Rod Sobral’s Tech-Led Leadership Takes Home Top Honour at the Creativepool Awards

Since joining OLIVER in 2019, Rod has driven the agency’s creative arm to unprecedented growth; boasting 300 clients and 6,000 employees across 46 markets. And now, he's been honoured with Creativepool’s Creative Leader of the Year award (People’s Choice).

How did he do it?

In the last twelve months alone, Rod has helped OLIVER rake-in over 375 awards, with recognitions such as Campaign's Global Customer Engagement Agency of the Year and Digital Innovation Agency of the Year.

One of Rod's major contributions has been driving GenAI-powered marketing forwards. While the industry was just catching up, Rod and his team were presenting pioneering GenAI pilots at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. These pilots (which utilised The Brandtech Group's GenAI tool named Pencil) included projects for giants like Unilever, setting new standards for effective and beautifully crafted work at scale.

Some leaders have been stunted by AI over concerns of its creative quality. Rod’s team, however, rapidly embraced AI’s limitations and evolved processes to ensure quality isn’t compromised by AI’s fast delivery. In the last six months, Rod has led the team to make significant leaps; working with OLIVER's in-house GenAI experts to create the business’ own brand-immersed AI tools for clients, exploring video and text-to-video generation, and creating reams of quality branded assets with a single prompt. 

Speaking about the depths of expression that can be achieved using OLIVER’s in-house AI tools, Rod says, “While generative AI is adept at recognising patterns and predicting the next piece of information in a sequence, it often falls short when it comes to helping a brand stand out or forming emotional connections with audiences. This is where human creativity comes into play. GenAI may not replicate the emotional storytelling that truly resonates with people, but it can significantly enhance and extend a creative’s creative capabilities. We must see ourselves as AI’s most powerful collaborators, with the tech as our trusted sidekick.”

Rod’s technological influence continues to grow, as evidenced by his recent induction into Meta’s Global Creative Council. This forum allows top creative minds from around the world to share ideas and shape the future of marketing.

His commitment to creativity doesn't stop at technology, however. He launched the Growth Squad, a team of top-notch talents aimed at delivering high-impact work. Rod’s even taught an AI how to spot when an asset is not adhering to OLIVER’s ethical codes. 

Rod adds, “The pace at which Generative AI is advancing means there are no established one-size-fits-all guides or handbooks. As creatives, the only way to truly understand and master this technology is to experiment with it. For those who remember the early days of the internet, when visual browsers replaced text-based bulletin boards, the challenge of navigating new tools without reference points is nothing new. Now is the time for creatives to dive into the AI playground; explore and see what new creative possibilities you can unlock. Like raising a child, it’s a process of discovery and learning - together.”

From quadrupling OLIVER's size to transforming its creative reputation, Rod’s impact as a global creative leader is unquestionable in setting a high bar for creativity, innovation and growth.