Wieden+Kennedy’s Jessica Apellaniz on Mexico finding its creative voice

This is a recent interview I found enlightening and interesting. I trust you will, too.

Jessica Apellaniz became Wieden+Kennedy Mexico’s first chief creative officer when the agency opened its Mexico City office in 2023. Since then, she has shaped the office’s creative vision and work for clients including Nike, Ford, Uber and Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Previously, she served as Ogilvy’s CCO for Latin America, leading award-winning campaigns for brands such as Coca-Cola, KFC, Mondelēz and American Express.

Apellaniz began her career in production, including a stint at MTV Latin America, before moving into copywriting and creative leadership. One of the few women to hold a regional creative leadership role in Latin America, she has also been an advocate for building more representative and inclusive teams across the industry.

We spoke with her about deadlines, crafting one’s creative process, Mexico’s creative voice in the region and the real magic of creativity.

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Jessica, tell us … your first job in advertising, and your current job.

My first job was actually at Blockbuster, which tells you how long I’ve been around. My first copywriting job was at Terán\TBWA, working on Palacio de Hierro, basically a headline paradise. More than 20 years later, I helped found W+K Mexico.

An ad or campaign that inspired you coming up in the business.

Telecom’s “La Llama Que Llama.” I loved the absurdity of it. Funnily enough, they just brought it back, which makes me feel inspired and old at the same time.

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The last ad that made you jealous.

“Viva La Vulva” and “Never Just a Period.” I used to hate getting the “girly brief” just because I was the girl in the room. After Libresse, all I wanted was a tampon brief.

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A recent project you’re proud of.

“Who’s Waiting for You?” for Victoria Beer is a film that reminds us someone is waiting on the other side. It made me think of death not as an ending, but as the day I get to hug my dad again.

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Something exciting that’s happening in the Mexico creative scene.

I think Mexico is finally finding its own voice. Argentina became known for brilliant scripts, Brazil for extraordinary craft. We’re embracing our own maximalism—proudly rooted, beautifully messy and deeply human.

One thing that can make anyone a better creative.

Craft your creative process. Figure out how to get yourself into that state where ideas can roam freely. The process is different for everyone.

How you personally get inspired. 

I walk with headphones on. I read books that somehow connect to whatever I’m working on—and, of course, deadlines—they’re underrated creative directors.

What most brands still don’t understand about creativity.

The biggest misunderstanding is that creativity is the output. The real magic is in the way it helps you see the problem differently.

Something people might not know about you.

I’m an introvert, an overthinker and dyslexic. Which means every idea gets tested a thousand times before it leaves my head.

Where advertising is headed next.

We might finally see Dan Wieden and Phil Knight’s dream come true: advertising that doesn’t feel like advertising at all.

Hopefully making a ruckus, one blog post at a time!

Be sure to check out my other blog,Joe’s Journey, for selected short stories and personal insights on life and its detours.