Interview: Marcello Serpa

Serpa is one of the few creatives worldwide to receive both the Clio Lifetime Achievement and the Cannes Lion of St. Mark.

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Marcello Serpa is the former owner and creative director of Almap/BBDO. Before retiring from advertising in 2015, he was honored with The Clio Lifetime Achievement Award and the Lion of Saint Mark Award at Cannes—the two most significant recognitions a creative can receive in the advertising industry.

Marcello’s approach to art and creative direction shaped an insane amount of memorable work. Here’s a short selection: Volkswagen: Double Check • Havaianas • Pepsi: Surfers • Pepsi: Beckham • Volkswagen: Dog-Fish • Getty Images: 85 Seconds • Volkswagen: Sign Language

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Table of Contents

This interview has 37 bite-sized videos, organized into 5 parts.

Part 1. Foundations and Mindset

Marcello’s Creative Call / On Decision-Making / On Confidence / On Failure / On Insecurity / On Pressure / Being Happy in a Harsh Field

Part 2. Concepting

Child-like Mindset / On Good Briefs / On Tackling Briefs / “No Pain No Gain” Bullshit / On Simplifying Ideas / On The Grand Prix For Diet Guaraná / What For? What For? What For? / Scarcity As a Technique / On Deadlines / The Trap Of Having a Goal / From Briefing To Pitching

Part 3. Presentation

How Many Ideas To Show / On Selling Provoking Ideas / Fuck “Sacrificial Lamb” Ideas / Using Data To Sell Ideas

Part 4. Craft

On Color / On Illustrating Your Own Work / On Typography / Marcello’s Favorite Types / The Trap In The Craft

Part 5. Creative Direction & Leadership

On Becoming a Creative Creative Call / On Competition And Leading Teams / What Makes a Good Portfolio / On Giving Clear Directions / A Trap For Creative Directors / When The Team Is Not Delivering / On Protecting Your Teams / On Good Vs. Bad Clients / On Building Trust With Clients / On Agency Culture

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The Interview

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Part 1. Foundations and Mindset

We’ll start by digging into how Marcello operates in the most fundamental way. Here are a few quotes from the clips in this section:

• “My direction was always towards the visual arts.”

• “Pragmatism isn’t good in the creative process.”

• “Those who are deeply afraid of failing are often deeply afraid of being judged.”