VMLY&R Enhances Kansas City Creative Leadership with Talent Moves

VMLY&R Kansas City has brought numerous global talents into the office over the past few weeks. In the agency’s latest move Gabriel Jardim and Guto Monteiro have joined the Kansas City team following a stint at VMLY&R New York. Coinciding with the move, they have both been promoted to executive creative director.

In their new roles, Gabriel and Guto will oversee all creative work for Coca-Cola, smartwater, and DICK’s Sporting Goods. Both will join the senior ranks of VMLY&R’s US creative team and report to North American chief creative officer John Godsey.

The move comes after working as group creative directors at VMLY&R New York, another of the agency’s principal offices.

Since joining the agency in 2016, Gabriel and Guto have been a major force at VMLY&R, producing some of the agency’s most innovative and awarded work for client partners, including New Balance, United Nations, Motorola, and Campbell’s. Their work has been awarded by Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, ADC, Clio, London Festival, NY Festival, El Ojo and Fiap. They were both named to the Adweek Creative 100 list in 2019.

Gabriel and Guto have also overseen creative for New Balance for the past six years, spearheading global campaigns such as 'The Runaway Pub' to support runners training for the London Marathon. They created a pub in London where runners could exchange their miles for pints. A card was automatically downloaded to the runners’ Apple or Google wallets, collecting miles as they ran and turning the miles into currency in real time, the only currency accepted at the pub. Over three months, more than 20,000 wallets were downloaded and 62,000 pints were earned.

“Gabe and Guto are a fantastic addition to our Kansas City leadership team,” said John. “The fact that they sign off their emails with ‘G2’ says it all. Because they truly do have this great multiplier effect on inspiring others and elevating the work. Of course, they would never admit to that, but it’s also why they are such a great fit for our culture.”

“The people you work with are what matter the most; they will inspire you every day to become a better version of yourself,” said Gabriel Jardim, executive creative director. “At VMLY&R, I found incredibly talented and passionate people that have not only made me a better creative, but also a better person. I’m beyond excited for this new chapter and thankful for the opportunity to lead the creative for such iconic brands.”

“I’ve been part of the VMLY&R family for a few years now, and I couldn’t be more excited to work in a different office, but still with the same family that has always made me feel at home,” said Guto Monteiro, executive creative director. “It will be a great opportunity to bring the New York and Kansas City offices closer together, uniting our forces to push the boundaries of creativity, making work that is relevant, forward-thinking, and adapted to this new moment of our post-pandemic lives.”

Before joining VMLY&R, Gabriel and Guto both worked across various continents and agencies, including Ogilvy, Africa DDB, and TBWA Brazil, and they worked with iconic brands such as adidas, Gatorade, Coors Light, FedEx, Land Rover, and Nissan.