Aricio Fortes
Aricio Fortes
Chief Creative Officer
VML
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Biography
Aricio Fortes is a global creative leader with over 20 years of experience. He has led teams across four continents at agencies such as Pereira O'Dell San Francisco, Africa São Paulo, Ogilvy Brasil, DM9DDB, BBDO China, and VML Dubai, serving as Chief Creative Officer at the last four. His personal philosophy is to never miss a creative opportunity.
Passionate about innovation and human behavior, Aricio seeks to create insights and POP campaigns that resonate with local cultures. Among his highlights are "Smokable Songbook" for Snoop Dogg, archived at Harvard Library; "Mostra sua força, Brasil," the unofficial anthem of the 2014 FIFA World Cup for Itaú Bank; "Sending Boss to Space" for Volkswagen, a social media hit in China; and "Ramadan 2025" for First Abu Dhabi Bank, breaking the traditional campaign codes for the occasion.
Aricio has a special connection with Cannes Lions, where he has won 44 Lions for brands such as Walmart, McDonald’s, P&G, Johnson & Johnson, IBM, FedEx, Mattel, and LEGO. He was part of a team that went from zero Lions in 2008 to Agency of the Year in 2009 with DM9. In 2015, he led Ogilvy Brazil to become the most awarded agency in the world in the Promo category. Additionally, he served as a jury in the Brand Entertainment category in 2013. But his greatest award was meeting his wife at the festival.