Danilo Boer

Hi,

My name is Danilo Boer and 2 and a half years ago, I joined FCB as Global Creative Partner, teaming up with Global Chair Susan Credle and creative chiefs around the network to help continue the Network’s success and creative excellence.

During this time at FCB, I’ve met a lot of nice and talented people and partnered up with them to help the Network win AdAge A-LIST, three consecutive Cannes Lions #1 North America Network of the Year and contribute to FCB NY becoming the most awarded agency in the world on the One Show & ADC combined Rankings.

These two years were also marked by a Sports Emmy win for “McEnroe vs McEnroe” in the Innovation on Broadcast category, a One Show Fusion Pencil with for FCB Chicago and FCB India, several Cannes Grand Prix including one for Adidas with FCB Canada and landing Skoda as a transformative new client for FCB London.

All that lead to the FCB Global Network winning Cannes Lions with more offices than ever before, me personally being Ranked #1 Overall Creative & Creative Leader in the world in 2022 and for the agency delivering famous and effective work for some of our biggest brands like Spotify, Virgin, Linkedin, Michelob Ultra, Adidas and more.

Helping each office around the world find its voice and become the best version of themselves is my favorite part of this job.

Before that I was the CCO at Ogilvy New York alongside Marcos Kotlhar.

There, we ran the global headquarters of one of the most iconic agencies in the world.
Overseeing a 100+ creative department and steering Ogilvy out of Covid and into more pleasant days. Alongside some incredible ECDs and Client Leads we helped clients such as IBM, IKEA, Nationwide, Samsung, Dove, Perrier, EltaMD, San Pellegrino, Poland Springs, Gerber, Citizens Bank, Siemens and many more.

We also helped the agency win several new clients and boosted that list, with emblematic brands like Absolut Vodka, Zippo, World of Hyatt, Enterprise Ren-A-Car and New York Philharmonic.

Prior to Ogilvy, I was at BBDO New York for 11 years, starting in 2009.

There I worked closely with David Lubars and Greg Hahn on a variety of categories and brands that include Guinness, FedEx, Snickers, Starbucks, AT&T, HBO and many more. During those years I was fortunate enough to be included in pretty much every “Number Under Number” list you can find on the internet, and ended up named BBDO NY first ever Head of Art & Design and soon later turned into an Executive Creative Director.

As an ECDs I was running a group that included 8 global brands, including Bacardí, GE, Bombay Sapphire, Dewars, Cazadores, St. Germain, Macy’s and Foot Locker.

My goal has always been do work that is innovative, culturally relevant and that feels more like entertainment and less like an ad.
Most importantly, work that people want to engage with.

As a leader at BBDO I was proud of doing what I do best; helping brands come around a tough time and find their place in culture.

In the 5 years of working with Bacardi we launched their “Do What Moves You” platform and by using emerging technology and entertainment we completely revolutionized the way the business and its consumers interact and turned around a brand who was in decline and is now not only turning profits quarter after quarter while at the same time becoming part of the musical zeitgeist. 

At the time, Bacardi was recognized as the most awarded brand in the spirits category for 4 straight years, ultimately having work added to the permanent collection of the MoMA. Working closely with CMO John Burke we have helped him reach the cover of AdWeek Magazine where he was celebrated as Most Innovative CMO of the year.

To top it all off, while finding a younger audience,
Bacardi’s relentless innovative social efforts have pushed the brand
into breaking new ground in the digital space

———

At the end of a day in the office, I like to go home with the feeling that our clients see us as true partners. I chose to bond with them over the belief that if we deeply understand our audience, we will always find a new way to inspire and connect with consumers or business partners. And that we need to flip the old model where advertising agencies worked in the awareness business, we need to be business aware instead.

I believe in creating a fast and nimble creative environment,
where everyone feels part of the process
and takes ownership of every step of the journey.

I believe in creatives who are doers, makers, multi-disciplinary craftspeople. I believe in breaking the traditional advertising mold and working on a more agile and effective model. I believe in Fast, Innovative and Smart. 

Everywhere I have been, my creative departments have looked like an underdressed United Nations assembly with creatives from Australia, Latvia, Brazil, England, Peru, Sweden, South Korea, Venezuela, Canada, France and of course U.S.
Always pushing for equal male and female representation, and putting conscious effort on hiring BIPOC talent at all levels.
It’s this diversity of backgrounds and cultures that drives the energy that pushes us everyday. Different minds that come together with the same north star: to create work that helps brands be as amazing as they should be.

To do all that in an environment where people have fun
and enjoy coming to the office (or zooming from home) is my obsession.

——

I began my career at AlmapBBDO in Brazil in 2003 and there, under Marcello Serpa and with the support of many other talented people we helped turn Havaianas from a local flip flop brand into a true global fashion icon. There, I created award winning work not only for Havaianas, but also for Volkswagen, Pepsi, GettyImages and ultimately for Billboard Magazine, which received a Cannes Lions Grand Prix and several other shiny pieces of metal around the world.

It’s been a pretty good run,

If you read all this, you deserve a drink, on me.

Love,

Danilo