The gacha tells what values of the North American advertiser inspire his work at Leo Burnett
Maria Paula, known as Marie, graduated in Advertising from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul and has a postgraduate degree from Fundao Getulio Vargas. The gacha began her career as an advertising writer in Rio Grande do Sul and says that her encounter with advertising and her entire career was love at first sight.
After years of experience in the south, Marie left her hometown and family to venture further into the world of advertising. Combining creativity and strategy, Marie arrived at the Leo Burnett agency to combine two passions: creativity and strategy.
I had already been freelancing for a while before at Leo when I arrived in São Paulo, after a while they called me to work with Nivea and then I was promoted, remembers Marie.
Today, she is responsible for the entire planning area as director and is proud to say that her TCC at university was about Leo Burnett and it is an honor to be part of the agency so many years later.
Leo didn’t choose me by chance and I didn’t choose Leo by chance. We chose each other because we have very similar values
Thinking about Leo Burnett’s values, left by the North American advertiser and founder of the agency, affectionately called Seu Leo by employees, Marie highlights three phrases that motivate her and guide her day-to-day work.
“We are people talking to people, and this is what must continue to run through our fingers
Advertising believes that it really works in an area where there are people talking to people and this conviction cannot be lost. Regardless of the channel you are going to talk about, about human behavior, about habits, about the relationship between people and brands and about the relationship between people, he explains.
Curiosity about life in all its aspects, I believe, is still the secret of great creative people
Seu Leo’s second sentence talks about curiosity about life. For her, interest in life is the biggest secret. When we experience this and take some insights from it, we find the greatest wealth in terms of strategic directions, says Marie.
Plan ahead, but remain flexible
Finally, Marie says that this is the phrase that most relates to her daily work – and Seu Leo’s most current phrase. As much as we work with strategy and do need to think about a brand in the long term, we think how important it is to have flexibility. Sometimes we need to bypass new routes without panicking.
Marie highlights Seu Leo’s legacy and all his care to transform the agency into a healthy and inspiring environment.
Furthermore, she also says that she is very proud of the day she was promoted. I felt very proud to see that people were recognizing my work and were trusting me to direct many people.
For the future of Leo Burnett and advertising, Marie believes that Seu Leo’s phrases will continue to make sense. As an opportunity in the area, taking care of people and the relationship between companies and people is essential. Therefore, I think we can make this market more human, strong and emotionally healthy, he concludes.
