Alejandro Lopez, former McCann Worldgroup Japan chief creative officer, will serve as U.S. head of Interpublic’s newest creative practice, Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS), effective immediately. Launched in November 2020 by Mediabrands global chief content officer Brendan Gaul, MBCS is designed to network and grow the content capabilities within Mediabrands’ agencies–UM, Initiative, Reprise, Rapport, MAGNA and Orion–around the world.
In his new role, Lopez will oversee the development and deployment of specialized content and creative teams across Mediabrands offices and clients in the U.S. Through data-fueled content experiences–which MBCS defines as content that is built from the same high-value audience that media is planned and executed–MBCS develops powerful stories for clients in branded content, performance content, campaign content, original content and entertainment solutions.
Lopez, who has over 20 years of global creative and entertainment content experience, returns to Interpublic after spending the last year co-founding HYPHN, a young-adult mentorship program that supports and pairs up-and-coming racially and ethnically diverse creative voices with leaders in their fields. Previously, Lopez was CCO of McCann Worldgroup Japan. Based out of McCann’s Tokyo offices, Lopez managed and expanded McCann Japan’s national creative output, led content and creative development for UM Studios Japan, and oversaw content series development and execution for company clients.
Lopez came to McCann from an award-winning independent branded content and distribution company, Brand Programming Studios, he co-founded and for which he served as chief creative officer. During that time, he helped pioneer and became a leader in the development of brand-funded web and television series adjacent content. The company executive-produced and created original shows like What’s Good for PBS and Nutella’s Spread the Happy series.
Before launching his own business, Lopez was executive creative director at Troika where he expanded the agency’s offerings from traditional television brand packaging into consumer facing advertising campaigns for major television networks, studios, and organizations like CNN, hulu, Amazon Studios, Univision, Sony Pictures Television, AMC, Redbull and the Sundance Institute during which time he reported directly to Keri Putnam and Robert Redford. Lopez also spent nearly 15 years at Leo Burnett, first as executive creative director in their Tokyo, Paris, Frankfurt and Caracas offices, working his way up to managing director, representative director.
“Alejandro’s deep expertise in data-fueled creative and media will provide invaluable support to our content creation arm, UM Studios,” said UM U.S. CEO Lynn Lewis. “We’re excited to collaborate with Alejandro and the MBCS teams to continue to futureproof our clients’ businesses through impactful storytelling.”
Stacy DeRiso, U.S. CEO of Initiative, added, “Alejandro’s breadth of experience and knowledge around how today’s audiences are consuming content is unparalleled. Great content creates culture, and culture connects brands with the audiences that grow business.”
Lopez’s helming of MBCS reflects a paradigm shift towards a more holistic approach to content through the reunification of creative and media. “Alejandro keenly understands how data and audience media behavior can make creative work more insightful, powerful and perform better,” said Gaul. “Having him oversee MBCS in the U.S. means we are now able to ensure that all of our clients’ end-to-end data-fueled content and media needs can be cohesively created, planned, and served across the entirety of a plan. He brings a diverse perspective to storytelling and an understanding of content trends outside the U.S. that are only beginning to be realized here.”
Ever a consummate artist and contributor, when the multi-cultural executive is not creating award-winning content for clients, Lopez spends his time painting socially driven and humanitarian Expressionist and portraiture art. Lopez–who speaks five languages–is also a dedicated philanthropist who has devoted his time to a host of important international causes like the Arts High Foundation (LACHSA), Refugees International (Japan), and National Food Bank (Japan).
Lopez will report to Gaul out of Mediabrands’ Los Angeles office.
Tilda Swinton Explores Assisted Suicide In Pedro Almodóvar’s 1st English-Language Feature
Although "The Room Next Door" is Pedro Almodóvar's first English-language feature, Tilda Swinton notes that he's never written in a language that anyone else truly speaks.
"He writes in Pedro language, and here he is making another film in another version of Pedro language, which just happens to sound a little bit like English," Swinton said.
Set in New York, Swinton stars as Martha, a terminally ill woman who chooses to end her life on her own terms. After reconnecting with her friend Ingrid, played by Julianne Moore, Martha persuades her to stay and keep her company before she goes through with her decision.
Beyond the film's narrative, Swinton said she believes individuals should have a say in their own living and dying. She acknowledges that she has personally witnessed a friend's compassionate departure.
"In my own life I had the great good fortune to be asked by someone in Martha's position to be his Ingrid (Julianne Moore)," Swinton said.
She said that experience shaped her attitude about life and death: "Not only my capacity to be witness to other people in that situation, but my own living and my own dying."
Swinton spoke about "The Room Next Door," Almodóvar and he idea of letting people die on their own terms. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: Tackling that role, what was the challenge to get into the character?
SWINTON: I felt really blessed by the opportunity. So many of us have been in the situation Julianne Moore's character finds herself in, being asked to be the witness of someone who is dying. Whether that wanting to orchestrate their own dismount or not, to be in that position to be a witness is something that I've been... Read More