In Conversation with Madalena Gonçalves: Award-Winning Art Director on Bold Ideas and Global Perspectives

Madalena Gonçalves is a young and talented Art Director living in Milan. In her Featured Creatives Q&A below, learn more about what inspires her as a creative professional, what work she’s most proud of, and how a chance meeting in Portugal changed the direction of her life and led her to pursue advertising as a career.

I was born in Portugal, but moved to London when I was 19 years-old where I studied and started my career. After five years in London, I moved to Milan three years ago where I now work as an Art Director at LePub for global clients and famous brands such as Toblerone, Oreo, Sephora and Heineken.

I feel incredibly lucky to live in Italy, a beautiful country bursting with inspiration (and good food!). I’ve been working as a creative professional for a little over four years, and I’m grateful to be part of an agency that values bold thinking and supports groundbreaking work.

What drew or motivated you to do the work that you do now?

I’ve always been one of those people in class that never knew what they wanted to pursue. So there was this summer night back in 2013 where I met some international creatives in Portugal, who were already studying advertising and explained what the job involved so I got really excited to be part of that world that night. Choosing between copywriting and art direction was the easy part: I’ve always been more drawn to visual things like photography and design.

Tell us about some creative work that inspire you?  Whose work do you admire?

Any creative work that goes beyond the classic format, what I call unformatted work, is inspiring. I love when an agency uses a medium in a way that has not been used before. For instance, I really loved that SuperBowl ad from Mischief for TUBI, where they pretended the game had been interrupted by the interface of the platform. That was a fun idea that got noticed and talked about.

What’s the biggest creative challenge and/or accomplishment in your career to date?

We’ve recently launched a project that was particularly special, not just because it was for Sephora, a brand I love, but also because it was for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. We developed a film with a crucial message: a partner controlling how much makeup someone wears is a form of manipulation and a potential indicator of abuse. It’s incredibly fulfilling to know that my creativity can contribute to raising awareness and making a difference in people’s lives. It’s a big accomplishment in my career as it was the first film me and my partner wrote and followed every step of production together. Check it out on YouTube.

What most excites you about working in your industry?

While we go about our day-to-day jobs, we’re all looking for the next big idea, the insight nobody has thought of yet, the medium nobody has used, and as long as I’m searching for these things, I’ll be excited.

Your career to date has led you to work in some major European cities, such as London and Milan.  Can you talk a little bit about the differences between working as an advertising professional in these two major centres?

I only interned in a couple agencies in London but from what I lived and understood, in London you think more than execute, where for example in Milan, if you’re an Art Director you are expected to do your own layouts. Presentations are also expected to be nicely crafted. I also feel like the roles of Art Director and Copywriter are well defined here, whereas in London sometimes people don’t even ask you if you are more inclined or specialised at something, because you’re seen as just a creative and nobody is worried if you’re Art or Copy. I remember there were teams where they were both copy or art and nobody cared. But again, probably not every agency in London is like that.

To date, you’ve won an impressive number of advertising awards in your career including silver and bronze Cannes Lions in 2024.  What are your thoughts in winning these awards?

LOL… We all work so hard every day that we should all get some award at the end of the year! But, jokes aside, it’s a really nice feeling to have work that took two years to complete to be recognized by such a prestigious award show like Cannes. Awards are good because it gives people visibility and a chance of perhaps changing jobs or moving abroad.

Let’s face it, if I wanted someone to say nice things about my work, I’d go to my parents as they will always applaud me. So really, to know that in 2024 I was part of the 1% or 3% that wins in Cannes it’s an amazing feeling if you love creativity and your job!

Everyone needs time out.  What do you do in your spare time to help re-energize your creative side?

In my spare time I try to watch all the films that might be nominated for an Oscar and try to guess the big winners of the year. I’ve also recently gotten back into reading and set myself a challenge to read 20 books this year, let’s see if I can manage it! Apart from this, I’ve always liked to make jokes when I’m with my friends, which is why they’ve offered me as a birthday present a stand-up comedy course that will for sure re-energize my creative side this new year!

What advice would you give to those who are just starting out in your industry?

Don’t compare yourself to anyone. Feedback is just people’s opinions – so accept them. Have your own taste and style. Don’t present ideas you wouldn’t like to see in your portfolio just because they work. Never talk bad about other people’s work. Compliment your colleagues and friends for their success. Advertising is a small world, so don’t make enemies. Nobody is a genius so don’t put people on a pedestal, learn from their experience. It’s ok to not get along with your creative partner so try to solve things and find a different one! Finally, I’ve also learned that it’s ok to date someone from work!

How can people learn more about your work and/or get in contact with you?

My portfolio and all my contacts can be found here: www.maria-madalena.com. Let’s chat!