5 Minutes with… Marco Bezerra
Marco Bezerra has racked up a lot of miles in his 24-year advertising career so far.
Born and raised in a military family in Brazil, he began as an art director in some of the most vibrant agencies there, before travelling halfway around the world to become a creative director at TBWA\Berlin. From there he continued his slow odyssey through agencies in Gothenburg, Amsterdam, Dubai and even at Specsavers’ in-house agency on the Channel Island of Guernsey. In 2022 he began his current role at VMLY&R COMMERCE, where he leads three creative teams across Spain and the UK as executive creative director.
Marco has an obvious passion for discovery and self-improvement that has made his career a fascinating, well-recognised one. He’s led teams to win awards at all the international festivals you’d be able to name, and has also worked with some of the most exciting international brands such as adidas, Nestlé, Milka, Umbro, the Brazilian national football team, C&A, Philips, KLM, Burger King and McDonald’s.
LBB’s Alex Reeves got to know Marco.
LBB> You were born into a military family in Brazil. How did that affect the person you became? And why did you end up in advertising and not the army?
Marco> I'm fortunate to come from a unique background. I went to one of Brazil's top schools, the military school in Porto Alegre where I learned a lot about discipline and determination. However, I was never really happy there, and my dad noticed. He's the one who encouraged me to pursue a creative career. He saw that I enjoyed creating caricatures of teachers and lieutenants more than participating in patriotic missions.
LBB> When did you first feel at home working as an advertising creative? Was there a particular time when it all fell into place?
Marco> I believe home is where you can truly be yourself and feel comfortable. I experienced this feeling early in my career when at the age of 17, during my first year at university, I began working at a really cool agency. This sense of comfort hit me on my very first day, perhaps because I was exhausted from seven years at military school. I distinctly recall the first thing I did was to put a sticker with the agency's logo on my bedroom window.
LBB> You say that advertising is your passport and it's allowed you to live in many different places around the world. Each time you've had to adapt to a new culture. What constants have allowed you to make those adjustments?
Marco> I’ve been lucky – working with great agencies in exciting cultures. From TBWA\Berlin to DM9DDB/Sao Paulo, to CP+D/Gothenburg to JWT/Dubai to Tribal DDB/Amsterdam. Yes, it can be tough, and we learn from our mistakes. I believe the key is to approach situations with an open mind. Come in understanding that you need to adjust and learn. Communication isn't just about words; even gestures and tone of voice can convey a message that may not be what you intend. If you respect a culture – you learn.
LBB> It says on your website that you use advertising "as a tool for self-improvement". What are the best improvements you've made to yourself through your work in advertising?
Marco> [Japanese philosopher] Miyamoto Musashi once said, "If you know the way broadly, you will see it in everything." This "way" he talks about means the common learning journey you undergo when trying to master an art.
For me, that art is advertising and creative leadership. I've learned to be both humble, recognising that your worth is tied to your latest work, and confident, especially when things aren't going well. I've learned the importance of listening and allowing people to express themselves in ways I might not have thought of.
The “way” is constant: it’s about dedication, open-mindedness, respect and clear objectives. You can apply that to everything.
LBB> What work have you been most proud of in your career and why?
Marco> I could mention work that’s won the most awards, but that’s not work that has improved me. Some has even made me a worse person when I let my ego get the better of me. I could talk about beautiful projects like the ‘Impossible Goalkeeper’ for adidas, the ‘Sound Typeface’ for NME, or ‘My Game My Name’ for vivo.
However, the work I'm most proud of hasn’t landed awards. Not one.
‘My First Donation Collection’ was for Pão dos Pobres, an NGO housing thousands of children in need in my hometown Porto Alegre. It started as a 24-hour social experiment when we asked these disadvantaged kids if they would donate their favourite toy to another NGO also helping kids in need.
We didn't know what to expect. A friend asked his five-year-old son to donate – he didn’t. In contrast, the next day, all the NGO kids willingly brought in their favourite toys. We captured everything on camera, and it turned into one of the most beautiful campaigns of my life.
The social experiment ‘My First Donation Collection’ caught fire when the stories behind each toy and each child became social media videos. We went on to create a children's book based on these stories – which, prompted by the secretary of state for education, were adopted by schools across the state, teaching kids that even those who have nothing – can donate.
Children in need taught a whole city how to give.
LBB> I know you're very into local insights driving international ideas and I'm also a big fan of that, being curious about the infinite complexity of different kinds of lives around the world. What is the key to finding universality in those seemingly niche ideas?
Marco> We're all human beings. Despite speaking different languages and looking different on the outside, we share common human experiences. We all desire love and want to love others. We care about our children's happiness, value our connections with family and friends, and seek success in our own ways. We all have fears and face challenges in life. In fact, we have more similarities than differences.
Consider ‘Romeo and Juliet’, a story retold countless times. It changes in terms of age, tone (drama or comedy), gender, location, and era. However, the core elements remain the same, rooted in our shared human existence. This is what I’m looking for in creativity. I’m looking for the human insight that will connect us all.
LBB> I like how you talk about your teams winning awards in your bio, not you as a creative leader. That suggests a certain kind of leadership style. What would you say is the key to leading creatives for you?
Marco> My role has evolved over time. It's no longer about being the best creative in the room, and I don't aim to be. It’s about inspiring and guiding creatives and clients. I still take pride when I come up with an idea that perfectly fits a project and leads to an outstanding execution. But that's not my primary focus anymore; it was my role in the past.
Nowadays, during brainstorming sessions, I generate ideas more to get the team warmed up. Sometimes, I intentionally introduce not-so-great ideas to encourage everyone to participate without fear. As a creative leader, I depend on my team. Winning awards and achieving business success can't be done by myself. My current job involves empowering, facilitating, assisting, guiding, nurturing talent, and setting an example.
I won't ask someone to go the extra mile if I'm not willing to do so myself. I talk a lot about my goals and share my own performance metrics with my teams. I even share my 360-degree reviews so they know where I need to improve and can help me become better.
My leadership style is open, and I adapt to my team and creative directors. I want everyone to have the freedom to express themselves in the best way possible.
Does this mean I'm an easy boss? Not necessarily. I'm highly ambitious, and I want to achieve more, not just for me but for my teams, my clients and my agency. However, I invite each team member to find their own path to delivering ‘more,’ and I learn from their approach.
When you asked me about work I'm most proud of, I was honestly tempted to name all the creative directors and ECDs who were once my juniors. This is because the work of a leader is not just about creating campaigns, but also about the people we help develop and support.
LBB> You've been at VMLY&R COMMERCE for a year now, pretty much! What have been your highlights in that time?
Marco> I feel really fortunate to be part of this team, especially with Greg Saynor and Richard Hartle as creative directors. They deserve credit for the outstanding work we've achieved. Rich has done a great job with the Down Syndrome UK campaign, LEGO and Milka. Greg has excelled in leading his team on international projects Coca-Cola and Diageo among others.
It's been a great year for creative commerce. Clients are fired up, looking for conversion in the moment, and building equity along the way – all connected across channels. For me, it’s creativity at its finest. We’re flexing our creative muscles across many more spaces with far fewer boundaries.
My most significant accomplishment has been helping the team transition to a creative commerce team with innovation at its core. When I mention innovation, I'm not just talking about creative ideas; it includes new ways of working and new tools. For instance, the team has integrated AI into our idea generation and design process, greatly improving both the efficiency and quality of our ideas.
I believe the team has a different vibe now compared to when I first joined, but I don't take full credit for this transformation. The agency hired me because they recognised the need for change and innovation and a desire to be different and think differently. Perhaps that's why clients like LEGO, who value innovation, have chosen to work closely with us.
