From Vision To Reality: Anselmo Ramos Shares About His Cannes Lions Journey

In the competitive world of advertising, few names evoke as much intrigue as Anselmo Ramos. The man behind popular campaigns such as Dove Sketches and Burger King Detour Whopper, Ramos is the founder and creative director at Gut. From humble beginnings as a copywriter in Brazil to the architect of Gut, which is considered as one of the most decorated advertising agencies globally and crowned the Cannes Lions Agency of the Year in 2023, Ramos's journey is that one of determination, hard work and manifestations. Ramos was recently in Mumbai where he participated in an informal chat with industry leaders and professionals, sharing invaluable insights during the engaging session. Excerpts:
 
According to you, what fueled your success in the industry?

You need to be extremely driven. It's about wanting something badly. Oprah Winfrey once said, "Most people don't achieve their desires because they lack direction." If you have a goal in mind, you can eventually reach it. Drive is crucial; this journey is challenging.

Pitching ideas to clients is tough. You must have a passion for this industry; otherwise, it'll be incredibly difficult. It's not just about drive; ambition plays a significant role.

Belief is essential. Consider the 'law of attraction'—whatever you currently have in life is a result of your thoughts. Hard work is vital, but everything you possess or experience, you've attracted. Setting ambitions, believing in them, working diligently and loving what you do are keys. We emphasise that love drives us - love for the industry, ideas, brands and each other. It's all about love.
 
In 2020, you declared that by 2023, your company ‘Gut’ will become the ‘Agents of the Year’ in Cannes Lions. How did you turn your prediction of winning the Agency of the Year at Cannes into a reality?

Yes, my 2020 forecast is now a reality. I did this without informing or seeking permission from anyone (in the company). So, I had to hear a lot of things from my people for that. They asked me, “Why did you do that? It's so embarrassing.” But for me, it's a technique: when I vocalise it, I'm bound to follow through; otherwise, I'll appear foolish. It's about accountability; this method works for me. I strongly believe in manifesting and shaping one's life and culture. If you don't actively design the culture, it will shape itself.
 
Can you talk a bit more about designing the culture? What do you mean by that?
 
Culture is everything to me. It's our obsession. We deliberately shape our culture; treating the Gut brand as our top client. Our brand positioning is clear - we're a brave agency for brave clients. Three core values guide us: courage, transparency, intuition. We hold a mission, a vision and principles. We're fixated on our culture, having our own "Gut" language - terms like "gut punch" for clients and "x-ray" for brands.

In March, we celebrated our fifth anniversary by taking 450 people to Buenos Aires. It was a significant expense, but to me, it's an investment. Three days in Argentina allowed us to bond, with talks, performances by the Gut band and our inaugural soccer tournament among Gut offices (Brazil won, not Argentina). It was three days of pure fun, culminating in a big party. This strengthened our culture and fostered connections among everyone.

Someone even told us that it's no coincidence we became the agents of the year in Cannes because it all boils down to culture.

You said you are a brave agency for brave clients? Can you elaborate on that.

Bravery isn't an inherent trait; it's a daily conscious decision and we can guide individuals in scaling it up. When considering bravery, we see three levels of risk: low, medium and high. From our experience, low-risk actions lead to no consequences, medium-risk actions also have no negative fallout but high-risk actions require discussion.

With high-risk endeavours, consulting a good lawyer can often lower it to a medium or medium-high level. There's always a way to minimise risk. We've executed many high-risk ideas and fortunately, nothing catastrophic has occurred—so far, so good.

Could you share how award recognition aligns with client expectations across different brands within your agency?

It all comes down to your agency's positioning. From the outset, we aimed to be a creatively driven agency. When you define yourself this way, not winning awards can sometimes suggest a lack of creativity. Awards aren't our primary goal, but they serve as a great outcome for exceptional work.

For instance, when "Sketches" went viral and evoked emotional responses, it hinted at potential recognition. Prior to winning with the jury, it had already won over the public. When people like something, often the jury, comprised of individuals, will appreciate it too. That's crucial - awards aren't the end goal but a significant consequence.

Awards come in different flavours; some are like your mom praising you, but the most challenging ones are when your competitors or clients recognise your greatness. Our clients expect us to win awards, which has created an interesting challenge. Sometimes, I have to explain that while we might not have hit the goal line for their brand, we've achieved it for another within the same agency. Creating client jealousy can be potent. It's an intriguing aspect of client relationships.
 
Any plan to open an office in India in the near future?

As for future plans, it's uncertain. We've recently launched our office in Amsterdam, marking our move towards the east—Europe, Asia, Africa. Whether we'll eventually reach Mumbai, I can't say for sure.