Ricardo Adolfo leads the creative work for Apple in Japan. He has lived in Tokyo for the past twelve years where he also spent nearly six years at Ogilvy. Before moving to Japan, he worked at Wieden+Kennedy, DDB and 180 on Amsterdam, on brands such as Nike, Unilever, Philips, and adidas.
Ricardo fuses his love of movies and novels with creative work that is steeped in culture and business-impacting. He is the author of novels, short stories and children’s books that have been translated across South America, Asia and Europe. He has also written scripts for TV and cinema that premiered at Venice Film Festival and San Sebastian Film Festival among many others.
Some of his most awarded work blurs the lines between advertising, film and music. They include “There’s only one sun”, directed by Wong Kar Wai for Philips, “Life is but a dream”, directed by Park Chan-wook for iPhone 13, “Bite” starring Jay Park for iPad, “ETA” starring New Jeans for iPhone 14, and “Midnight”, directed by Takashi Miike for iPhone 15.
What kind of ideas or creative work are you hoping to applaud as a MAD STARS final juror this year?
Ricardo Adolfo: In Busan, work that embraces a more local and insightful point of view has a stronger chance to flourish. I’m looking forward to celebrating regional gems and those that demonstrate how strong cultural approaches can push platforms and formats forward. Work from APAC is having a colossal year across multiple disciplines, which will make for an even richer festival in 2025.
How do you define creativity and innovation in today’s landscape? What challenges do you think creativity in advertising are having to overcome in the current environment?
Ricardo Adolfo: Work today has to be truly creative to stand out. The fight for awareness is at an epic level, and the attention spans lost their patience. As more and more advertising tries to evolve into the territory of entertainment, it’s crucial that ideas are planned, designed, and executed with the understanding that every other nanosecond, something new and spectacular appears in the feed. No one asked for another ad, so it better be telling a meaningful, authentic and beautiful story if it wants even a second of attention.
Apple & TBWA\Media Arts Lab have had a long and successful run with Apple campaigns in the last decade – including an impressive swag of awards (and two Emmy nominations this year). What do you believe lies behind the campaign’s successes?
Ricardo Adolfo: To start with, when the product you’re promoting is outstanding, you’re already halfway there. Add to that, the daily belief that honest, simple and smart work, done with good taste, cuts through and sells.
You have worked at four agencies known for outstanding creativity. What skills or assets are the most important to you to keep you on top of your game as a creative?
Ricardo Adolfo: The moment you believe you’re on top of your game, you might not be anymore. That’s why, to me, it’s important to stay humble and always strive to make it better with every single brief. Each one, no matter its characteristics, is a new problem and a new chance strike gold. On top of that, constantly listen to the world around you. The best ideas come from the most unexpected places. Finally, train and express your creativity in different fields. Ideally unrelated and in contexts with varying degrees of difficulty.
What do you think is MAD STARS’ role, and importance, to the global creative community?
Ricardo Adolfo: The global creative community is constantly searching, sharing and discussing great ideas, and MAD STARS has became a hub for the best of the best from APAC, and beyond. Busan is now an essential stop on the global creative circuit, known for its high number of entries, the excellence of its awarded work, and its thought-provoking panels on stage.
