Advertising exponent in Brazil, Wilson Mateos teaches creativity
Wilson Mateos is an important Brazilian writer and creative director. His CV includes stints at the biggest agencies in Brazil, as well as the renowned David & Goliath and 180LA, on his “tour” through the United States.
Today, alongside his partners, he is in charge of his own business, at 11:11, a “creative shop”, as it calls itself, or a true creativity store, in free translation.
Be inspired by the life and work of this writer who has built an important part of the contemporary history of Brazilian advertising.
Who is Wilson Mateos
Born in São Paulo, Wilson Mateos began his career in advertising at a young age, working in a small agency in the state capital as an intern in the art sector. Contact with important writers, great creative minds, inspired him to also try creating with words.
In fact, the attitude had fruitful results for what would become a successful career. While still an intern, he received his first title, approved to promote a fabric brand during Carnival.
“At this carnival, no one will go out naked”
From there, he began his journey through the largest and most important groups in Brazil, such as FCB, Lew Lara TBWA, AlmapBBDO and NeogamaBBH, among others, where he worked as writer and creative director.
Of course, it couldn't be just that. Mateos also had a great international adventure, during a period in which he was creative director at two large American agencies.
At David & Goliath he was responsible for the account of the car manufacturer Kia Motors, and during his time at 180LA, he collaborated with the account for the University of Phoenix, leaving his mark on his “tour” across North America.
Back in Brazil, his last home was Leo Burnett, where he was Vice President of Creation. The partnership, however, ended in 2020, when he joined forces with other creative references to create 11:11 “The Challenger Company”.
The company is a creative shop which aims to deliver advertising, marketing and business solutions to clients in a personalized and, of course, very creative way.
Behind the Advertising Lens
Mateos recognizes that those who work in communications generally spend a long time focusing on what they do. Still, he finds time to pursue his personal interests, which are as creative as his work.
Lover of music and motorcycle club culture, he enjoys heavy metal, motorcycles, Harley Davidson and craft beer. From the universe of pop culture, Japanese manga, GI Joe action figures and samurai films are also on the list of his hobbies. Photography, however, is another case in itself.
Wilson Mateos also proves his talent creative through camera lenses. In this case, his works – mostly in the street photography genre (street photography) that portray the daily lives of ordinary people, like you and me – take on a poetic tone, without giving up the writer’s characteristic sense of humor.
Art with words, or their absence
More than 25 years of career represent enough time to develop a significant amount of memorable work, titles that never leave your mind, and even Public Relations actions.
Mateos managed to go even further, proving his talent for creativity not only with his robust resume, but also with the collection of awards he has acquired over the years. There are more than 10 Cannes Lions, just to name the most famous award.
Find out a little more about Wilson Mateos' projects below.
Without a single word, he said everything. Leading the editorial team on this project, Mateos showed the full power of the car he was advertising, without saying or writing a single word for most of the video. With so much creativity, the result could not have been different: the play won the Cannes Lions Shortlist award.
This is one of those examples of pieces that makes us ask: “how did I not think of this before?”. Often, the most creative insight lies in what seems obvious, but no one sees: how to associate the name of the car “Chronos” (time, in Greek), with the cuckoo, an old and burlesque clock. With this idea in hand, Wilson managed to create art and made us understand a lot about the product.
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There is not much to say about this example, it explains itself. After all, in a simple way and with just the right amount of relaxation, the writer managed to touch the persona on one of their main pain points: the difficulty of going to the bank due to traditional opening hours.
beatz podcast with Wilson Mateos
So far you've already managed to get a preview of all of Mateos' background and how much he can teach us, telling us more about his life and career. Nothing better than hearing him in person, delving even deeper into the stories of the paths that took him from his first internship to Cannes Lions.
He told all this and much more on the Beatz Podcast, which you can watch on YouTube or Spotify. Access right now and be inspired by one of the main Brazilian writers of recent years!
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