See It, Be It 2024: Johana Martínez
Johana Martinez is a creative director whose career is a testament to resilience and collaboration in the advertising industry. Her decade-long partnership with Chanae Reed, which began in ad school, has flourished into a powerful creative synergy that defies conventional boundaries. This year, Johana's impactful work and dedication are recognized as she participates in the Cannes Lions See It Be It programme, an initiative promoting gender equality in creative leadership.
Here, Johana delves into the challenges she has faced and overcome in the industry. She highlights the importance of fearless self-expression, inspired by the strong women in her life, and offers valuable advice for the next generation of women creatives. Johana's story is a compelling narrative of breaking barriers and advocating for greater diversity and inclusion in the creative world.
See it
Tell us about a woman who has inspired you in your career?
The woman that has inspired me most and has made me a better creative through the years is my work partner: Chanae Reed. I’ve had the fortune of working with her for a decade. We met in ad school and could not be more opposite, yet our different personalities and life experiences helped us thrive and make our work unique. We learn from each other constantly. I’m a better writer, creative thinker and person because of her. This industry is not always kind to women partnerships like ours. I (Latina, female) and my partner Chanae (Black, female) continue to push past boundaries, labels, and setbacks to carve our own creative path in an industry that is still predominantly White and male driven.
Ps. If you have any pop culture questions, she’s your encyclopaedia.
Be it
How have you incorporated the lessons and insights you gained from women in your life and in creative/professional fields into how you approach life and your career?
Fear of retaliation is a burden that women often carry. I’ve seen this in both my personal and work life - fear can paralyze even the most outstanding women. The Barbie monologue was a great expression of this.
Therefore, I make it a point in my life to fearlessly speak my mind and speak up for those who haven’t yet unleashed their voices. I do this for the women before me who I owe my voice to: my mom and my grandmas. I do it for the women beside me who I look up to: my colleagues and girl friends and for the women who will lead us in the future.
Do it
How does that translate into the work? Tell us about some of the campaigns you've been involved in that you're really proud of. What challenges did you overcome to bring them to life?
The biggest challenge is to set boundaries against the expected work that minorities always get boxed into (the never ending list of Black History Month, women empowerment brand acts and Cinco de Mayo briefs) in order to create compelling work that taps into our unique passion points and not just our demographics.
I’m proud of the work Chanae and I did with NBA Lane. Oftentimes we were placed on briefs solely based on our demographics, yet it was in a space where our passions lie that we got to create a unique story that resonated with so many in the world. I’m proud of the way we protected the integrity of the idea and I hope that through that work we can inspire women to take creative space in sport brands.
Share it
What messages or words of advice do you have for the next generation of women coming into the industry? And tell us about anything that you do to support and lift up women in the industry?
My biggest advice is: take ALL the space you need in every room you are in. Those who mind are not aware of your greatness yet, and those who see it will continue to give you the spotlight to thrive.
The best way I know how to support the women I’ve had the chance to work with in the industry is by having fully transparent two-way conversations. When we hold back information, especially salaries, we make it even more difficult to bridge the gender gap. I also make it a mission that those who get to work with me get the proper shout outs they deserve, so here’s one to Barbara Rego at Majority who is an outstanding creative and person.
See It Be It is a LIONS initiative aiming to achieve equal gender representation among creative directors and leaders across the global industry. The programme is open to all women, trans-identifying and non-binary people. For any enquiries, please get in touch at seeitbeit@canneslions.com.
Further information on applying for See It Be It 2025 can be found here.
