An article by Carlos Sanz de Andino originally written for Anuncios magazine

I didn't know who Ernest Shackleton was - like most of us - until Paul named his agency after him. Then I learned that he had been a fearless adventurer, a pioneer of Antarctic exploration and a stubborn captain who became a giant in the face of adversity, forever associating his leadership with the spirit of self-improvement. That explained a lot.

We had worked together until shortly before. Those were incredible years that deserve their own story. Pablo integrated Contrapunto, CP Proximity, CP Interactive and CP Data, but the multinational ended up being wary of having a group within the group and put him in the position of either dissolving it and letting each company go its own way, or leaving, and he didn't hesitate. If he couldn't build the agency he believed in on Cardenal Marcelo Spinola Street, he would build it somewhere else.

It was a surprising decision, but above all a bold one. Then, accompanied by his second in command, Juan, he went from tavern to tavern enrolling an extraordinary crew. Over the years, eighteen years, the ship was populated by committed sailors, many of them also friends: Alfonso, Alex, the other Juan, Enric, Suso, Rodrigo, Marta, Angel, Nacho, Lucia... And so many more who passed through its deck - or are still on it - in a voyage that drew the course for many who came later. It was not always easy, and the crossing had waves and storms, but the treasure was a trunk full of brilliant works, different from what Spanish advertising was used to: Referendum plus, Kelifinders, i-Jam... and recyclable towns, monuments or museums.
From the outside, with admiration, we called them 'shackletonadas' and they opened up new ways of thinking. Today, this way of thinking is in all agencies, but the truth is that there was one that came before. That agency is - used to be - called Shackleton. Does the name matter? I would say that the story matters, the culture matters and the story matters. You always fall in love with stories. That's what brands are, right?

Accenture has bought prestigious agencies and rebranded them as Accenture Song (except Droga5). The point is that, for the moment, it's just a naming, not a brand. The brand is Accenture, and it is certainly loaded with values, although creativity is not one of them. I am convinced that they have a plan, and that in the coming years we will see great creative with their signature. They have strength, power and team to spare. Although they still have to win their souls.

Sir Ernest's ship was named Endurance and would never have made history if it had not run aground in the ice. Adversity tested the character of the commander and his crew, and overcoming it made them legends. Today, Accenture Song is home to a great and talented team, some of whom I am fortunate to call friends. And I am convinced that Lucia will be, because she already is, a great captain. I wish them the best of luck, because I admire them and because they deserve it.

But the man who invented the agency is gone along with the brand he gave it. Actually, more than a name it was a philosophy, and perhaps the two were inseparable. Accenture Song will be a great agency, but it will not be the same agency. Some will associate Pablo's decision with the fact that once the sale was completed, it was time to enjoy what he had gained. But, after thirty years of having shared sweat and miracles in that Counterpoint, of knowing him in a similar decision, and of being a sentimental witness of Shackleton's trajectory, I can assure you that this is not knowing the person.

I have borrowed the title of this article from Oscar Wilde, although the original is The importance of Being Earnest. In English it has a double meaning: The importance of being called Ernest and The importance of being honest. That subtext is the key. It wasn't the name, it was being honest with yourself and with a way of understanding life. And, at the end of the day, that's what's really important.