TBWAChiatDay Los Angeles has announced two creative promotions on the Gatorade account, a brand that has been with the agency since 2008. Renato Fernandez, who was promoted to worldwide creative director last year, has been named executive creative director on the business, and associate creative director Doug Menezes has been promoted to the role of creative director.
Fernandez will partner with fellow ECDs Linda Knight and Matt Heath to help guide TBWAChiatDay LA’s creative department and product under newly minted chief creative officer Brent Anderson.
Remarking on the promotions Anderson said: “Renato Fernandez is an almost unparalleled benchmark of leadership and drive. For the last 5 years, I’ve toiled alongside Renato as he relentlessly guides, protects and mentors work that truly matters, and work that defines the soul of our brands.”
Anderson continued, “Doug Menezes has emerged over the past two years as leader of both concept and craft. His unique upbringing within the industry and recent work on Gatorade makes him a natural choice to help lead Gatorade and continue to involve the brand deeply in culture.”
Fernandez has been with TBWAChiatDay LA since 2011, when he relocated with his family from Brazil. As associate creative director, he played a major role in the pitch-winning team that brought the adidias World Cup campaign assignment to TBWA. In 2014, Fernandez assumed creative leadership of the agency’s Gatorade US business and, in 2015, took over all global projects as worldwide creative director. He is credited with awarding-winning work that includes Gatorade’s now legendary farewell films for retiring athletes Derek Jeter (“Made in New York”), Abby Wombach (“Forget Me”) and Peyton Manning (“Dear Peyton”), and the brand’s latest global push–“Don’t Go Down”–featuring world-renowned footballer Lionel Messi.
Fernandez began his advertising career in 1994 in his hometown of Curitiba, Brazil and later joined Almap/BBDO, where he worked on top-tier brands including Volkswagen, Gatorade and Havaianas. Throughout his career, his work has been recognized at several international creative festivals and award shows, including Cannes Lions, D&AD, Clios, Clio Sports, and the One Show.
Menezes came to TBWAChiatDay in 2013 as a digital design director, transitioning to an associate creative director shortly thereafter to work on both Gatorade and Nixon accounts. His credits include work for Gatorade’s 50th anniversary campaign, as well as its latest Olympic-themed film, “Never Lose the Love.” Prior to TBWA, he worked as associate design director with Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Miami, and also spent time working in digital design for Xishe and Wunderman in Dubai, UAE. Like Fernandez, Menezes is a native of Brazil, and cut his teeth as an art director working in several shops across Brasilia. He is a graduate of the Miami Ad School and Universidad de Brasilia.
The creative promotions are in addition to the promotion of long-time agency strategist Scott MacMaster, who was named executive planning director on the Gatorade business earlier this month.
Director Paul Feig’s “Another Simple Favor,” With Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, To Open SXSW
"Another Simple Favor," Paul Feig's sequel to his 2018 noir comedy starring Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively, will open the SXSW Film and TV Festival.
Organizers of the Austin, Texas, festival announced Tuesday that the long-awaited "A Simple Flavor" sequel will kick of this year's edition on March 7. The Amazon MGM release plots another twist-filled round of murder and betrayal, with Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Lively) heading to an Italy wedding on Capri.
"When we saw this film last fall, we instantly knew it had to open SXSW — it gave us that electric feeling we live for as programmers," said Claudette Godfrey, festival vice president, in a statement.
SXSW has hosted Feig's films before, including a work-in-progress screening of "Bridesmaids" in 2011 and the premiere of "Spy" in 2015.
The premiere of "Another Simple Favor" will be Lively's first new movie since last year's "It Ends With Us" and the subsequent legal drama involving Lively and that film's director and co-star, Justin Baldoni.
In late December, Lively sued Baldoni, his production company and others for sexual harassment and attacks on her reputation and sought unspecified damages. Baldoni sued last month, accusing Lively and her husband, "Deadpool" actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion and seeking at least $400 million in damages.
A trial date of March 2026 has been set.
SXSW previously announced another opening night premiere: the upcoming Seth Rogen Hollywood comedy series "The Studio." The film festival, now in its 32nd year, runs March 7-14.
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