In the next five years, we want to be one of the top three agencies: Anselmo Ramos

Anselmo Ramos, the Co-Founder and Creative Chairman of GUT, was in India recently and the leaders of the Indian ad industry took the opportunity to talk about his journey, creating an independent network and participating in awards.    

The gathering, hosted by Raj Kamble, Founder and CCO at Famous Innovations, was attended by leaders like Kainaz Karmakar, CCO, Ogilvy Mumbai and Ashish Khazanchi, Managing Partner of Enormous Brands.

Kamble spoke about his journey when he started working in We Work and how they became the No.1 in Cannes. “Employees in the agency have a T-shirt that says ‘I want to win a grand prix’ in reverse so when they see themselves in a mirror, they were reminded of this goal.”

Quoting Oprah Winfrey, Anselmo Ramos said, “Oprah said, most people don't get what they want in life, because they don't know where they're going. So, if you know where you're going, if you have a goal, then you can get there eventually. I think the drive is very important.”

Ramos also spoke about his time in building Ogilvy Brazil. “We had to remind people about what David Ogilvy said and execute it.”

He also spoke about how participating in awards is an expensive investment but required to get recognition and build credibility.

Asked about whether he is a creative person or a businessman, Ramos said that he kept a fair balance and he is 50-50 in creative and business. The current CEO Andrea Diquez makes him write for the clients while she takes care of the business front, he shared.

Speaking about clients giving a simple brief, he said clients should give simple one-liner briefs to their creative partners rather than writing a 10-page brief. He spoke about how doing brave work requires a strong legal team and their creative team is constantly in touch with the legal team. He believes that an idea is not great or brave if the legal team gives a direct go-ahead. 

Asked about technology, especially AI, over creativity, Ramos said, “Looking forward, the mix of technology and creativity is clear. Tech, especially AI, has quickly changed many industries. From NFTs and crypto to now AI, it's fast, but we can't go back. AI is sticking around, and we see it as a useful tool, not a problem. Being friends with AI is important, and we're hopeful about how it can speed up our idea generation.”

“AI is like a clever and fast partner in brainstorming. Many successful creative people use AI without worries. In our work, AI often sparks the beginning of an idea. Even though AI is powerful, the human touch is still super important. If you can create things AI can't copy, like having a unique voice, that's valuable. Skilled writers can ask for more money because the human touch they bring is special. The main thing is not to be scared of AI but to see how it can make human creativity even better.”

“In the future, being a good writer will be even more valuable because of AI. If you're skilled, you can ask for higher pay. On the flip side, if you're not good at it, there might be job concerns. Great writers will be in demand because the personal touch they bring is precious. If you have a unique voice or can create content that AI can't match, that's incredibly valuable. It's worth considering how this dynamic will play out.”

Sharing the goal for the next five years, Ramos said that GUT was currently in the top 10 network agency in the Cannes top agency list they wanted it to be in the top three by 2028.