Dream Teams: Ogilvy Argentina’s GCDs Enrich Each Other with Shared Passions and Opposing Views

Alejandro Garone and Rodrigo Isaia became general creative directors at Ogilvy Argentina in 2022, but they had been working together long before that -  for 21 years, in fact. 

They met at the Creativity School and knew instantly they’d embark on a journey through the industry together - an endeavour that would take them to DDB, S.C.P.F. Latina, CIRCUS BA, SELVA agency, and two stints at Ogilvy.

“When I first met Rodrigo, I realised we were wearing the same stylish sneakers… I thought that if he had the same fashion vision as me, then he must think the same way, haha! But how wrong I was!” Alejandro explains that the key to their career as a duo is that they’re actually complete opposites. “We have totally different ideas and points of view, but the same passion and love for creativity that pushes us to achieve our goals. We enriched ourselves with each other.”

“I immediately realised Alejandro was different from everyone else in the creativity class,” adds Rodrigo. “No doubt he was one of a kind, starting from his colourful looks to his unique ideas. The best thing that could happen to me was to team up with someone who stood out from the rest. I knew from the very beginning, and I wasn't wrong at all.”

One of their first memorable projects together occurred while working at the Vega-Olmos-Ponce agency. The duo was tasked with creating a hotel in the mountains for the fragrance brand Axe, a “remarkable feat” outside of the norm for the early 2000s. “Many things have changed since then in the industry and society,” says Alejandro. “But it was a beautiful activation, which marked the beginning of our careers and taught us to think about the power of experiences and innovation as a different way to advertise a brand.”

Following their time at Vega-Olmos-Ponce, they spent two years at DDB Argentina, before starting their first stint at Ogilvy in 2006. During the next six years, they saw a great period of growth for the agency, working alongside incredibly talented colleagues to push creative boundaries as much as possible.

Seeking new adventures in 2012, the pair left to work with the likes of current Leo Burnett CCO, Gabriel Vazquez, GUT founder Gastón Bigio, and director Gustavo Taretto, enjoying time - and winning awards for clients including Coca-Cola, Bimbo, DIRECTV, Dove and VW - at JWT, CIRCUS and Selva, before returning to Ogilvy in 2019.

“I still remember the call from [Ogilvy Latina South CEO] Maximiliano Maddalena,” says Alejandro. “Are you ready to return to Ogilvy? The answer: ‘Yes, we are!’.” 

“Although we have been at it for 20 years, we still have the enthusiasm of a trainee. And that's how we found ourselves working at Ogilvy as if it was our first day. We are very proud of how Ogilvy Argentina has grown, in terms of creativity, business and its inclusive, talented team.”   

As soon as they arrived, Alejandro and Rodrigo set about forming a diverse and interdisciplinary team, describing this as “the soul of the agency”. Naturally very strategy-focused creatives, Rodrigo says that this approach is the only way to develop groundbreaking ideas, and shares the pair have kept two David Ogilvy quotes close to their hearts as they focus on innovative solutions as much as great creativity:

1) "If it doesn't sell, it's not creative."
2) “Hire people more talented than you.”

“Today,” adds Alejandro, “creative departments must be full of people with ideas, regardless of the specific position they were hired for.”

And the duo are certainly full of ideas themselves. Their recent campaign for Fargo Bread, ‘Argentinian Intelligence’, is a good example of their way of working at the agency - taking an of-the-moment topic, like AI, and using it in a different way. “That's the way we like to do things,” says Rodrigo, “always looking for a different point of view. That is why we liked this idea; it gives value to Argentine intelligence over artificial intelligence.”

After 21 years of working together, the pair still share many moments, both in and outside of the agency. Whether it’s life’s myriad milestones - weddings, birthdays, baptisms, and the like - they remain a duo even after leaving the office. 

“We also share trips that, although they are work-related, feel like a kind of honeymoon with your partner,” laughs Rodrigo. “Each trip is a different experience that unites you even more with the other person, and that helps us bond and grow as creatives.”

Reflecting on their two decades together, he adds that Alejandro has taught him how to keep calm through any storm, praising his unique ability to bring tranquillity with his sense of humour. “We need his capability to lower anxiety to be able to have more clarity in our work. I think it is a value that we all need nowadays.”

Meanwhile, Alejandro has drawn most from Rodrigo’s confidence throughout their shared journey, learning from his creative partner’s willingness to oppose and improve his own ideas as they continue to raise the bar at Ogilvy Argentina.

“He is always ensuring that we do everything in our power to get an idea into life,” he says. “He always asks me, ‘What else can we do?’. Having a person that challenges you helps you to never give up and work for the best.”