Wanslez Quaresma Interview(s)

I'm a fan of the PHNX festival. Even last year, we at Scholz&Friends received some awards from the festival. We always talk about diversity and inclusion, and now it's my turn to make my voice and opinion heard. Being part of the jury is a great opportunity that every creative should seize. Each of us has a different advertising background, culture, and life experience. What's good and relevant for others isn't always the same, and that's the beauty of it—diversity. We need to share this diversity at awards festivals too, including language, culture, and tone of voice. That's why I'm excited to be a jury member this year and share my thoughts on what makes a great advertisement nowadays.

It's super exciting! There was a time when we only worked with people from the next room, but now everyone has access to everything, making it more equal. In one day, I can talk to people from different corners of the world. I find the opportunity to make the jury hybrid more efficient and connected to everyone at the same time. There was a time when only art directors and copywriters were considered creatives. Now, everyone is creative in the communication environment—accounts, strategy, clients, each with their own experiences and skills, but ideas can come from anywhere. That's the beauty of it.

I see it as a format that allows more people to participate, more entries. There are different reasons for companies and individuals to invest in awards. Free entries until the shortlist feels more like a wild opportunity for more people to participate and try out what they have, deciding later whether to keep it or not.

The perfect PHNX Awards winner is the work that connects with the audience, solves a problem, and is so well-crafted that it deserves the medal. We are surrounded by communication everywhere: on the streets, in transport, on TV, radio, and smartphones. It's not always easy for something to catch your attention. But when it does, that's the turning point where the communication was efficient enough to grab your attention, break your routine, and see my advertising message. This is how creativity finds a light in the tunnel of everything happening simultaneously. Whether it's funny, on-trend, or solves a real problem.

In my opinion, tech, gaming, mobile, and social media are already old news—I'm joking, but gaming is what's changing the advertising experience. It's a new audience that connects with the new generation in a beautiful and engaging way. Brands that find ways to connect their products with gaming are lucky.

Anselmo Ramos from Gut is one of my creative references. He's someone who creates trends and inspires other creative markets around the globe. Another one is Bruno Bertelli. I worked in Italy in the past, and advertising there was different from how we see it now. Bruno make Publicis visible in Italy and worldwide, with inspiring creativity, and he's still pushing it. The creative consistency of Publicis Italy is something that should be celebrated and appreciated.