Gustavo Sarkis will join multicultural ad agency Conill as its executive creative director, effective November 20. In this new role, Sarkis will lead all Conill creative teams and client campaigns across its offices in Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami.
During an award-winning career that spans brands, regions and agencies, Sarkis has held creative leadership roles at MullenLowe, David&Goliath, Crispin Porter+Bogusky and TBWAChiatDay in the U.S., and Almap/BBDO in his native Brazil.
Sarkis’ body of work has earned 14 Cannes Lions and numerous other accolades at such creative festivals as One Show, Clios, D&AD and the London International Awards for a wide-array of clients, including Volkswagen, Kia, Acura, Gatorade, Pepsi and Adidas. Under Sarkis’ direction, CP+B’s campaign for Letgo helped propel the company from a start-up to a billion dollar brand. The Gunn Report ranked his “DogFish” commercial for Volkswagen as one of the 50 best car commercials of the last 50 years.
“The United States is becoming more and more multicultural every year in times when advertising is becoming more and more segmented,” said Sarkis. “I am incredibly excited about joining Conill because as a multicultural agency, it has diversity in its DNA. Diversity is critical to creative work. It encourages open-mindedness and unlocks unforeseen opportunity for brands.”
Carlos Martinez, president of Conill, added, “This is a pivotal moment for the business of advertising. There are many powerful forces at work in the marketplace, but none more significant than the transformation to a more multicultural America. In Gustavo, we have an innovative leader who understands the subtle complexities of connecting with people through culture to inspire action, as he has demonstrated throughout his career.”
Review: Director-Writer Megan Park’s “My Old Ass”
They say tripping on psychedelic mushrooms triggers hallucinations, anxiety, paranoia and nervousness. In the case of Elliott, an 18-year-old restless Canadian, they prompt a visitor.
"Dude, I'm you," says the guest, as she nonchalantly burns a 'smores on a campfire next to a very high and stunned Elliott. "Well, I'm a 39-year-old you. What's up?"
What's up, indeed: Director-writer Megan Park has crafted a wistful coming-of-age tale using this comedic device for "My Old Ass" and the results are uneven even though she nails the landing.
After the older Elliott proves who she is — they share a particular scar, childhood memories and a smaller left boob — the time-travel advice begins: Be nice to your brothers and mom, and stay away from a guy named Chad.
"Can we hug?" asks the older Elliott. They do. "This is so weird," says the younger Elliott, who then makes things even weirder when she asks for a kiss — to know what it's like kissing yourself. The older Elliott soon puts her number into the younger's phone under the name "My Old Ass." Then they keep in touch, long after the effects of the 'shrooms have gone.
Part of the movie's problem that can't be ignored is that the two Elliotts look nothing alike. Maisy Stella plays the coltish young version and a wry Aubrey Plaza the older. Both turn in fine performances but the visuals are slowly grating.
The arrival of the older Elliott coincides with her younger self counting down the days until she can flee from her small town of 300 in the Muskoka Lakes region to college in Toronto, where "my life is about to start." She's sick of life on a cranberry farm.
Park's scenes and dialogue are unrushed and honest as Elliott takes her older self's advice and tries to repair... Read More