Next Creative Leaders 2016: Bianca Guimaraes

on Nov 02, 2016

What's your "How I broke into advertising" story?
It was a combination of things. I've always been a visual person. I couldn't see myself fitting into the traditional corporate world. So it made sense to look for something where I could express myself using my ideas and visual language. Something where I would face different challenges every day and learn specifics about random subjects with every project. Most importantly, something that didn't require dressing up every morning.

What piece of creative work are you most proud of and why?
I?m very proud of MSSNG, a project we did for Autism Speaks to help find the missing answers to autism. To raise funds for a genetic research, we created artwork from the very thing that holds the answers to autism: DNA. It was a super interesting and experimental process. I'm proud of the work, but beyond that I'm proud to use the power of advertising to support causes that can change lives.

What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?
After I worked on a project for Autism Speaks, we received a letter from a parent of a child with autism saying how much our work had touched him and how important it was for the autism community. Responses like that make me feel like I've accomplished something beyond advertising and it motivates me to make a positive impact in the world.

You began your career in Brazil. What's the biggest difference between working there and working in the US?
The budgets are probably the biggest difference. In my experience, the budgets in Brazil were usually much thinner than the ones here. It taught me how to be scrappy and resourceful. Also, the US is a bit ahead of the curve when it comes to media and user access to technologies. So as a creative, it feels like we have more opportunities to deliver integrated campaigns involving new mediums.

Any advice for young creatives?
Don't fall in love too hard with your ideas and don't take yourself too seriously. Having a sense of humor is important in our business. Sometimes things can get frustrating but you'll get burned out fast if you can't eventually laugh at stuff and move on.

If your idea doesn't get through the internal or client layers, it's ok to try to fight for them but it's also important to let them go and focus your time and energy on the next great idea you may have.

What inspires you?
Travelling. Going to countries whose cultures are different than mine and learning about people who experience the world differently than I do, always feels like the best way for me to learn about myself. I just came back from Peru and I was so inspired by the people there. We visited a floating village with very little infrastructure, yet the people living there were so happy. It reminded me of what's really important in life.

Talk about your biggest learning experience in the past couple of years.
When my old partner moved to the West Coast, I spent a good amount of time working by myself. We were just starting a big production and I had to handle everything on my own. It was a great learning experience and in the process I got to practice writing, which was something I wasn't confident in at the time.

What did you gain from that "writer-less" period in your career?
It made me rely more on myself. When my old partner left, we were just starting a big production. During that process I had to deal with a lot of things on my own, which pushed me to grow as a creative. I had to be my own filter since there was no one else to tell me "that's a bad idea."

I'm very happy to have a full-time partner again. Especially a talented one like Kevin Mulroy. It's so much better to have someone to divide and conquer, to share your frustrations with and to celebrate the wins.

Any secret creative weapons?
Something I always do is set goals for myself, share them with my supervisors and reassess every six months. It's a great way to see where I've been and where I'm headed.

How do you fuel your creative soul out of the office?
I like to play volleyball as a way to distract my mind. It's a mental reset that helps me stay creatively fresh.


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