M&M Holds the Wave Festival in Rio

A preview of Cannes Lions, the festival is going to award the best of Latin American creativity in eight categories

Grupo Meio & Mensagem is going to hold the fifth edition of the Wave Festival in Rio at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, in Rio de Janeiro, on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 24 and 25. The event, which brings together the best of the Latin American advertising industry, is a sort of local preview of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The PR category – comprising the best public relations strategies – is going to be first awarded this year. The other categories are Cyber, Design, Direct, Film, Press/Outdoor, Promo and Radio.

The world’s main advertising festivals have been positioning themselves as events geared to creativity in a broader sense, regardless of the media. The Wave Festival is going to follow this trend. This is going to be the focus of the discussions at the seminars held on both days.

On April 24, one of the attractions is going to be Mr. Rick Milenthal, chairman of U.S. hotspot independent agency Engauge, whose clients include Best Buy, Nationwide Insurance, Logitech and Cisco. On the same day, three of Brazil’s main creative professionals are going to discuss the reasons why they returned to Brazil after so many years out of the country: Ms. Fernanda Romano, who worked for London-based EuroRSCG until June 2011 and came back to open Naked’s Brazilian office; Mr. Mauro Cavalletti, who was in North American Mullen and is going to be JWT Brasil’s Chief Integration Officer; and Ícaro Dória, Wieden+Kennedy’s Chief Creative Officer in São Paulo, who returned to Brazil in late 2010.

On the second day, there is going to be a presentation by Mr. Marcello Serpa, AlmapBBDO’s partner and Chief Creative Officer, at the Young Wave Circus, a panel discussion with future advertising professionals. The awards are going to be given on the night of Wednesday, April 25.