One on One with João Coutinho Co-Founder & CCO of Atlantic New York
A very interesting talk with an award winning creative about why he's working from a boat and making game changing decisions at the age of 40.
1. Please tell us a bit about your early days. How did you start your creative journey
I wanted to be an architect but then, just before going to college I started watching a tv show about commercials and it changed my destiny. I didn't know that there was a profession, where I could create and film stories (with movie directors) I could design, I could work for different brands, I could meet celebrities and I could travel a bunch. It seemed pretty exciting and I was fascinated with it. I went to college but instead of architecture, I majored in advertising and marketing. While still in college, I started an advertising agency with my two buddies in a garage. The company was called Zoo and the logo was made of black and white zebra stripes. Our main client was a club in my hometown. We used to make flyers and videos. After a year and a half of Zoo, me and one of the partners received an invite to intern at Ogilvy Lisbon, and here I am, almost 28 years into the business. Besides Lisbon, I worked in Madrid, São Paulo and New York, where I’ve been working for the last 10 years
2. What do you think about the movement of talented creatives from big agencies? What are the pros and cons of this trend?
I’m very thankful for everything that I learned and the opportunities that big agency networks gave me. I wouldn’t be who I am today without them. I speak for myself, in the last 5 years or so it wasn’t fun anymore, we got fed up with a bunch of stuff. Too corporate, too political, too many layers, too many big meetings with people who don't do the work and don’t have any idea about it, but the biggest reason to me, is that creatives have been removed from the big decisions table. Big network agencies are run by people who only care about percentages and numbers. We need creatives at the helm again.
3. Are there brands or campaigns from recent years that aspire to? Which brands have you learned from? And what did you learn?
I love Patagonia and everything the brand stands for. If there were more Patagonias around the world it would be a better place. I also absolutely love Liquid Death. From the name and the can to their advertising.
4. What do you think the next challenge in creative work will be? Does AI play a part in it?
I think we’re still in the beta phase, like the load “” phase of AI. and will be for a while until we have figured out the routines. Until then, we keep our minds very open and explore what AI has to offer, without jumping frantically on the trend bandwagon.
5. As a freelance and smaller agency, how do you manage slower months with less work? How do you deal with stress and anxiety in general? Is there a stark difference between working as an independent and in an agency?
We never did freelance work. We’re a full service independent agency with a core team of 10 employees full time and a wide network of freelancers that we tap according to the project needs. Having retainer accounts in addition to projects is planned. In our 2 years existence, we have done projects for big brands such as Amazon Prime Video, Yahoo and Twitter. Being project based is great because it comes with freedom but also comes with the stress of not being able staff long term.
6. How do you envision the work process when working with a brand strategy and brand DNA in fast-paced, dynamic, and ROI product-based companies? As companies face product and audience changes very quickly, how do you recommend managing it on a creative level?
The beauty of being small is that we can act fast and deliver quality. The whole process is stripped of layers and useless meetings that eat time and money.
7. What are Atlantic business philosophy and strengths? How do you envision your future and what are you most interested to take part in?
We have a method and a philosophy that we call the Countercurrent™. Our name is Altantic, we have an office on a boat, and we help brands navigate countercurrent. The Countercurrent Mode is a vigilant exercise of looking at where everyone is going and then purposely experimenting what is on the absolute opposite of that. This method has helped us find truly unique ideas, fresh brand platforms, define new brand purposes, and also bring outstanding business results to our clients. We also apply this method not only to how we filter our work, but to how we hire talent, how we find an office…etc.
8. What would you recommend a new brand, company, or start-up do when it comes to its brand story and creative strategy? What is the first must-do for their business growth?
Like the Liquid Death example, a new brand or start up needs to bring something new. A new product, a new point of view, challenging the status quo, and of course a communication and marketing platform that brings to life all these ingredients in a fresh way. That’s the only way to stand out and thrive.
9. A not-so-relevant question: Please share a funny, interesting, weird, life-changing, or feel-good story that you have experienced on your personal journey.
When I was about to turn 40, I was running Lowe Lisbon. I had been an ECD for already 5 years. I got an offer from Anselmo Ramos, who was at the time Ogilvy Brazil’s CCO, to go as a senior art director. I didn’t think twice. It was like restarting my career at 40. In the beginning I panicked and questioned what the fuck did i do, but it was the best career decision i made in my life. I went to a market where I met my partner and the best creatives in the world and I had the opportunity to do work that brought me to New York.
About João Coutinho:
I’m a global multidisciplinary award-winning creative with over 20 years of experience, working in Europe, Latin America and North America.
Growing up, I wanted to be an architect but ended up building brands. I am passionate, pragmatic, and believe that our role in this industry goes beyond selling products. We have the power to change people’s lives for the better, not only with the ideas we deploy but also how we build our teams. During my career, I’ve been really lucky to work with global and local clients who share the same belief.
Immortal Fans, The Gun Shop, Volvo Highway Robbery and other campaigns I created or creative directed, helped Ogilvy Brazil win Cannes Lions Agency Of The Year 2013, and Grey New York becoming for 2 years in a row (2015, 2016) the second most awarded agency in the world. In mid 2017, I joined Y&R as North America ECD working with offices in Miami, Memphis, Toronto and New York. I've built a multicultural team of award and pitch winning creatives where we helped bring new business and reputation (Cannes Lions, D&AD, One Show, ADC...)
I’ve been invited to judge at major award festivals like most recently the One Show and AICP. If you read Portuguese (or don't mind using Google Translate) check out my monthly articles at Dinheiro Vivo, a Portuguese newspaper about economics and advertising.
