“Olivetto was the greatest of all, he paved the way and defined everything that came after”, says Nizan Guanaes

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Nizan Guanaes has no doubts in assessing the importance of Washington Olivetto for Brazilian advertising. According to him, the friend passed away this Sunday afternoon represents for the segment what João Gilberto marked for Brazilian popular music, that is, the artist who defined “the before and after”, a sort of “Abraão”, father of all Brazilian advertisers who came after.

“He is practically Abraham, who had many children. Then there are variations suited to the era. But the good school comes from him. When they say he was one of the greatest Brazilian advertisers, no, they are wrong. He was the most great Brazilian advertising man”, he said emotionally in an exclusive conversation with the Estadao.

For Guanaes, Olivetto broke with the advertising model that had until then been heavily influenced by US aesthetics in the country, incorporating Brazilian culture into his pieces and bringing this new language around the world.

Below are the main excerpts from the interview.

What has Washington Olivetto represented for Brazilian advertising? How big is this loss?

It was João Gilberto, but happy (laughs). If you look at the commercials before, they were very Americanized, not so Brazilian. But he goes there, notices it and starts advertising with the face of Brazil. It had global quality, but had a Brazilian feel.

He continually said he had to advertise to sell, to build a brand and create popular culture. That was his tripod. He drew a new line, a new ruler. Everything that came after exists only because he said: gang, that’s how it is.

When you think of Olivetto, the commercials for Bombril, Cofap and the first bra come to mind. What else do you highlight as exceptional works?

Everything he did. His construction work for Itaú is incredible: “You can walk in and it’s your home.” Then he leaves Itaú and joins the Unibanco couple. Then the Cofap puppy. The whole time you’ll be watching and it’s goal, goal, goal. Everything is wonderful. The agency was called W Brasil. There could be an American company with USA in the name, but they put Brazil, to highlight our country.

He had this passion and love for the country.

Yes. Love for the country, for Brazilian culture. I met him in a gafieira in Bahia. I was very lucky. I and all those who would become advertisers, the Corinthians fans (not Flamengo, since we’re talking about him), wanted to be Washington Olivetto. I go to a gafieira and my idol is there. I was a fan and said I wanted to work with him one day. It seemed like he had heard this his whole life.

Then I went to Rio, leaving Salvador and then I won Professional of the Year from Rede Globo, I won everything. And he was on the jury. And I won everything only thanks to him. And there my life began. I went to Sao Paulo, showed my work to many people, no one paid attention to me. And one day I got a call, he was the one who said: “I’m Washington Olivetto, would you like to work with me?” I said it must be a joke, but thank God it wasn’t.

You said he was a generous leader, what was he like?

Very kind and generous. It was a joy to work with him, even in tense moments. Once he went to present a campaign to Olavo Setúbal. And Dr. Olavo, very politely, asked, “Washington, is the campaign good?” He replied: if the campaign wasn’t good, I would have come in pink sneakers. (laughs) He was wonderful, witty. He said that if he ever died in a plane crash, his tombstone would read: “The worst idea was the last one.”

Then he said incredible things. A politician who had a somewhat controversial past had a son who wanted to be a politician. Then they consulted Washington, who replied: “As long as the slogan is: He came to give back” (laughs)”. That was his spirit. He was a light person. He was the greatest of us all.

And who are the heirs of this school of creation?

All of us. It’s basically Abraham, who had a lot of kids. Then there are variations suited to the weather. But the good school comes from him. When they say he was one of the greatest Brazilian advertisers, no, they are wrong. He was the greatest Brazilian advertiser. Because by doing what he did, he did it at the time… and a consistent life. Consecrated. Global. He lived in London and was an icon of McCann Global.

What was your creation process like?

It looked like a remorse, it was the fastest download, it ran at 5G speed, I had never seen anything like it. In two minutes, what you had been trying to birth for hours, he would sit down and figure it out.

And he never stopped, always a new project.

I had a column in Globo, I was doing a podcast. A huge culture, aesthetic sense, he knew everything. It was unique.

Source: Terra

Amanda

I am Amanda Gans, a motivated and ambitious professional in the news writing industry. With over five years of experience in this field, I have developed an eye for detail and an ability to craft stories that captivate readers. I currently write for Gossipify, where I specialize in beauty & celebrities news. My passion lies with exploring the world of beauty through writing, interviewing experts and developing articles that are both informative and entertaining.