It was the boyhood dream of a kid watching TV commercials — his above all — and finding them the greatest thing ever, that connected me to advertising.
It was reading about him that I decided I wanted to do the same: advertising, and never working for politicians.
I always wanted to meet him. It never happened. But he knew about me. Twice.
Once, he praised a distinctive website I built in 2008, when I was 19.
Another time, at a book signing, a friend bought a book and asked for a dedication in my name.
Washington Olivetto is an icon of Brazilian advertising, recognized worldwide.
The kind of person with brilliant insights hidden in everyday phrases.
His creative spirit will forever hover in the air of advertising.
I recommend searching YouTube for “Washington Olivetto publicidade”. There’s a Folha de São Paulo ad ranked among the 100 best in the world. Well worth watching.
You may not know him, but you have certainly been touched by his work.
The adman who created the Garoto Bombril, Embratel’s DDD campaign, “the first bra you never forget”, the Unibanco couple, and many, many more campaigns…
You know the “Alô, alô, W/Brasil” from the Jorge Ben Jor song? Well, W/Brasil was Washington’s agency.
Washington both created and became Brazilian popular culture.
Originally published on my Instagram in October 2024.