Guinness, Axe and Tiffany & Co: The Work That Made Gian Carlo Lanfranco and Rolando Cordova

Gian Carlo Lanfranco and Rolando Cordova, born in Lima, Peru, are the co-founders and chief creative officers of the independent agency L&C, based in New York City.

Recognised as one of the most awarded independent agencies in the world, L&C has worked with global brands such as Dole, AB InBev, and Tiffany & Co.

The agency’s groundbreaking work has earned numerous prestigious accolades, including Cannes Lions 2025 Independent Agency of the Year – Good Track, Boutique Agency of the Year at ADC Global in both 2025 and 2022, Independent Agency of the Year at The One Show in 2022, and Independent Agency of the Year at the Clio Awards in 2023. L&C has also won the Grand Clio for four consecutive years, been named a Fast Company World Changing Ideas winner in both 2022 and 2023, and was awarded the Cannes Lions Business Transformation Grand Prix in 2022.

The duo sat down with LBB to discuss the advertising legends that influence them the most, L&C’s creative DNA and why the agency is always “letting creativity lead the way.”

LBB> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…

Gian> As we were born in Peru, we were heavily influenced by Brazilian and Argentinean advertising, it was the best in the region. We especially admired the work of legends like Washington Olivetto and Agulla y Baccetti.

If we had to pick one ad, it would probably be the film for Veja magazine by Washington Olivetto. It explores what a week means to different things in the world – from a fly to a businessman – and ties it all together beautifully with the concept of a weekly magazine. A true masterpiece.

LBB> The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…

Rolando> ‘Yawn’ by Agulla & Baccetti for Telecom featured a traveling shot of people passing a yawn from one to another, ending with the line: “Communicate. It’s simple. Telecom.” To this day, we haven’t seen a telecom ad that’s so creatively strong and yet so simple.

LBB> The creative work that I keep revisiting…

Gian> ‘Still Free’ for Marc Ecko – the first piece of work by Droga5 – for us is a landmark in creative advertising. It redefined how agencies approach ideas, showing that the medium should serve the idea, not the other way around. It has truly influenced the way we work at L&C: not tied to any specific media channel, but always focused on finding the most impactful way to bring an idea to life.

LBB> My first professional project…

Rolando> One of our first professional projects as a team was when we joined Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, working on Guinness beer to promote the 9Ball Tour – one of the biggest pool tournaments in Asia. We transformed bus stops into giant pool tables to promote the event. It was a simple yet visually striking idea that delivered great results and contributed to the agency being named Asian Agency of the Year that same year.

LBB> The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…

Gian> When we started out in Peru, we had to create jingles for radio ads. Nothing against jingles, but the ones we made back then were pretty basic, with little creative spark.

LBB> The piece of work that still makes me jealous…

Rolando> We’d have to say Sony Bravia’s ‘Balls’ by Fallon London. It remains one of the most beautiful pieces of advertising – a simple idea executed brilliantly.

A metaphor for colour, it’s a piece that moves you – a perfect example of how not all product benefits need to be spelled out; sometimes, they can simply be felt. We haven’t seen anything better since.

LBB> The creative project that changed my career…

Gian> We have to pick two. The first was a project we did as interns back in Peru, which went on to win a Future Lions at Cannes in 2006. That piece opened the door for us to emigrate and work at Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore, eventually leading us to travel and work around the world.

It was a social media idea for Axe, before social media was even considered a proper advertising medium. We created a ‘fake’ profile of a character named Mariano and sent friend requests to people via MySpace and Hi5. Mariano wasn’t particularly handsome, but in all his profile pictures, he was very popular with girls. At the end, we revealed his secret: he was using Axe. The profile then redirected users to Axe’s website, where Mariano gave a demo of the new Axe fragrance. This was based on Axe’s strategic positioning at the time.

The second is ‘Piñatex’ for Dole, one of our first projects after starting L&C. We helped Dole turn wasted pineapple leaves into a new, sustainable source of income. The idea led to collaborations like Nike sneakers made from what was once considered agricultural waste – turning discarded materials into a meaningful opportunity on a global scale.

LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…

Rolando> We have to say ‘Malnutrition Labels Trash’ for Dole. A perfect example of L&C’s creative DNA in action. We used trash cans as media – a space almost no one had ever considered – to raise awareness about food waste and food insecurity.

For the first time, we saw people in New York City stop in front of trash cans to read the staggering facts, instead of quickly walking past. It turned something usually ignored into a moment of reflection and impact. Media-agnostic, non-traditional, simple, yet deeply effective. The kind of work we strive to create at L&C.

LBB> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…

Gian> Since we started L&C, we’ve avoided doing work we’re not proud of. For us, every brief is an opportunity to do something better for a brand – letting creativity lead the way. Nothing else.

LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…

Rolando> We have to mention our latest campaign for Tiffany & Co., ‘1837 Tiffany Blue Conservation’. We used Tiffany’s iconic blue – a color that has been carefully protected for many years – to help protect something much bigger: the world’s oceans.

Using such a legendary colour as a canvas to communicate this important global commitment is one of those simple ideas that’s incredibly hard to achieve. We’re very proud that this is L&C’s first piece of work for such an iconic brand.