Rafael Gonzaga

About Rafael Gonzaga

Rafael Gonzaga is the EVP, Executive Creative Director for WEST BBDO, leading the creative department across the agency’s offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Dallas.With over 20 years of experience spanning Brazil and the U.S, Rafael has been behind some of the industry’s most celebrated work, winning hundreds of international awards, including a Grand Prix at Cannes and 32 Lions. His campaigns have earned top honors, Gold or Grand Prix, at major festivals including Cannes Lions, The One Show, D & AD, Effies, Clios, LIA, New York Festivals, and El Ojo. Several have also achieved the rare distinction of winning the highest honors in both creativity, at Cannes and D & AD, and effectiveness, at the Effies.Since joining BBDO in 2021, Rafael has helped reshape the Los Angeles office. Under his creative leadership, BBDO Los Angeles won its first-ever Cannes Lions and expanded across the West Coast, evolving into WEST BBDO with offices in San Francisco and Dallas. He has led work redefining how the largest telecommunications company in the U.S. connects with consumers, positioning AT & T as a culturally fluent brand in a historically transactional category. The work has delivered historic business results and creative recognition at Cannes, The One Show, Clios, Effies, and more, including the first Cannes Lion and the best business results in the history of AT & T Business.Before BBDO, Rafael served as Executive Creative Director at Grey West, leading the Los Angeles and San Francisco offices and as a member of the North America and Global Creative Councils. He also helped drive the creative transformation of Grey’s LATAM network, turning Grey Brazil into the most awarded agency in Brazil for two consecutive years and helping win over 30 new brands in less than three years. His work helped place Grey Brazil among Cannes’ Top 10 Agencies of the Decade in LATAM and contributed to Grey LATAM being named Cannes Lions Regional Network of the Year in 2017 and 2018.Rafael is a green card holder, born and raised in São Carlos, Brazil. When he’s not at BBDO, you can find him at home in Los Angeles, following the orders of his life’s creative director, Mia, his brilliant three-year-old daughter.You can check his work at MEMBERCannes Lions 2025: Social & Creator shortlistThe One Show 2025: Green PencilClio Sports 2024: FilmShorty Awards 2023: Multiple categoriesShorty Impact Awards 2022: Multiple categoriesNY Festivals 2020: InnovationLusos Awards 2015 & 2016: Multiple categories

Experience

1. EVP, Executive Creative Director

   WEST BBDO

   Apr 2025 — Present · US

Education

• USP - Universidade de São Paulo

  Bachelor's degree, Advertising

  2003 — 2007

Skills

• Creative Direction
• Mobile Marketing
• Digital Marketing
• Interactive Advertising
• Marketing Communications
• Media Planning
• Copywriting
• Online Advertising
• Social Media Marketing
• Advertising
• Integrated Marketing
• Creative Strategy
• Marketing
• Digital Media
• Digital Strategy
• Brand Development