Meet Bego Raido | Chief Creative Officer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bego Raido and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bego, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?

Technical knowledge does not replace creative or strategic thinking.

Nowadays, there is deep confusion about this. We mistake knowing how to use a platform with knowing how to connect with people. There is a big difference.

In the last 30 years we have witnessed various, amazing changes in communications. While tools may develop with each phase, the knowledge or the focus on understanding human behavior remains constant, and is always the most important thing to prioritise.

One day in the distant past, a pencil was considered high-end technology, just as any digital tool is now. Today there are people who can write, and then there are writers. Advertising can suffer from this misunderstanding. Instead of leading change, it often finds itself running behind.

At Singularity we recently came across a book published in 2023 by an internationally respected marketing expert. It asserted that men stare at cars and women at babies. Individuals with such views cannot be our representatives anymore. Outsiders should be aware that advertising is undergoing an internal, generational struggle, influenced in many ways by the marketing directors of companies and institutions.

Clients need to decide what kind of world they want to live in, and choose an agency instilled with values that will propel us forward as a society, and contribute to a more viable world.

Whether it is harnessing artificial intelligence within a campaign for a global, AI-driven scent-making platform, or just staying ahead of the game within quantum mechanics innovation, at Singularity, embracing change is essential.

It is as important to understand the public, and utilise the latest technologies to convey messages to it (and for it) as it is to grasp the varied layers and the underlying subconscious structure of the world we work in.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
With a name like Singularity, there must be something that makes us stand out, right? Whether it is the work we create or the way we create it, before the agency was founded, I knew we would do things differently.

On the inside, our approach to work-life balance is important. How we relate to each other within the team is central to how we operate. Egalitarian. Open. Fair-minded. Considerate. Values that carry over to the kind of clients we hope to work with.

The team is lean. Fleet-footed. And as a result, very flexible. Singularity can assemble bespoke teams of talented specialists for individual projects. We are an antidote to the large, traditional, ‘boys’ club’ agency driven by cut-throat levels of testosterone, competition and excess.

A group of advertising professionals founded an ad agency. This is stranger than it sounds. The most common origin story for agencies today is birth from the wallets of investors with dollar signs in their eyes. It is rarely about a love of communication.

We want to use that love, which runs through a vast array of skill sets within our agency, to help all sorts of companies, organisations and causes. The team has a track record of work with socially aware enterprises, because that is who we are. Sustainable energy, by-product innovation, food tech, global health expansion – we care about such things on a personal level beyond the office.

We are aware of the importance of the power of advertising, and wish to use communications skills to help shape a better society. How things are perceived now guides a community’s behaviour tomorrow. We are purveyors of perception. But with a conscience.

The fact that we have managed to put our skills to good use, maintaining these values as we grew from nothing is a bold achievement. An achievement we have to remind ourselves to be proud of. From assisting a charitable cause during a worldwide pandemic to working with market leaders in a variety of sectors across various countries in such a short time is a notable accomplishment.

Singularity was built on a foundation of 20 years of communications experience. 2 decades with a wide variety of project types, and a broad array of clients, across many business fields. Small and big. Established and brand new.

We have worked with a lot of clients, both B2C and B2B. Developed websites and TV commercial campaigns. Produced events, nurtured retail expansion, collaborated with influencers, fine-tuned social media. Team experience in the saddle of the quick-moving world of communication provided the bedrock of our agency. And despite this fast-paced world continuing to change rapidly today, we’ve not been thrown from that saddle.

We put to use the project problem-solving skills picked up from previous experience. Over time, mentally, I had filed away the most efficient aspects of how my previous employer agencies operated, knowing that one day I would use this cream as a framework for my own agency’s best practice.

But nothing is set in concrete. We learn as we go. There is always room for improvement. I love meeting new people, and being taken in fresh, surprising directions. This is where the unexpected, exciting challenges come from. As long as we remain calm and remember why we created Singularity (never forgetting what makes us different) any creative challenge can be overcome.

The plan is to continue doing what we are doing. To grow, but not be huge. Being too big would dissipate the efficiency of how we work. Causing us to relinquish control and lose that nimble adaptability. You can dream of becoming a super-yacht, but end up moving like an oil tanker. Being a skiff in an ocean of ideas has its advantages.

Our identity features a circular motif. This yellow Singularity disc represents the spotlight we put on whatever it is that makes clients different. Shining a light on that singular element. For the world to see.

We step in so they stand out.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am personally not in a fixed place. I spend my time between Barcelona and San Sebastian (Basque Country). In Barcelona, I would suggest going to the Raval neighborhood, as it is a place with less tourism and more cultural and musical proposals. Visit La Central bookshop, which is inside a medieval chapel, and have a coffee after checking out some design or social and political books. Attend a concert in Robadores, located in front of the Filmoteca and on the street where the prostitutes work and have their union. Take a walk around the Gothic Cathedral in the evening and at night, and then go dancing at Apolo. In the morning, have a late lunch in the old Jewish neighborhood at Cafetería Levante, and enjoy hot wine in front of Santa María del Mar, a people’s cathedral constructed by the neighbors in medieval times. If you like chocolate with churros, go to Dulcinea in a very narrow street full of just chocolate shops and cafeterías. Everything is within walking distance. No need for public transport or any other kind of transport apart from walking. In Donosti, enjoy the coastal scenery, the superb cuisine, the calm Paris-like tiny city by the sea, and venture outside the city. Explore the surrounding villages; they may seem stuck to each other, but you’ll quickly discover their unique and differentiated characters, although it might be hard for a visitor when crossing the border between Spain and France.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow. There are many inspiring individuals and a lot of insightful books that had an impact.

However, those that believed in the possibility of an agency like Singularity, when it was merely an idea amid a cloud of uncertainty, they are the ones deserving special mention.

Some of them are part of the team that shapes Singularity today, contributing to our achievements with their everyday effort and selfless encouragement. Others are mentors and supporters. To my amazement and gratitude, their commitment was solely driven by the satisfaction of witnessing something exceptional evolve and thrive.

We have been fortunate to have both groups around throughout this time. Faithful and tireless from day one. Their belief continues to fuel a lengthy journey that has only just started.

Website: https://www.singularityad.agency/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/singularityad.agency/

Linkedin: https://es.linkedin.com/company/singularity-advertising-agency

Image Credits
Singularity