White Square International Festival of Creativity continues accepting entries. Agencies and brands can submit their best projects in eight contests: CREATIVE, BRANDING, DIGITAL, MEDIA, MARKETING SERVICE, MARKETING EFFECTIVENESS, CRAFT and MASS MEDIA CONTEST. The entries will be evaluated by representatives of more than 30 countries of the world, winners of numerous awards of prestigious international creativity festivals. The jury of White Square Festival 2024 will be announced in March, but now we are delighted to present a series of interviews with the jury members who have already confirmed their participation. Today with us is Creative Director Freelancer and Teacher & Coordinator at Miami ad School, Luis Paulo Gatti.

Projects with your participation have won numerous awards at prestigious international creativity festivals. Are there any cases among them that are most valuable to you, which brought inspiration to you during their creation? Can you tell us a little about them and why they are valuable to you?

When my son was two years old he learned to press the skip ad button on YouTube. I already felt, seeing that all social platforms give this option, that more and more people want to avoid advertisements. That's why one campaign in particular started to change the direction of my career. It is not in the top 5 of my most awarded campaigns, but I believe it is more in line with what we will see in the future than traditional campaigns. It brings together a periodic problem, the Covid pandemic, and the launch of one of the most anticipated video games of all time. It was a low budget idea that turned out very well. It won big festivals and the love of the public.

You have judging experience at many international creativity festivals, and this year you will be judging the entries of White Square Festival. What new aspects would you like to see, what are the key criteria for evaluating projects for you?

I want to see ideas that really speak to the public. We are not artists, we are communicators. Our job is to speak to the audience in a way that they understand and that is new. Let's generate topics and talk about the topics that people are talking about. Brands have the power to engage a movement with a campaign. I hope to see this type of projects among White Square 2024 entries.

It has always been trending at festivals to talk not only about the latest tendencies in advertising, but also about the values that brands translate, about social advertising and its role in commercial projects. What social values are most actively supported by brands in your country?

I had the opportunity to live in many different places, and with that experience see many different realities. Has two things in common everywhere: social inequality and climate change. Firstly, I think it’s difficult for a brand to talk about. But the second, regarding climate change, brands have an obligation to talk and, above all, to act.

What inspires you for your work? Perhaps, hobbies, family, friends or colleagues?  

I believe that everything in life can be a source of inspiration. We never know what our experience or someone else's experience, like through a conversation for example, will be a unique insight to explore and encourage our creativity.

What would you like to wish to the participants of White Square Festival 2024?

Wish you the bast of luck, because no one participates in a festival without wanting to win. But mostly have fun. Festivals are resources for us to discover what other brands are doing best. So it's not just about winning.

The final deadline is May 3, 2024. To learn more about the nominations and submit the entries follow the official website of White Square Festival.