Alejandro di Trolio, executive creative director at Cheil Madrid and European chairman, Cheil Worldwide, is one of the industry’s trailblazers in the fusion of digital creativity and innovation. During his career, di Trolo has brought his creative thinking to some of the world’s most famous brands, Samsung, IKEA, Coca-Cola, Toyota, Amazon, Volkswagen, Domino´s Pizza, and Red Bull, in diverse markets across Latin America and Europe. He currently leads the creative efforts of a dozen countries at Cheil.
As a judge for MAD STARS 2024, Di Trolio brings to the jury room extensive experience in international advertising juries. His understanding of what makes a good judge, as well as the challenges of judging, are second to none.
“I think what makes it really challenging when deciding a piece in a jury is putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. That is, the most important thing is not to judge the pieces from your experience or perspective. The best thing is to be able to detach yourself from everything you know and delve into the culture, style and creative angle of the region where it is from, especially in more global festivals like MAD STARS,” he notes.
As for good creative judgment, I think the most important thing is to give value to those ideas that make the industry go one step further. Every time a piece wins, it is a beacon that guides millions of creatives worldwide, and judging the NEXT STEP of creativity, advertising or marketing in each category is what makes our sector better.”
What he will be looking for in the MAD STARS jury room, he adds, are ideas and brands that take risks in favour of creativity. “We are in a time where there is a lot of fear of betting on fresh and ground-breaking ideas and we try to solve everything with measurement and performance. My goal is to look for the unconventional and focus on the transformative power of ideas for both brands and the industry,” he says.
“In particular, I look for ideas that do not stop at awareness or disclosure of a problem. I look for clear and materialisable solutions to real problems. I try to escape from the multiple cases without real solutions because I feel that advertising and marketing are there to change things,” he adds.
Creativity plus technology is Cheil’s signature focus and it has produced some outstanding work, that has been amply awarded. Cheil Worldwide won a total of 32 awards including four Grands Prix, six Golds, four Silvers, six Bronzes, and twelve Crystals at MAD STARS 2023. Cheil Worldwide received the most Grands Prix at MAD STARS last year while also renewing its own record.
“For me, Cheil’s focus is that as an agency we take advantage of the power of technology to create solutions beyond awareness. For years, communication was the protagonist of advertising, but our mindset is to materialise solutions through innovation and for years we have had this way of working in all our teams at Cheil,” di Trolo explains.
An example of this transformation of purpose has been Samsung Impulse this year. An idea that not only focuses on a group (people with speech difficulties) but also, through existing technology, becomes a real solution for millions just a click away in the Google Store.
A creative leader for nearly twelve years, di Trolio has nurtured the careers of many young creatives, both at Cheil in Spain and his previous agency, Good Rebels in UK, Spain, Colombia and Mexico. During that time, he has calculated the three keys for success for aspiring creatives.
1. Believe in your instinct.
In a time where everything is measurable and where subjectivity has been relegated to an inconsequential plane, as creatives you have to look beyond Excel tables, percentages and statistics because there is what is new and different. Listen to your inner voice when thinking about an idea because that voice is always right.
2. Do not stay in the obvious, look for solutions through creativity.
Creativity is not only there to communicate, it is there to act. In a world totally in need of solutions and answers, your ideas can go one step further and create real answers through brand budgets. It is much more than a purpose, it is the creation of solutions of all kinds, from customer sales to improving the quality of life of people who are customers of the brand but who at the same time could be a family member or a friend. Think big and your ideas will be just as big when it comes to solving problems.
3. The greatest prize you will win in this profession is not a trophy, it is being a good person.
It seems obvious, but in a world where all that seems to matter is a piece of metal that says you are better “creatively speaking” than everyone else, never forget that the greatest reward for you and those around you in your agency is that be a good person. Make your “Grand Prix” that you are someone who contributes to your team. The rest will follow.
