Tag Archives: Wieden+Kennedy

10 QUESTIONS

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.

The chief creative officer of W+K Mexico also discusses crafting one’s creative process and the real magic of creativity. (W+K)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Creativity Tip #37: Walk in Stupid Every Morning

This week’s tip is borrowed from Dan Wieden, co-founder of Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, OR. His recent talk at the 2013 AdAge Small Agency Conference touched on a number of things, but this one has to do with one’s attitude every single day.

“Walk in stupid every morning” is a philosophy W&K embraces that basically says things have changed in the world since yesterday. Has your perspective or outlook? Don’t assume anything, and be open to everything. Find out what’s going on and how that might alter what you’re doing, or not doing, or thinking, or not thinking.

Creatively, today is a new day. What we did or thought yesterday is old news now. Doesn’t mean we can’t borrow from it or build upon it.

We have a fresh start on a fresh new day. Opportunity’s knocking.

Think of it as your imagination getting refreshed with sparkling clean ideas and a hint of mystery.

Creatively, that mindset can be very powerful. Take advantage of what your senses tell you. Go with what your imagination feeds you.

Then, as Nike would say (pardon me, Dan), “just do it!”

When we fail to fail, we fail. Creativity suffers.

In his recent talk before the Ad Age Small Agency Conference, Dan Wieden, co-founder of Wieden & Kennedy in Portland, OR, stressed the importance of failure, or, rather, the freedom to fail.

Talking about his agency’s mantra, “fail harder,” Mr. Wieden referenced the significance of one making three collossal mistakes before moving on to more fruitful creativity. He mentioned how mistakes are too often seen as marks of stupidity, instead of building blocks of knowledge.

I know, not everyone feels they have the flexibility to make ONE mistake, let alone three or more. That’s a scary thought!

Consistent barriers seem to be erected that prevent us from experiencing failure. Some are self-imposed, while others are insinuated by organizations and companies with which we work or perform services. Time to fail is rarely included in the timeline for producing most projects.

Everyone wants results now, not three days from now (at least, that’s how it feels at times). Yet, one must be diligent in expressing doubt that a hurried or tight timeline would include time to fail.

In today’s fast-paced business climate, failure doesn’t seem to be tolerated. “We don’t have time to fail,” seems to be the business mantra. Ah, therein lies the rub.

When it comes to creativity, those of us practicing it everyday don’t seem to be allowed to think about failure. Yes, I admit it – I did not achieve perfection on the first draft of my _________ (fill in the blank with design, article, illustration, photograph or whatever).

I “failed.”

190px-The_Scream

Edvard Munch’s “The Scream”

That’s hogwash (technical term)!

Companies like Nike, Apple, Pixar and even others much smaller in size, openly embrace failure and incorporate it into their systems.

Those who don’t engage creativity everyday, seem to think that it’s some commodity one can easily switch on or off at will. This attitude does a disservice to those involved in practicing the craft as well as for whom they are practicing it.

It’s unrealistic to ignore failure. It’s unrealistic not to schedule time for its possible appearance. It’s reality that we need to learn from the process to improve upon what we just created. We need to make time to do that, and then move on.

The other reality: Will anybody really care?