The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity will honor groundbreaking agency creative Marcello Serpa with the Lion of St. Mark at this year’s Festival.
“The Lion of St. Mark recognizes individuals who have made significant and outstanding contributions to creativity across our industry,” said Philip Thomas, CEO, Cannes Lions. “Marcello’s achievements are known the world over, but perhaps most notably he was responsible for taking home Latin America’s first Grand Prix in 1993. He’s since served on juries four times, twice as president, and during his tenure, AlmapBBDO won Agency of the Year three times.”
After successes at GGK, DPZ and DM9, Serpa moved to AlmapBBDO in 1993, where together with José Luiz Madeira, they brought the agency out of deep decline and built it into one of the most successful agencies in São Paulo. Over two decades later, Serpa is recognized as the most awarded art director in Brazil, having won more than 160 Lions. His Grand Prix-winning work has included the 1993 print campaign for Guarana and the 2010 print campaign for Billboard–”Britney,” “Eminem,” “Marilyn,” “Bono” and “Amy.”
Thomas recalled, “My strongest memory of Marcello is when he was president of the Press Jury in 2013–as the Jury introduced themselves one by one, they were clearly more honored to have him as their leader than they were even to have been chosen for the Jury in the first place. He truly epitomizes what this award stands for.”
Speaking about the award, Serpa said, “My life and career would be completely different, and probably a bit boring, if Cannes Lions did not exist. Those small stairs to the stage are connected to me and I have always watched with envy and admiration some creative legends stand at the top of them. I feel honored, dizzy and extremely happy to be recognized as a stand-out within the industry. This award is like giving a shot of adrenaline directly into the ego of anyone in the business.”
Serpa will be presented with the Lion of St. Mark during the awards ceremony on Saturday, June 25. The Cannes fest will take place from June 18-25 in Cannes, France.
Mike Pierantozzi joins Movers+Shakers as exec creative director
Creative agency Movers+Shakers has appointed Mike Pierantozzi as executive creative director. In this new role, he will help guide the creative direction of Movers+Shakers’ socially-native campaigns. Pierantozzi will report to co-founder and chief creative officer Geoffrey Goldberg.
With nearly two decades of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and multi-platform storyteller, Pierantozzi brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with major brands including Kraft, Unilever, IBM, and Walmart. He has led the creation of award-winning campaigns for agencies like Red Tettemer, Ogilvy, The Brooklyn Brothers, TAXI, Saatchi & Saatchi, and most recently, Vayner, where he spearheaded culturally iconic work for Planters including “Death of Mr. Peanut.” He led the National Down Syndrome Society and Luvs account, whose “First Kid. Second Kid” campaign was awarded by the Effies, ADC, Clios and LIAs.
Outside of the office, Pierantozzi practices what he teaches brands. He’s gone viral multiple times on his own TikTok account, featuring comedic interactions with his son and a trombone. He’s accumulated 15K followers on TikTok.
“Mike brings a rare and awesome combination of deep social and platform experience, a keen eye for excellent storytelling, and a humble and kind approach to leadership,” said Goldberg. “Mike’s got a knack for turning brand stories into cultural movements, making him the perfect fit for Movers+Shakers. He’s got the kind of bold vision and attention to culture that fits perfectly with our mission to push creative boundaries and drive industry firsts. Plus, as a creator himself he has the innate ability to make people stop, laugh, and share--which is exactly what we’re about.”
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