"Las Fallas" (Justine)

Las fallas, it's not a "public holiday" for all Spain, but is a traditionnal celebration in Valence (Spain)

What is it?

Las fallas stand to 14 at 19th March each year, in commemoration of St Joseph, Santa of carpenters.

This holiday is celebrating in the city of Valencia, in Spain, but also in all the area of Valencia.

For 3 days, lots of celebrations are organised in the city of Valencia; for example fireworks, processions and especially mascots ("las macletas" in Spanish). As a matter of fact, mascots look like to Carnival in France but more nice!

Few days before celebrations, mascots from 2 to 30 feet, are set up in each street in the city of Valencia. Each mascot represents a particular theme with irony, satirical of society. All this mascots are competitives in order to be the best mascot of the year. It's 760 "fallas" set up in Valencia for 3 days. 

The last day, all the mascots are burned to 10 pm.

Only mascots in las fallas?

No, for 3 days the people who live in Valencia, process in street. Also, every day to 1 at 19 March, fireworks shoot at 2pm on the Town Hall Square. 

My opinion:

I had oportunity to discover this "fallas" during my Erasmus. It's amazing show! To conlude, it's magical...

Famous spanish brands (Lucie)

Hello everybody,

Through my column, I would like to speak about famous spanish brands. How to be able to pass by this brand nowadays, whether we are young or old, we all know:

It was created by Enric Bernat in 1958. In the 50’s there were a lot of sweets with different colours and shapses.  Children used to like to take the sweet out of their mouth to see it, to put them it in their pocket, or to talk which was, according to parents, very disgusting. So, in 1958 Enric Bernat had the idea to create a sweet that we could eat with a fork. He created a sweet on a stick.

First, he called it “Gol” in reference to football because children were taking the sweet out of their mouth. But the name of the brand wasn’t striking, so he engaged a communication agency to work on it. The agency proposed “Chups” to be more creative and because “Chups” means “suck” in spain.  Enric Bernat agreed  to this proposition.  Then the sweet Chups knew a great success.

A jingle was created to remain in the consumers head: “Get something sweet to lick, lick, lick, like a Chups. Get something sweet to lick, lick, lick, like a Chups. It’s so round and it lasts so long. Lick, lick lick a Chups.”

The marketing strategy was changed and a new logo was created in 1969 by Salvador Dali. 

Then it changes a little bit, to become in 1988 the same of nowadays. 

The presentation of Chupa Chups was a marketing strategy too. In fact, the Chupa Chups had a creative and attractive packaging which was showcasing the product.

Today, thanks to an effective marketing strategy with in particular the creation of a mascot: Chuck, brand managed to become the leader on the market of lollipops. Chuck allows to guard a coherence in advertising campaigns and to create an emotional relation with the brand.