Joao Medeiros On Why He Believes Dubai Is Leading the Creative Industry
BIG KAHUNA FILMS, the award-winning creative production house based in Dubai and Beirut, is proud to support creativity across the Middle East. Over the coming months, as part of our sponsorship of LBB’s Middle East edition, we’ll be speaking to some of the great minds driving creativity forward across the region.
Meet Joao Medeiros, the executive creative director of Havas Middle East. In this interview, he shares his creative influences, how he shapes the work environment and the piece he believes has most ‘stood out’ in his long standing career, thanks to Dubai’s booming creative industry.
LBB> Hello, Joao! Thaks for taking the time to chat. First things first - in a previous interview with us, you mentioned that you loved to draw and sculpt as a child. But can you remember where that love came from? What were the creative influences around you?
Joao> I can’t really pinpoint where the love to create came from, but I can remember visiting art galleries at a young age. As a child, I could sit and stare at art pieces for hours. I always found peace in that.
LBB> You have a Brazilian background, were raised between the UK and Belgium, and have worked across places like Singapore, New York, Los Angeles, Antwerp, and Amsterdam. How do all these cultural influences play out in your creativity and in what you bring to Havas in Dubai?
Joao> I think when you are exposed to many cultures, you end up witnessing human truths and similarities, and that is important as a creative. Of course, you can pull a great idea from understanding a particular cultural nuance but go underneath that into a human truth, and you have a thought that resonates with the world. That’s the power of cultural influences on creativity.
LBB> More broadly, how would you describe the industry in Dubai right now?
Joao> Dubai is an exciting place right now. If you’ve been here before, you know that it’s a city that is always in flux, growing and improving. The mentality of the city manifests in the industry. The quality of the work coming out of Dubai is outstanding, and some days I feel it is one of the industry’s leading markets in terms of creativity.
We picked up the Grand Prix for the outdoor category on opening night in Cannes this year, and on the same night, the UAE also picked up a Grand Prix in the print category. That alone is a testament to the quality of the industry here.
LBB> Dubai is known for pushing many creative boundaries. What have your experiences been with this?
Joao> Dubai is a city where you can get things made, it is a city that’s open to new ideas and entrepreneurs. Here, there is a clear sense of purpose and creative ambition that is palpable and infectious to our industry. No wonder the most award-winning work from the region has a less traditional approach and demonstrates creative problem solving.
LBB> Looking back at your career so far, is there a particular moment or piece of work that stands out as especially significant to you?
Joao> I have been fortunate to produce significant pieces throughout each stage of my career, but hands down the most significant piece was this year with adidas for our Liquid Billboard which just took the Grand Prix for Out of Home in Cannes.
Two years ago, I took over the helm of the creative department for Havas across the Middle East with one goal in mind: to push the team to create more world-class work. The Grand Prix was that validation.
LBB> You are passionate about being a great creative leader. What characteristics and values do you think are important in this role?
Joao> I’ve always wanted Havas to be a place that creatives come to do the best work of their careers. I think the best creatives desire to be in a place where the focus is creative work and quality of our output. I encourage the culture of the department to be built around the work.
My role is to make sure my teams have the best direction and environment to create. I am more aware now that creative leadership can appear to be stereotypically harsh. It’s a heavily opinionated (received and given) position, and I am cognizant of how a delivered critique of and POV on the work can impact people in different ways. I want the team to walk in each day knowing they can make amazing work, but how they go home is just as important.
LBB> Outside of work, who is Joao? What does life look like for you?
Joao> Life looks busy. It’s mostly family time. I have two young kids, so weekends are packed. Our CFO regularly points out to me that I arrive looking more tired on Mondays than I do on Friday. The winter months in Dubai are wonderful, so we do a lot of outdoor activities - head to the beach, sit by the pool, BBQs etc.
Summers can be tough with the extreme heat, so we tend to travel more during those months - usually to the US where my wife is from, or Europe to be with my immediate family. We now have an established work-from-abroad scheme at the agency where you can be based in another country for a short period which makes escaping the heat more manageable.
LBB> Finally, if you could give a piece of advice to a young person starting their career in the industry today, what would it be and why?
Joao> Surround yourself with a team (and leadership) that is doing (good) work you respect. When you start out, the experience you will gain and the work you produce will carry more value in the long run.
