AlmapBBDO has made changes to its creative team, with the promotion of Marco “Pernil” Giannelli to chief creative officer. This shift comes as part of a natural transition already underway in the agency, at a time when Almap has consolidated its creative output in step with a major increase in new business, having brought on nine new clients over the past year. This latest development means that chairman/CCO Luiz Sanches and Pernil will work as a duo at the helm of the agency’s creative department.
“We believe in big ideas and in investing in the in-house talent that comes up with those ideas, day after day, alongside us all. Pernil is one of the most-awarded creative directors in the world, and he has a remarkable knack for telling stories across a variety of platforms,” said Sanches. “So this recognition is not only natural, it’s well-deserved, and it’s an absolute pleasure to have him by my side so we can both oversee the agency’s continued expansion, always grounded in our belief in the power of creativity as a fundamental vector for effectiveness for our business and our clients.”
Pernil said, “It’s a huge honor to tackle this latest challenge at an agency I’ve always admired–first as an outsider, and, for the past 13 years, from the inside. I’m committed to helping cement the fundamental changes the agency is undergoing, all while maintaining Almap’s real essence: creative work.”
Pernil has been a crucial part of building the major work that led Almap to the 2020 title of “Global Agency of the Decade” at the Cannes Lions. A copywriter by trade, he had been serving as executive creative director at Almap, where he’s been since 2008, heading some of the most popular campaigns of the past few years for brands such as O Boticário, VW, Bradesco Seguros, Havaianas, Pepsi, Pepsico, Gol, Mars, and Cielo. He has also served at Ogilvy and agencies including Giovanni/FCB, Euro RSCG, Lew’Lara TBWA, in addition to a few stints abroad at Leo Burnett and Fischer (both in Portugal).
“Beyond the undeniable creative excellence he brings to our clients’ businesses, Pernil has a special gift for dealing with people. I’m sure that, with all his talent, he’ll add tremendous value within the culture of innovation and the paradigm shifts currently underway at the agency,” added Filipe Bartholomeu, AlmapBBDO’s CEO.
This promotion comes at a particularly fortuitous, special time for AlmapBBDO: an era of remarkable growth, especially over the past two years, as the agency has taken on new clients–WhatsApp, Facebook, Amazon, Elo, Cielo, and LG, to name a few. And that’s to say nothing of the company’s organic growth and increased digital output, which has come to represent a considerable proportion of its revenue.
