He’s Ogilvy’s CCO. Here’s Exactly What He Looks For in Your Portfolio
“An idea is only great if it looks great.”
That’s what Rafael Rizuto, Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy North America, said on our podcast. If you are entering this quarter’s Crowbar Awards, that sentence should shape your entire submission.
Rafael is not just giving advice. He is this quarter’s guest judge. Every entry will go through him. If you want to make the top four, you need to understand what he values.
The Crowbar Awards are open now and due by 11:59 PM CST on September 2nd. This quarter’s brief challenges you to reimagine Babbel, the language learning platform, for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Your job is to develop a campaign that breaks this brand problem and positions you as a creative worth hiring.
Each quarter, a new brief and guest judge are announced. You get three months to submit a complete strategy, creative platform, and execution. At the end of the cycle, the Breaking and Entering team and the judge choose the top four campaigns. This is the summer brief. Your deadline is coming fast.
Idea First. But Craft It Beautifully.
Some judges care about the idea only. Rafael does not see it that way.
He said, “Craft is super important to me.” And he means it. He believes people are naturally drawn to beauty, symmetry, and clarity.
If you are an art director, your layouts, visuals, and type must feel intentional. If you are a copywriter, your headlines and structure must be precise. If you are submitting as a team, your deck should feel like an agency created it.
He has no interest in rough drafts or slides filled with typos.
Do Not Chase Trends. Build Around Truth.
Rafael warns against unnecessary tech.
He referenced Fearless Girl. One of the most powerful campaigns of the decade used a 4,000-year-old medium. A bronze sculpture. No AR. No AI.
“She could’ve been a hologram,” he said. “But it wouldn’t have had the same power.”
Start with a real human insight. Then figure out the best format to deliver it. It might be a tweet. It might be a stunt. It might be a film. But do not start with tech. Start with the truth.
Your Best Idea Will Not Cost You Anything
He also called out Popeyes’ viral “Pope Yes” tweet as one of the smartest things he has seen recently. Zero production budget. Just a smart play on words, timed perfectly.
If your campaign needs two million dollars to make sense, it is probably not a strong enough idea. Think smarter. Think faster. Think cheaper.
He wants work that feels inevitable. Something so clever it makes him wish he came up with it himself.
Submit to Impress a CCO, Not Just to Win
Rafael is judging. That is not a hypothetical. He will review every Crowbar entry and choose the top four:
Blue Crowbar (Best in Show) comes on the podcast with Rafael and receives a physical crowbar
Gold receives a private call with Rafael
Silver and Bronze receive written feedback from the judging team
You can enter solo or with up to two other people. The only requirement is that all participants have three years or less of experience in advertising or marketing. All work must be original. The full brief is available now at crowbarawards.com/briefing.
What Rafael Actually Wants to See
“Aha moments. Connections I’ve never seen before.”
That is what he said when asked what would blow him away.
He does not want fake case studies. He does not want another stunt with a drone and a QR code. He wants something real. He wants something that feels like it came from your personal experience. Your voice. Your perspective.
That is what will make your campaign stand out.
You Have Less Than a Month
Today is August 7th. The Crowbar deadline is September 2nd.
Read the brief. Study the audience. Write everything down. Then cut it in half. Then craft it again. You are pitching to a global Chief Creative Officer who has hired, mentored, and judged some of the best in the business.
Listen to the Full Podcast & Check the Brief!
To hear Rafael’s full creative philosophy, how he built a global career from Brazil to Ogilvy, and what he learned while creating campaigns for Airbnb and Boost Mobile, listen to the full Crowbar Kickoff episode now. It is the smartest way to prepare your campaign before you hit submit.
https://www.crowbarawards.com/briefing
