RICARDO JOHN

“I was a lousy student who grew up on a small island. So my father decided to pull some strings and got me a job as a trainee in a friend's advertising agency. I wasn't hired, but the experience drove me to drop out of college, leave my town behind and head to São Paulo to give it a shot at one of the big advertising agencies.” 

Image: Ricardo John, Chief Creative Officer at JWT, Brazil

At the moment I am working on...

Some projects for the Brazil World Cup for Coke, J&J and Nestlê.

This year I’ll be attending...

Burning Man.

The next big thing in advertising is going to be...

Advertising that doesn't look and feel like advertising at all, whatever the media.

The piece of ad work I wish I had thought of is...

The Grey Poupon campaign. In advertising we have this tendency to neglect the past and always start from scratch. This case did the opposite. Taking lessons from the past, improving upon them and doing so beautifully.

I am inspired by...

Music and people. Agencies that have similar clients to me and have still somehow managed to take them to a very creative level.

In a film about my life, I’d like to be played by...

Jeremy Irons.

The screen background on my mobile phone is ...

My kids.

My last social media update said...

Ask to be my friend and I will tell you.

My dream collaboration is...

Bob Dylan and Woody Allen.

In up and coming talent, I look for...

People who still think that advertising is relevant. People who, despite all the problems, still have fun making ads.

A piece of criticism I’ve received was...

I always thought digital ideas were too complicated. Today, I still do, but it's something that I’m learning to deal with it.

The last piece of music I listened to was...

Guillaume Dufay’s “J'ai mis mon cuer”.

Video: Grey Poupon "Pardon Me"