Juan Carlos Chavez of DDB Colombia: It’s great to win Lions for clients that depend on the agency

DDB Colombia made history at Cannes Lions 2023 by taking home six Lions. In that regard, John Raul Forero, president and CCO of the agency, said though this positions it as the agency with the most Lions in Colombia and one of the biggest prizewinners in Latin America. He also expressed his pride at being among the five leading officials in the agency’s global network. In the Outdoor Lions category, the agency took two bronzes for its A Second of Happiness campaign for McDelivey. For its Influencer Friends campaign for Poker Beer it received four metals in the categories of Entertainment Lions (two of silver), Direct Lions (silver) and Creative Strategy Lions (bronze). Juan Carlos Chavez, creative VP of DDB Colombia, noted that it was an inspiring experience, above all from the consolidation of the team with the agency. “We represent 500 people who work in Colombia. It is extremely satisfying to win with real work and above all, for clients that have counted so solidly on the agency’s creative process,” he said. In that sense, he also said there’s a satisfaction in the process of having patience and of knowing when to arrive at festivals. “We knew I had to be with top clients and relevant cases,” he explained. In his opinion, DDB is made up of creativity and effectiveness. For his part, Javier Ducuara, managing director of TracyLocke Colombia and Brand & Business leader of DDB Colombia, said that the biggest challenge was establishing that strategic bridge between creativity and client. “”Coming up with ideas with a cultural fit but that also affect the clients’ businesses, he explained Along the same line, he said that without the clients’ help, they couldn’t have created these campaigns. “They contributed ideas, not just for their approval but also so we would all be working as a single team and like a group of friends. I feel gratitude, happiness and pride for the entire team,” he said.