Washington Olivetto – the creative genius largely responsible for giving worldwide status to Brazilian advertising, with iconic campaigns that have become part of the vernacular and popular culture – passed away this Sunday, after months of being hospitalized in Rio.
He was 73 years old.
“The greatest of us all has passed away,” said Nizan Guanaes, who today just wanted to keep looking at the horizon, thinking of the times when Olivetto was his boss and later a competitor to be surpassed, which was not easy.
“He was more than Pelé. He was the João Gilberto of advertising. He changed the way advertising spoke. From being Americanized and pompous, he made it Brazilian and global.”
Especially between the 80s and 90s, Washington created campaigns that are still remembered by at least two generations: the first Valisère bra, the Bombril boy, the Cofap dog, the famous Fernandinho shirt, the 752 shoe that he made Brizola and Maluf wear for Vulcabrás, and – last but not least – turned ‘democracia Corinthiana’ into a brand.
Washington is also behind the memorable campaign for Folha newspaper that claimed it was possible to “tell a bunch of lies by just telling the truth.” At the end of the commercial, Adolf Hitler’s face appeared.
Jorge Ben Jor immortalized Washington with lyrics that exalted his award-winning agency.
Hello, Hello, W/Brasil.
Jacarezinho.
Airplane.
A genius with unique sensitivity, Washington appropriated popular culture and ended up shaping it, creating unusual responses to clients’ challenges – and earning millions throughout his career.
When he founded W/Brasil, he became the first advertising professional to be on the cover of a newspaper – and the first celebrity-advertiser in the country, said Rita Almeida, a veteran advertiser, friend of Washington and now a strategist at Almap.
A visionary, Washington understood the importance of the planning and research area to create campaigns. As a creative, he was a pioneer in thinking of advertising as “serious entertainment,” and deeply understanding the meaning of brands in people’s lives.
He was also one of the first to conduct pre-tests of campaigns with consumer groups before airing them.
Washington Luís Olivetto was born in São Paulo, in the neighborhood of Lapa, on September 29, 1951. He spent his childhood isolated due to a suspected case of polio – which led him to teach himself to read with Monteiro Lobato’s books.
His advertising career began at the age of 18, as a copywriter.
In 1969, the tire of his 1969 Karmann-Ghia punctured in front of the HGP agency. He took advantage and asked for a job. A year later, he was already at DPZ, one of the most successful agencies of the time, where he quickly proved to be a prodigy.
He had not even five years of career when he won his first Lion. It was a bronze one – but at a time when Cannes had very few awardees. The campaign was an advertisement for Deca.
A year later, he won a Gold Lion with the film “Homem de 40 anos,” which addressed the issue of ageism long before it became a topic.
Still, some advertisers criticize Washington for never embracing – even in recent years – issues like gender equality, diversity, and sustainability.
After DPZ, he joined the Swiss agency GGK, which became W/GGK in Brazil. In 1986, alongside partners Javier Llussá Ciuret and Gabriel Zellmeister, he took control of the agency and renamed it W/Brasil, which eventually became one of the most well-known advertising agencies in the world.
The story of W/Brasil was immortalized in the book by Fernando de Morais, “Na Toca dos Leões.” The book tells how Olivetto was a master at creating timely advertisements. When Pope John Paul II condemned birth control pills, he aired an ad for Jontex, “the birth control without contraindications.”
His greatest personal trauma, as he said in his lectures, was the kidnapping carried out by an extreme left-wing terrorist group in Chile. Washington was held captive for 53 days in 2001.
In 2010, W/Brasil was sold to McCann, now part of the Interpublic Group, and was one of the rare cases where a foreign agency allowed its name in Brazil to feature a local’s name on the front. WMcCann was born.
Hugo Rodrigues, who succeeded Washington as chairman, told Brazil Journal that as long as he is in charge of the agency, the W will be on the door.
“In addition to revering the best, we have to be close to them, and losing the W would be immeasurable.”
Washington will be immortal like the brands he eternalized.
“Bombril is just one example,” said Hugo. “He turned a shock absorber into a brand with unparalleled memorability. He made Rider compete with Havaianas. He turned the Fernandinho shirt, which would be considered old-fashioned or for rich kids, into a desired item across all social spheres. He managed to be the theme of a samba school. A musical hit.”
But Hugo also reflects on how difficult it is, in today’s world, to replicate Washington’s genius, in an era where communication is filled with data and metrics – and very little courage.
“Originality, despite being enticing, brings more risks and not all brands are willing to take so many risks.”
In February, in a conversation with Brazil Journal, Washington said he had not liked what he saw in advertisements for a long time, pointing out the decline in the quality of some media outlets and the obsession with algorithms.
He also complained that political correctness inhibited creativity, and that advertising had failed to meet two of the three objectives it set out to achieve: building brands and entering popular culture. In his view, advertising today “only helps companies sell more.”
Washington moved to London with his family in 2017. He joked that in recent years, he had become “one of the few senior youtubers in the world.” During his frequent visits to Brazil, he recorded his W/Cast in the living room of his apartment in Ipanema, interviewing friends and former clients.
Washington passed away after being hospitalized for nearly five months due to lung complications.
He is survived by his wife, Patrícia, and three children: Homero and twins Antônia and Theo.
Art: Marcelo Chello
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Arwen Volkov, A graduate of the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland with a degree in International Finance, Arwen specializes in sustainable finance and green investments. She began her career at an investment bank in London, where she developed financing models for environmentally friendly projects. Known for her analytical and strategic thinking skills, Arwen is a sought-after financial consultant. In her spare time, she mentors fintech startups, contributing to their growth strategies. She is also a nature enthusiast and an amateur photographer.
