Famous Campaigns Q+A with ~ Hermeti Balarin

Hermeti Balarin is the Chief Creative Officer at Wieden+Kennedy London where he oversees culture-first work for brands such as Nike, Heinz, Ford and Absolut. Hermeti is behind campaigns such as Clash of the Past for mobile game Clash of Clans, winner of two Cannes Grand Prix and Silence The Critics for IKEA, winner of two D&AD Yellow Pencils. His short documentary The Good Fight, is a winner of the Tribeca Film Festival.

What excites you most about your current work?
There’s a belief at Wieden+Kennedy that we are here to create the best work of our lives. There are no distractions or hidden agendas; the work itself takes precedence. This laser focus approach has led to incredible outcomes, such as landing Nike aeroplanes, running Heinz ads without branding and reviving Absolut silhouette bottle ads. That’s in the last 12 months alone. So I couldn’t be more excited in general.

How do you envision the future of the industry in the age of AI?
I see it like every other technological wave before it. It will undoubtedly accelerate things and bring a lot of progress. But human creativity feels as irreplicable as ever.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Joy precedes great work, not the other way around.

Which brand would you love to add to your portfolio?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work on my favourite brands, but if I had to choose, it would be Absolut Vodka. Oh, wait.

As a child, what did you aspire to be when you grew up?
I have wanted to be an advertising creative since I was 13, believe it or not. Advertising was a big deal in Brazil when I grew up. Some of the ads were more entertaining and provocative than the programming. Some of the CCOs ended up becoming household names. Unbelievable, but true.

When you hit a creative rut, what do you do?
As cliché as it sounds for someone working on Nike, I go for a run. You can’t outthink a creative rut; you have to mechanically remove it.

What’s something surprising people don’t know about you?
I’m mildly colour blind, and I’m the art director.

What’s your favourite campaign you didn’t work on?
I adore Wieden + Kennedy NYC’s Ford work, where they mapped the entire American Trail in partnership with Google Maps. It’s the “how on earth did they do that” kind of work I dream of.

What’s your last supper? What’s on the menu?
A5 Wagyu Steak. Grilled on the bbq.

What’s your favourite campaign you worked on and a bit about it?
I had the pleasure of working with Nike to celebrate the Lionesses’ second Euros win last year. My ten-year-old son, my wife and I went out to central London that evening to witness the work first hand and were incredibly proud. The next morning, we watched the IIOME plane land live on multiple screens, witnessing a historic moment and feeling a part of it. It was truly unforgettable.

image credit Jude Winstanley LinkedIN

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Doomscrolling on TikTok.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?
Anything that stifles creativity.

What’s your biggest mistake?
I once overcooked a Wagyu A5 steak. Sacrilege.

What was the most challenging brief you’ve ever worked on?
It was the very first one Ana and I did together. I kid you not but The Financial Times had a series called “The World’s Toughest Briefs” open to all, with a £1K prize for the winners. We had to convince younger generations to invest in pensions for their future. We were having dinner in our tiny flat the night before the deadline, staring at a blank page. We put on some music and a Frank Sinatra song came on. The name of the song was “The Best Is Yet To Come”. Boom! We had our tagline. We then paired it with executions like flying trainers, memory-enhancing gadgets and trips to the moon. And we won. That’s how it all began.

What’s your go-to karaoke song?
If I had to choose one I’d go with Flowers by Miley Cyrus

Share a horror story from a pitch.
We forgot the polyboards on the train on our way to a presentation outside of London. I still wince a little when I think about that day.

What’s your favourite/most overused mantra, motto or saying?
This isn’t overused but I wish it was. Dan Wieden had a simple saying from all his creatives about the work itself: “Move me, dude!”. That’s my guiding principle for judging all the work that comes across my desk every day.

Share an item from your bucket list?
A zero-gravity flight would be fun.

Who inspires you?
Hélio Gracie is a true genius. If you’re unfamiliar with him, he’s the man who single-handedly created Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a whole new martial art. As a practitioner myself, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s beneficial for both the body and mind and, despite popular belief, it’s surprisingly gentle compared to other martial arts. However, it’s also incredibly deadly.

All-time favourite movie
My all-time favourite movie is City of God by Fernando Meirelles.

What’s the weirdest brief you’ve ever been given?
To source the original tapes for Coca-Cola’s holiday campaign, “The Holidays Are Coming”. We had the task of updating the endframe for a re-run many moons ago.

What’s a habit you’re trying to break?
Doomscrolling on TikTok.

The best decision you ever made.
To ask my wife to be my creative partner. True story.

…and the worst
Taking my dad to watch Brazil vs Germany at the World Cup in Brazil. We lost 7-1. He and I will never forget that day.

What’s your creative spirit animal?
A Leopard. I’ve been wearing a lot of animal prints lately, so I thought I’d say that.

Who was the biggest influence on your early career?
Brazilian creatives like Washington Olivetto and Marcello Serpa. Olivetto was known for his culturally provocative work, while Serpa was known for his minimalist and reductionist art direction.

One piece of industry jargon you’d happily banish?
“Ideation”. I don’t know why, but that particular word doesn’t make me want to have ideas, let alone good ones.

One marketing book everyone should read?
I haven’t read it in ages but Hey Whipple Squeeze This was my bible back then.

If you weren’t in this job what would you be doing instead?
I would most certainly be running a small steak restaurant on a Brazilian beach somewhere.

 

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