Pipo Calazans, Thomas Tagliaferro and Icaro Doria will be co-presidents of the agency, which will have the largest investment by DDB in Latin America
DM9, one of the main agencies in the history of Brazilian advertising, is back on the market. The operation returns after almost four years as a result of the merger of Sunset, Tracylocke Brasil, and Track, from CRM.
The agency, which is reborn as the biggest investment of the DBB group in Latin America, will be led by a trio of co-presidents: Pipo Calazans (CEO), Thomas Tagliaferro (COO) and Icaro Doria (CCO).
The operation began to be thought of at the end of last year and starts with 230 employees and clients such as Burker King, CarePlus, Centauro, Claro, Dasa Stellantis and Vigor – brands that DM9 inherits from Sunset, Tracylocke Brasil, a shopper experience agency, and Track, from CRM, which no longer exist.
In the new configuration, the proposal is to rescue the protagonism that the DM9 brand printed in advertising, creating campaigns such as ‘Mammals’, for Parmalat; ‘Pipoca na Panela’, for Guaraná Antarctica, and ‘Monotonia’, for Honda – even for that reason he signs only as DM9, without the group’s DDB. “DM9 for me is probably the only brand that places Brazil as one of the most iconic places in world advertising”, says Doria.
Part of an integrated operation offer, without silos between areas and with the perspective of creating “memorable” experiences for consumers. And it will bring together the expertise of specialists in shopper, CRM, data, planning and creativity, within a model that proposes to build “insights” along the communication journey of the brands.
“The difference today is not what data you have, but how you creatively transform that data so that you can actually trigger the triggers to make people stop, remember, buy, get emotional and share,” said Calazans. “This is the fundamental role of creativity in the world that we have today and it has to happen throughout the journey and that is why we are bringing back one of the most creative agencies in the world to become one of the most creative agencies in the world. creative ideas of the new world” he adds.
Executives expect the agency to double in size over the next 12 months, based on an “aggressive” new business strategy. One of the strategies is to gain space with clients who are already in the new house, many of whom use specific disciplines previously offered by TL, Track or Sunset.
In addition, he intends to work by projects – without a long-term contract – and also by disciplines. “Brands may not buy everything, but they receive everything. The thought will be there”, explains Doria.
The announcement was made this Wednesday (8), in São Paulo, the date on which the agency’s leaders hold a ceremony to communicate the return of DM9 to all employees of the three agencies. This Thursday, the 9th, marks the new beginning.
In addition to establishing a brand with such weight in the communication market, the new operation has the challenge of not only stamping Brazilian faces in the campaigns, but also having professionals who represent the diversity in the country, be it ethnic, racial, sexual orientation, age or gender. The photo above makes it clear that there is a way to go, at least from an ethnic perspective.
“We are a Brazilian agency, of Brazilian creativity and we need to reflect Brazil. And when we look at this photo, we know what is the need. And it’s D0 (zero), that’s how we are born and is already born with a very important agreement of 50% of the vacancies and with a very important consultancy to start this process from top to bottom”, says Calazans, when questioned by PROPMARK.
The professional said that since January of this year there has been a policy that directs 50% of vacancies to three pillars of diversity, color, sexual orientation and age, and that the agency hired the consultancy Indique uma Preta, to encourage the arrival of black leaders.
Agency context
The decision to merge with SunsetDDB came in a troubled year for DM9 after losing accounts such as Subaru, part of J&J and McDonald’s, Itaú and also having left its traditional building, located on a corner from Brigadeiro Luis Antônio to Faria Lima. . Kantar data, released in 2019, would show that DM9 had ended 2018 as the 17th largest agency in the country, with gross media purchases estimated at 1.8 billion.
At the time, Grupo ABC – part of Omnicom – announced in a statement that “the merger continues the ongoing management of ABC’s assets and is in line with changes made in the world of national and international advertising in the face of major advertising developments.”
And Nizan Guanaes, who acquired the DM9 from Duda Mendonça in 1989, in Salvador, and brought it to São Paulo together with Guga Valente, said that the end reflected the evolution of the times.
“When Guga and I founded DM9, we had a big dream that became even bigger in reality. DM9’s role in world advertising is Brazil’s eternal heritage. But times have evolved, and SunsetDDB arrives uniting the infinite universe of data with the infinite force of creativity”, said Nizan.
The decision was accompanied by a series of testimonies from market professionals who had passed or who had an appreciation for the history built by the agency.
