SAO PAULO, BRAZIL // Despite the name on my birth certificate being Marco Aurelio Giannelli, I’m better known as Pernil. Yes, my parents chose the name of a Roman emperor, and I ended up with a nickname that can be translated as “Jamón” in Spanish. I started my career as a copywriter and worked at agencies like Ogilvy, FCB, TBWA, and Leo Burnett before joining BBDO in 2008, where I’ve had the privilege of working with people like Marcello Serpa and Luiz Sanches — and for amazing clients including Volkswagen, Pepsi, Visa, Mars, Getty Images, PepsiCo, UN Global Compact, Havaianas, O Boticário, Bradesco Seguros, and Gol Linhas Aéreas.

Alongside these clients (and with a good dose of luck) I’ve managed to win more than 100 Cannes Lions, including 2 Grand Prix and our first Titanium in the last 3 years, plus hundreds of other international awards from the Clio Awards, D&AD, One Show, LIA, El Ojo, Fiap, and Effies. Since 2022, I’ve been the Chief Creative Officer of AlmapBBDO — and, more recently, became a partner — with the enormous responsibility of carrying forward its creative legacy and keeping the agency on top.