João Coutinho of Atlantic on Curiosity, Pragmatism and Going All In

Plus: His work for Heinz and his time as DJ Pinacolada

João Coutinho’s career spans over 25 years in Portugal, Spain, Brazil and the U.S. In 2021, he co-founded Atlantic, based in New York. João helped craft campaigns such as “‘Til The Bitter End,” “Amazon Prime Ball,” “Immortal Fans,” “Gun Shop” and “Volvo Highway Robbery.”

We spent two minutes with Joao to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired.

Joao, tell us…

Where you grew up, and where you live now. 

I was born and raised in Porto, Portugal. After college, I moved to Lisbon, later to Madrid, followed by São Paulo. I’ve been living in New York since 2014.

How you first realized you were creative.

There was a TV show, centuries before Mad Men, called Thirtysomething. It was about two friends who owned an advertising agency in Philadelphia in the late ’80s and early ’90s. At the time, there was also another show about commercials on TV that I was obsessed with. I wanted to be an architect. But from these two shows, I realized that if I worked in advertising, I could be a director, a designer and a writer, all at the same time. I found it fascinating that building brands could be more exciting than building houses.

A person you idolized creatively early on.

I still idolize John Hegarty. I began by reading his books, attending his panels at Cannes and admiring the work that came out of BBH. Now, I watch his videos on YouTube. However, the person who revolutionized advertising is Alex Bogusky. There’s a before and after Bogusky. His work helped shape what I do today.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

In my second year at college, I started an agency with two friends called Zoo Publicidade. Our headquarters was in the garage of one of the co-founder’s parents. We had a retainer with Industria, the coolest club in my hometown, Porto. For that client, we designed flyers and visual installations. We made logos and posters for local businesses. We even made a commercial that broadcast on national TV, promoting a concert for a Portuguese band that was huge at the time. It was fun. But along with one of my co-founders, I realized that our hometown was too small for our ambitions. We decided to accept an internship from Ogilvy and move to Lisbon. That’s how my career started.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

Damon Albarn, Thom Yorke and David Byrne.

A book, movie, TV show, or podcast you recently found inspiring.

Podcast: Guy Raz ‘s “How I Built This” at NPR. It inspired me and my partner to get through the first years of our entrepreneurship life. My favorite episode is with Yvon Chouinard from Patagonia.

TV show: Shangri-La on Showtime. I watched this show a few years ago, and it inspired me to see Rick Rubin’s creative process. I have been a big fan of Rick since he produced Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magik. My brother had that documentary on VHS and we used to watch it nonstop.

Book: Spike by Spike Lee. I saw Spike’s “Creative Sources” at the Brooklyn Museum. This is an incredible book about the exhibition featuring unseen photos by David Lee, Spike’s longtime still photographer. It reveals behind-the-scenes images highlighting his creative process and cultural impact. It also includes iconic Nike commercials with Michael Jordan and music videos with Prince and Michael Jackson. From Malcolm X to recent films like Da 5 Bloods, Spike Lee’s enduring influence remains powerful.

Your favorite fictional character.

Richard Kimble, The Fugitive (1963)

Someone or something worth following in social media.

Shithead Steve, Brooklyn Nets, The Last Blockbuster, BAM, Pitchfork, Fabrizio Romano, 4AD, Resolute NYC

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on.

“The Gun Shop.” This was the first big idea we created and produced in the U.S. It had a big impact.

A recent project you’re proud of.

A campaign for Heinz in the U.K. It brings Heinz’s “irrational love” to the baby food category.

Play

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago.

Puma’s “After Hours Athletes” from Droga 5
VW’s “The Fun Theory” from DDB Stockholm
“Counterfit Mini” by Crispin Porter Bogusky

Someone else’s work you admired lately.

Uber One’s “Brian Cox Goes Back to College” from Special U.S.

Your main strength as a creative person.

I’m pragmatic and straight to the point. If I like it, I’ll go for it all in. If I don’t, I won’t make anyone lose their time. And I’m curious. I try to always look for something that has never been done before.

Your biggest weakness.

Sometimes, I’m a bit skeptical, which in one way avoids mistakes. On the other hand, it can close doors to something good.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

I played music as a DJ for 10 years, but then my kids were born, and I had to stop. The people who attended my gigs seemed to have fun. I feel that if I had invested in that career, DJ Pinacolada could have had a space.