In an interview, the professional talks about her greatest learnings in 43 years at the agency
During this interview you will discover that you touched a pivotal point in my life
This is how Marlene Bregman began her speech in an interview to talk about the affectionately nicknamed Seu Leo Burnett, an American advertiser and founder of Leo Burnett Tailor Made, an agency to which Marlene has dedicated 43 years of her life.
At 80 years old, the professional declares that she has not been in the same place for so many years due to a lack of opportunities or creativity, but because she has identified the values that Seu Lo has, which consolidated a rich culture, which guide the entire functioning of the agency.
These values cemented my soul in such a powerful way that I never wanted to be anywhere else again.
Marlene remembers her start in the job market with affection. I graduated in Journalism from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in 1964, soon after I won a scholarship and went to do my master’s degree in the United States, at one of the best Journalism universities on the planet, Syracuse University in New York. , account.
After her training and a few years of experience in agencies in the USA, Marlene returned to Brazil and found it difficult to work in agencies – which claimed she was too qualified.
It didn’t take long for her to be kidnapped to an agency that had just arrived in São Paulo, Leo Burnett. I had never heard of Leo Burnett in Brazil, but I knew about it from my master’s studies there. In the United States he was considered a tit, alongside names like Henry Ford and Walt Disney.
It was then that Marlene joined Leo Burnett as director of market research and planning. With the growth of the research area within Leo Burnett, the agency soon began to compete with research institutions, which was not the objective. So, Marlene continued as vice president of planning and today, after retirement, she works as a strategic consultant.
I have a name and a story, I don’t just work for three little letters or a cool name, I work for Leo Burnett
Recovering some of the teachings that Seu Lo left as a legacy, Marlene emphasizes the Leo Burnett symbol (a hand that tries to reach a star).
When we try to reach for a star, we may not be able to catch any, but we also don’t end up with our hands full of mud.
For her, this phrase highlights the integrity of Leo Burnett, who many decades ago already believed that advertising has a public and social responsibility. He believed that the man secure in his convictions who knows what is right and acts rightly avoids the pitfalls of compromise and remains incorruptible.
Furthermore, Marlene says she learned from Seu Lo that you cannot create good advertising without a good client. You need to make a friend before you make an offer.
So when you think about advertising, you need to understand, know the people, their passions and get close to them before you can present a proposal. And for that, the best way to follow one more piece of advice from Burnett: keep everything simple.
Thus, Leo Burnett left a legacy for star hunters. Marlene explains that at Leo Burnett, we have a group of people dedicated to hunting for stars and that, sometimes, they manage to catch some. For her, this is the biggest symbol of the agency and a purpose in life.
That’s what I can say, what he [Leo Burnett] mean to me. When you meet Leo, you will find evidence of his legacy on every wall, concludes Marlene.
