Ryanair, Leo Messi & Estrella Galicia

Three examples of localization (good, bad and who knows?) from this week

From the bottom of my heart mind

Fresh stories from a Spanish Copywriter.

Last weekend was the Super Bowl. While it might seem irrelevant to Spain—I challenge you to find people who know the rules of football or can name more than two players—it holds significance in the advertising world.

And, by extension, in localization.

So today, I want to bring you something different: three examples of localization—one good, one bad, and one that left me completely baffled.

Let’s go:

The Good: Leo Messi promotes “fútbol” on the Super Bowl

Football is the American sport, even more so than basketball. What Europeans call football (fútbol in Spanish) goes by another name there: soccer. And while some big stars have joined MLS teams recently, the sport is still not dominant in the U.S.

With this in mind—and considering that the greatest player of all time, Leo Messi, is now playing in Miami and has a strong Latino following—they created this ad to promote fútbol (not soccer) on the massive stage of the Super Bowl.

It’ll be interesting to see if their audience grows.

The Bad: Estrella Galicia promotes a “new ingredient” for the paella

Estrella Galicia is one of the leading beer brands in Spain, originally from Galicia, a region in the north. This week, they sent out an email promoting "a new ingredient" for paella.

Their goal was to hyper-localize the campaign for people in Valencia—the region where paella originated. They wrote in Valencian (the local language) and highlighted a regional product.

But here’s the problem: Valencians are very particular about paella’s original ingredients. If you add anything that deviates from tradition, expect a fight. Estrella Galicia was promoting a new stock, despite the fact that the authentic recipe calls for nothing but water.

The ?: Ryanair uses a Spanish minister as a clown on his latest campaign

Do you know who "the guy that looks like a clown" is? Pablo Bustinduy, Spain’s Minister of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda.

Ryanair has been pushing legal boundaries for years. If you’ve flown with them, you know—hidden fees, refund issues, and fines treated as just another business expense. Now, after Spain introduced stricter airline regulations, Ryanair has fired back.

Their latest ad literally portrays the minister as a clown, urging customers to “book crazy prices before the clown raises them.” They’re using real-time, specific news to promote their offers in Spain.

But directly attacking the government like this might not be in their best interest.

These examples show how brands—of all kinds—are increasingly using localization strategies to truly connect with their audiences. But are they doing it well? Poorly? Controversially?

Let’s see what the Spanish market thinks.

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Outside the desk

Where the magic really happens.

☃️ This week, I had meetings with people in Berlin, Krakow, and Amsterdam. After that, Valencia’s 15°C doesn’t feel so cold.

🏢 Have you seen The Office? A new Australian version just came out. I’ve watched the first few episodes, and it looks promising.

🧘‍♂️ I’ve gotten back into yoga after a few years, and it feels great. It’s also a weekly commitment—every Thursday at 19:00, same place, same people.

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Make it global, baby

If you want to work with me, this is the way.

🚀 Want to take your brand to the next Spanish level? Hit the “reply” bottom and let’s talk.

📬 Want to appear in one of the next issues? Let’s see how we can work it out.

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All the best for the rest of your week,

💙 Ricky from Textonality.com 💙