. There are many facets to the world of communication: research, design, creativity, journalism, audiovisual production… It’s a puzzle in which all the pieces are falling into place. It has grown a lot due to specialized training and the emergence of new professional profiles. I don’t know if it’s saturated, but it is more competitive. Today there are more agencies, more professionals, and more specialization.
“THERE ARE CAMPAIGNS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES ARE NOT ALWAYS THE ONES THAT WIN AWARDS, BUT THE ONES THAT TOUCH YOU AS A PERSON.”
Q.- Of all the projects you’ve been involved in, which campaigns have had the biggest impact on you, from a personal point of view?
A.- All the campaigns have had their moment. We work with large, medium, and small clients, and we treat them all with the same care and attention. We’ve even grown with them; that’s one of our maxims at Integra. But if I had to choose, I would say that the campaigns I liked the most were the ones we did during the pandemic. We were fortunate that the Zaragoza City Council trusted us to make a video about what was happening in our city. That first video literally took off, it went around the world, it was translated into Chinese, Italian… We also made an audiovisual piece with Grandes Vinos y Viñedos, a charity initiative recorded during the pandemic with different artists from various countries singing from their homes. It was a very powerful production. It’s not always the most important ones that win awards, but the ones that touch you as a person.
Q.- You have received awards in recent years. What do these awards mean to you?
A.- There was a first prize for the 2023 San Jorge campaign by the Government of Aragon. And recently we have had two awards presented by Marcos de Quinto, as part of the Salud Festival, for two very sensitive campaigns on suicide. We were lucky that both campaigns were awarded first prizes, competing with very powerful companies not only from Spain but also from America. It is a source of pride for Sin Palabras Creativos, for the team, and for Integra. And for me, without a doubt, it is a great joy and motivation. They are a recognition of the team’s work, creativity, and collective effort. Competing with large national and international agencies and receiving awards is a great satisfaction.
Q.- Artificial intelligence is transforming the world. And advertising? Is it a threat or an opportunity for the sector?
A.- Artificial intelligence is older than black thread. It is not a recent invention. Large and medium-sized companies have been applying it for years. The important thing is that it has been democratized: now anyone can have artificial intelligence on their cell phone for free. Should we see it as a threat or an opportunity? I’m not sure. Is it helpful? Yes. Could it be a threat? Also yes. You can do absolutely wonderful things with it, but if you don’t know how to use it… it’s like riding a horse: you can buy the best thoroughbred, but if you don’t know how to ride, you’re not going to get anywhere. Integra has been working with artificial intelligence for many years. We have our own developed agents, and our close relationship with major partners such as IBM and Microsoft gives us a very forward-looking vision.
“ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS OLDER THAN BLACK THREAD. IT IS NOT A NEW INVENTION. THE NOVELTY IS THAT IT HAS BEEN DEMOCRATIZED: ANYONE CAN HAVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ON THEIR MOBILE PHONE FOR FREE. THREAT OR OPPORTUNITY? I’M NOT SURE.”
Q.- Which sector in Aragon needs to communicate more?
A.- All of them. What is not communicated does not exist. It is not just a matter of running campaigns, but of having a strategy and constant communication, adapted to the resources of each company or institution. The more companies and institutions communicate, the more the sector will benefit. I wish they would communicate more. I think almost everyone is telling stories, with or without a plan. The ideal would be to have a plan. We must bear in mind that not everyone has the capacity to communicate every month, at all hours, on all channels. There are companies that like to go unnoticed because of the type of service they provide. At Sin Palabras, we have a format called “Made in Aragón,” and I’ve realized that there are many interesting companies and projects in this community that many people don’t even know about. They do extraordinary things and are barely visible. It’s not always due to a lack of value, but rather a lack of strategy, resources, or a culture of communication.
Q.- Do you have to run an advertising campaign to be known and relevant?
A.- I think you have to communicate. There’s a maxim in this world: what isn’t communicated doesn’t exist. And what isn’t maintained is forgotten. You don’t just have to communicate once, but try to maintain a steady stream within your means to keep in touch with the customer.
Q.- Is it scary that now everyone, anyone, can do anything on social media as communicators?
A. There are media outlets that are competitors, there are agencies, but Google and Facebook are also competitors because they allow you to create banners. Then it’s up to the quality and creativity you bring to it… it’s like artificial intelligence: if you don’t know how to use it, even if it costs you very little, it may not be useful to you.
Q. Has TikTok surprised you?
A. TikTok has become as popular as Instagram or Facebook in their day.
It’s a tool for entertainment and also for sales. Social media is here to stay, but there have been others that also had a promising future and have fallen by the wayside. In the end, no one is inventing anything new: years ago, we had friends of the family who sold Avon or Thermomix products. Commerce and sales haven’t changed; what has changed is that you can access products from anywhere in the world in seconds. They are tools for entertainment, visibility, and sales. They have democratized commercial communication. The key is in the strategy, not the platform. Without knowledge and planning, they don’t work.
Q.- What challenge or project are you excited about for 2026?
A.- I like to learn a little every year, and I would like to continue enjoying my family and friends. As for professional projects, I can’t tell you, it’s a secret! It’s going to be a very good year: we’re working on projects for different dates between now and December and also for 2027. It’s a real luxury.
