Jessica Mantovani

Michael Weinzettl chats with Lürzer's Archive Student of the Year 2016.

Hi Jessica, congrats for winning the Lürzer's Archive Student of the Year Award with your ad for Bic. Tell us a bit about yourself.When did you first get interested in advertising?  Did your parents influence you in any way? Do they work in advertising?

No one in my family influenced me to get started in advertising. I was discovering little by little what I wanted. I just knew I wanted to work with something I loved. My mother used to paint and do some sculptures, but it was really just a hobby. So I guess you could say that she was an influence in that way, I always loved to paint and draw. My parents are shopkeepers and when my life was moving into advertising, they supported me in every way.

What are/were some of your favourite ad campaigns. What kind of ads did you (or do you still) admire?

There are a lot, like “The bear" for Canal+, "Speaking exchange" for CNA  or "Kombi last wishes". For me, it doesn't matter what kind, what media. What I admire most is always simplicity.

What art do you like? Who are you heroes in these areas?

I like a little bit of everything. I really like street art or realistic illustrations, for instance the work of Mikes Dargas and Robin Eley.

How did you come up with the idea for the Bic ad? How did you get the idea of the autographed Beatles album?

In one of the classes, one of the briefings was to create a print ad for Bic. After many ideas that I presented, Toni Rodrigues  gave me an "ok" for one of them. But he encouraged me to think more and that's what I did. I was not happy with an “ok”. One day I came across  an article about an auction of famous objects. And that was when I had the idea.

What agencies in Sao Paulo and New York did you do the internships at? Who were some of the "amazing and talented" people you got into contact through your internships?

In Sao Paulo I worked at Publicis and Mullen Lowe, after that I went to New York where I worked in BBH and Ogilvy. There were a lot of talented people that I was able to work with, like Daguito Rodrigues, Philip Sicklinger, Alex Booker, Loipa Ramos, Jessele Valdes, Joel Kuntz, Beth Armstrong, Rodrigo Moran, Mandy Brencys and Diego Fonseca. These are some of the people who helped me a lot.

Are any ad creatives that you admire very much and see as a kind of role model?

I admire Joanna Monteiro. For sure!

What are your first impressions of your new job with Ogilvy, Sao Paulo? You have just graduated from Miami Ad School, right?

Yes, I graduated in July. I just started at Ogilvy this week but I love it already. I know that place is full of great creatives and amazing opportunities. 

Art Director: Jessica Mantovani. Copywriter: Jessica Mantovani. Institute: Miami Ad School/ESPM, São Paulo. Instructor: Toni Rodrigues