Cannes Jury Spotlights: VMLY&R Brazil's Sleyman Khodor

At Cannes Lions, the world’s premier festival celebrating creative excellence, thousands of entries pour in from countries worldwide. Behind the scenes, a carefully selected panel of judges review the work and determine which will ultimately take home a coveted Cannes Lion.

Little Black Book is spotlighting creatives across the VMLY&R network who are joining the ranks of the industry’s most recognized and respected creative professionals to judge top-tier work at this year’s Cannes Lions Festival. 

Sleyman Khodor is chief creative officer for VMLY&R Brazil and will be representing the network as a juror for the Entertainment Lions for Sport. 

With over 20 years of experience, Sleyman has helped build brands for big clients such as AB InBev, Johnson & Johnson, Nissan, Santander, Shell, Starbucks, Unilever and Telefónica. 

He has won prestigious awards in advertising, including more than 10 Lions at Cannes, a Grand Effie, and awards from D&AD, the One Show, the Clio Awards, and more. 

Prior to joining VMLY&R in 2022, Sleyman built his career at some of the biggest agencies in Brazil, including Africa, W+T, AlmapBBDO, and Marcel Brazil. 

At VMLY&R Brazil, Sleyman leads a team of more than 125 creative and production professionals. 

Despite all his advertising achievements, he is most proud of being father to Catarina, his 7-year-old daughter who teaches him every single day how to be the best human being he can be.

Q> How do you spot Cannes-winning work?

Sleyman> Outstanding work always makes you feel something. It does not matter if it will make you laugh, cry or give you goose bumps. Your heart or mind must be touched by the idea, and, if both happen, you are probably looking at a great piece of work. OR when an idea resonates with both your heart and mind, you know you have encountered something truly remarkable. 

Q> What makes you passionate about the category you are judging?

Sleyman> Every sport is inherently a source of entertainment. So, when we are talking about the Entertainment Lions for Sport, we can expect to see the pinnacle of captivating ideas. 

Q> What do you hope to take away from judging at Cannes 2023?

Sleyman> A lot of stories, feeling envious towards other’s ideas, and a feeling of "I don't want this to end." 

Q> What do you think will be the biggest themes at this year’s festival? 

Sleyman> The World Cup, being a globally renowned event that unites nations in the spirit of competition, presents itself as a prominent and captivating theme for creative exploration. When it comes to the Entertainment Lions for Sport, I am anticipating a lot of ideas using that as their central theme. 

Q> What does creativity mean to you? OR what does the future of creativity look like?

Sleyman> Creativity was, is and will always be the best tool we have to propel us forward as human beings. It's not something useful in advertising, but for our whole life. I always say that, in the earliest days of our evolution, when Homo sapiens decided to forge a stone and transform it into a tool or weapon, they were utilizing the essence of creativity. Creativity is a force of transformation and change. It leaves a powerful impact when it makes you think, "Why did no one think about this before?"