Africa Creative’s co-CCO highlights the agency’s performance in awards and talks about the importance of cause marketing for society
Mariana Sá, co-CCO of Africa Creative, was surprised by the way in which artificial intelligence (AI) was treated by Cannes Lions 2024. “With technology present in every part of our lives, the presence of AI in most campaigns is inevitable, but we realized that it stops being the protagonist and becomes the enabler of ideas,” says the executive, who was a judge in the Direct Lions category at this year’s festival.
Mariana advocates regulating AI so that there are “more reliable and safe applications, more tool options and to better evaluate the possibilities that AI offers”.
In the following interview, she highlights the agency’s performance in awards and talks about the importance of cause marketing for society. “I believe that the company’s values can also encourage certain causes,” she emphasizes.
How can we achieve effectiveness with creativity? Has this combination been portrayed by Africa Creative at renowned global advertising festivals?
Africa is an agency that seeks creativity in everything it does, every day, together with its clients. Our goal is to bring innovative solutions that help brands grow and become more relevant. When the work is focused on creativity, the good performance in awards is consistent, as Africa has been doing for so many years.
Was the performance at Cannes Lions 2024 what you expected?
This year, we won 11 Lions at the festival with cases from clients such as Itaú, Ambev with Budweiser, Guaraná Antarctica and Heinz. It was another great performance, which only reinforces our creative DNA and our clients’ commitment to the pursuit of creativity, ambition and excellence.
What messages did the event leave for global advertising players this year?
We noticed the return of humor and entertainment with great force in many of this year’s most awarded campaigns.
And cause marketing, is it still relevant?
Projects with impactful causes and activism continue to be relevant to society and brands, but they need to contribute directly to the growth of their businesses. For example, in the ‘Cars to work’ case, where Renault provided financing for vehicles for people seeking new jobs, or the Peruvian brand Cemento Sol, which developed a sidewalk signage system to help visually impaired people find their way around.
Companies are not NGOs and do not live off philanthropy. How can you make money by doing good?
Increasingly seeking synergy between causes and brands’ business. Even if they are not NGOs, companies can (and should) support social projects and even develop their own, as long as they are aligned with their deliverables. I believe that the company’s values can also encourage certain causes, for example, in the way they develop their products, being more sustainable or even seeking inclusion when contracting services. After all, a more inclusive and balanced society is also more profitable for everyone.
One-off projects that are exhausted in action tend to lose strength every day. How can ideas developed for brands be maintained? Are there also spaces for one-off ideas?
It depends on the objective. One-off projects can be important for brands to show that they are connected to the current moment, and to create dialogue and engagement with their consumers. But for long-term brand building, it is important that the ideas are super connected to the brand’s values and truth, bringing consistency and identity to each project.
What did you think of the treatment given to artificial intelligence (AI) by Cannes Lions this year?
Surprisingly less present than I expected. With technology present in every part of our lives, the presence of AI in most campaigns is inevitable, but we realize that it stops being the protagonist and becomes the enabler of ideas. Creativity, as always, is the difference that brings brilliance to solutions based on the many tools available today.
