Ricardo John is the new partner at ISLA

With the arrival of the creative — former CCO and CEO of FCB — the Latin independent agency strengthens its presence in Brazil. With more than 20 years of experience working in major holdings as CCO, and in the last eight years as CEO and CCO, John joins Argentinians Solange Ricoy, Mariano Serkin, Rodrigo Grau, and Ariel Serkin at ISLA Brazil, an indie agency with offices in Mexico and Argentina.

“Working with people I respect and admire as much as my partners was the deciding factor in this move. They are outstanding professionals who could hold leadership roles in any major network agency, but chose to ‘leave the continent’ and come to an ‘Island’ to exercise their talent more freely, without the bureaucratic restraints that inevitably exist in large networks,” says Ricardo John.

“Ricardo is someone we’ve admired throughout his career. He is truly one of the most future‑oriented communication leaders. His work has inspired millions, driven exponential growth for major local, regional, and global brands, and built virtuous teams. But above all, he is a beacon for the industry. That’s why we are proud that he is joining today as CEO and Partner of ISLA,” the partners state.

From branding to advertising campaigns with no barriers in between

For John, having Solange Ricoy — founder of the branding and innovation consultancy Alexandria, which works with brands such as Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Havaianas and more — as a partner is a significant competitive advantage for ISLA, as the agency can combine the depth of a consultancy with the creative excellence of an indie agency.

“Ricardo and I believe that strategy without creativity is just a dream; creation without strategy is just entertainment. But strategy combined with creativity can change a brand’s history. Together we are betting on that model,” says Solange Ricoy.

“Marketing professionals know that the transition from a branding strategy to an advertising campaign often happens with obstacles and critical information lost along the way. In our case, branding and advertising live under the same roof and participate in the process from beginning to end, allowing for more fluid creative execution connected to the client’s business strategy,” John explains. “Clients increasingly demand experience and depth from their agencies, and in this sense, being independent is an advantage, as it allows us to remove layers in the relationship — something that, in my view, is one of the key ingredients for creating iconic work: closeness. The better and closer the relationship, the better the work,” he concludes.

ISLA was born in Buenos Aires five years ago with a clear purpose: to be the first creative agency in the region with the mindset of a strategic consultancy. And in that business model, the strategic talent of a consultancy converges for the first time with the creative talent of an agency — to help today’s marketers find business solutions through communication. ISLA has offices in Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Mexico City, with more than 60 employees of different nationalities working for the region and the world, always striving to create iconic brands capable of impacting culture — and to have fun along the way. ISLA Brazil’s clients include Gatorade, fintech Plusdin, and Epson. In Mexico and Argentina, the agency develops projects for clients such as Gatorade, Amazon, Ariel, YPF, Pepsi, among others.

A natural-born advertiser from Santa Catarina, Ricardo John has more than 20 years of experience. Before joining ISLA Brazil as a partner, he was CEO and CCO of FCB Brazil. In addition to campaigns for major brands such as Coca-Cola, Unilever, Nestlé, TikTok, SKY and more, John has earned 54 Cannes Lions, where he has served as juror and jury president on three occasions. During his time at JWT (now VML), he also co-authored the 20/20 project aimed at promoting the inclusion of Black professionals in the advertising market. His work in favor of racial equality earned him the Troféu Raça Negra award.