BLKJ Havas Singapore elevates Guilherme Machado to Executive Creative Director

BLKJ Havas Singapore has elevated Guilherme Machado to the position of Executive Creative Director, stepping up from his previous role as Creative Director. Machado’s promotion further strengthens BLKJ Havas’ creative offering, and empowers the agency to pursue more clients and campaigns on a pan-regional level.

As Executive Creative Director, Machado will work closely with the leadership team to push the envelope for creative work, melding advertising seamlessly with authentic storytelling and unique perspectives. He will also proactively drive culture-building, fostering an environment where creative teams enjoy themselves while producing impactful, industry-disrupting campaigns and ideas.

“I’m honoured to help Rowena, Joji, Lester and Khalid on their journey of making un-advertising the standard for brand storytelling. Creating work that doesn’t look like traditional advertisements has been a key motivator since I started my career, and I can’t think of a better place to continue pushing myself creatively and nurture a team with shared ideals,” said Machado. “I look forward to partnering closely with our clients, and together with our extremely talented team, produce some world-class work.”

Having joined BLKJ Havas in late 2021, Machado has steered the agency to new creative heights by delivering critically acclaimed work and bringing in major client wins. Under his creative leadership, BLKJ Havas has clinched several awards, including an Effies Award for their work with Amazon Singapore, and a series of awards for the Durex campaign at Spikes Asia 2023 – with this year’s season only just beginning. Machado will also represent BLKJ Havas and the wider regional creative landscape as one of 23 Grand Jury members from Asia at the 2023 New York Festivals Advertising Awards.

“Gui represents the second generation of creative leadership rising in BLKJ Havas and beyond. Khalid, Lester, Rowena and I can’t think of a better person to help the agency take advantage of the next phase of challenges and opportunities,” said Joji Jacob, Creative Partner, BLKJ Havas. “In the time he has been with us, Gui has managed to help us win not just new accounts and awards, but also the hearts and minds of our people across all levels. Gui represents the kind of creative leadership that is very much needed at the moment in the world of business: ambitious and result-oriented, yet inclusive and humane.”

“As our agency takes on a wider regional remit with clients such as JBL, JLL and more, we will continue to strategically strengthen our positioning as the APAC Havas creative flagship and lighthouse for the region. The leadership team is excited to work cohesively together as we drive the expansion of our focus areas and sustained growth in the year ahead. Gui is very much a part of these plans.” said Rowena Bhagchandani, CEO and Co-Founder, BLKJ Havas.

With more than 100 advertising awards under his belt, Machado has done a range of work over 3 continents. He began his career at an independent agency in his home country of Brazil, and was awarded the title of Young Guns in 2015, cementing his position as one of the top copywriters in the nation.

When he left home at 25 to join one of Australia’s leading agencies, his work had already received acclaim from major creative festivals around the globe, such as Cannes, One Show, Effies and Webbys. In Australia, Machado continued his disruptive thinking for clients like McDonalds, Virgin Airlines, eBay, Volskwagen and many others. He worked with agencies including DDB Sydney, Clemenger BBDO, and McCann Melbourne, where his award-winning campaigns were featured in The Washington Post, CNN, and Fast Company.