Ogilvy Andina’s Gastón Potasz on Finding Andean Synergies

Gastón Postasz, VP creative at Ogilvy Andina, has over two decades of experience in the communication worlds of Latin America. As well as working in Chile and Argentina for some of the biggest networks in the world, Gastón has considerable experience in the region he now has responsibility for with Ogilvy - the Andean region. 

This collection of countries - located in the west of Latin America, around the Andes mountain range - includes Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and his current base of operations, Colombia. All of these nations have seen their creative industries grow considerably in the last decade and are home to several Ogilvy offices, which Gastón now leads the integral strategy for.

After being appointed to this role in the summer and settling in for a few months, LBB’s Ben Conway thought it would be the ideal time to catch up with Gastón to discuss his career journey until this point, his thoughts and predictions for Ogilvy’s Andean offices, and the region’s creative culture more widely.

LBB> What creative content inspired or interested you most when you were growing up? Do any TV shows, films or ads stand out to you?

Gastón> I loved science fiction and going deep into my imagination to create worlds and characters. That's how I started writing. I was inspired by Spielberg's iconic films and very impressed by ‘Back to the Future’ and books like Fahrenheit 451, Brave New World and Lord of the Rings, which opened my mind. I remember running home from school just to watch Robotech on TV. Also, movies with ironic humour like Airplane!, Top secret and The Naked Gun caught my attention. But above all, what pushed me the most to be creative were the games I invented with my friends in Buenos Aires. We always made up a new story.

LBB> When did the possibility of working in the advertising world appear to you? How was your journey into this industry?

Gastón> I found out that working in advertising would mean getting paid for combining everything I liked: ideas, writing and music. I attended university until I found out that there was a place where the creative directors from the Agulla & Bacetti agency taught about creativity. That opportunity totally blew my mind and opened doors to me getting a job. I learned a lot at the agency, but it was not enough to make a living, so I started giving piano lessons as a second job, until I was finally able to make a living from advertising.

I've come a long way through all kinds of agencies and departments. I fondly remember my first experiences because they inspired and trained me. I joined FCB and a year later I joined Grey, where I started doing jobs that had more visibility. A couple of years later, I joined DDB where I started winning awards. Two years later, Ogilvy appeared in my life, and everything changed - literally. After a very good first year in Argentina, I was offered the first great opportunity of my life, which was to lead a business unit in Colombia. They were years full of adrenaline, lessons and hard work. Then I assumed the position of CCO of Ogilvy Chile. For five years, we formed a very nice team, and we won many awards. 

During the pandemic, I decided to take a break and stay home with my daughters and my wife. I wrote a novel and published it. It was an atypical year, but at the end of 2020, I accepted the opportunity to work with very dear friends at VMLY&R Commerce Argentina, until Mauricio Barriga [Ogilvy Colombia CEO] called me with an opportunity I couldn’t refuse - join Ogilvy Bogotá as Creative VP and lead the Andean region.

I have a strong relationship with Ogilvy. I’ve worked in many networks and big agencies, but Ogilvy has given me the best experiences by far. Here, I was able to develop myself as a leader and live experiences that every creative seeks. They opened the world to me, helped me connect with people from different cultures and get to know other markets. Ogilvy has given me a place to grow as a professional and as a person.

LBB> What’s the most important lesson/piece of advice you received early on in your career? How does it influence you and your work today?

Gastón> I had great teachers who taught me to think. A boss told me: ‘We can all be creative. What differentiates a good creative is having the ability and the vision to realise when you are facing a great idea’. A second example happened in Chile - we had a campaign approved, ready to go to Cannes, but the name was not totally accepted. My boss challenged me to think of another name in record time. At first, I was frustrated, but then I understood that situations like that force you to get the best of yourself and are the best way to grow. In times of crisis, there are two types of people, those who cry and those who sell handkerchiefs. Each one chooses who to be, the one who complains or the one who brings solutions. The people who really create value are the ones who find solutions.

LBB> Can you talk us through your main responsibilities as VP Creative? And what is it like working across the entire Andean region?

Gastón> I could say that I have been preparing myself for this opportunity for the last 20 years. My responsibility is to inspire and guide this great and talented team. The challenge is to find one of those 10 ideas that everyone talks about, so that the agency continues to be a reference in advertising. All throughout my advertising life, I’ve focused on ideas. Now, I focus on the people who, with their own ideas, will make this agency continue to shine.  

The Andean region has been doing a brilliant job. This year, Peru won at Cannes with the ‘Vertical Bike’ campaign and last year, Colombia won with the ‘Mother Blanket’ campaign. Ecuador had a great year too. The challenge is to find opportunities and synergies between the offices so that businesses can grow with ideas that represent the region.

LBB> You have 20 years of communication experience in that region - how has its creative industry evolved in that time? What does the future of Andean/LATAM creativity look like for Ogilvy, and more widely?

Gastón> Twenty years ago, there were two clear references: Argentina, especially in TV, and Brazil, with its incredible graphics. But since 2010, Colombia and Peru have emerged as major contenders. Mexico and Chile also grew steadily. The best thing about all of this is that each of the countries in the region did it with its own voice. This comes from the depths of its culture and, above all, emerges from the budget and production problems that they’re used to facing. Incredible ideas have been achieved from scarcity and have put the region on the same level as the great powers. 

LBB> Outside of work, what do you do to decompress or stay fresh? What are some of your hobbies, special interests and habits?

Gastón> It could be said that my world outside advertising is divided into several significant areas: my daughters, reading, watching a lot of movies, football and writing. In fact, in a few years, I would like to be a writer.