Wid Souza of Ogilvy Health: Creativity Is the Starting Point for Everything

Imagining the future through wellness comms

Wid currently serves as EVP, executive creative director at Ogilvy Health. With two decades of experience, Wid began his career at agencies such as Publicis, VML and DDB, working for brands like Citibank, Heineken, Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, Colgate-Palmolive, Mercedes-Benz, UNICEF and more.

Wid’s transition to healthcare began with a move to Area 23, enabling him to bring fresh perspectives for brands such as Bayer, Pfizer, GSK and Bristol Myers Squibb.

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

Wid, tell us …

Where did you grow up, and where do you live now?

I grew up in São Paulo. Eight years ago, I moved to New York. Today, I split my time between New York, Miami and São Paulo, depending on the project.

How did you first get interested in health?

I’ve always been drawn to purpose-driven campaigns. I would carve out time to find a positive, meaningful angle for brands, something legitimate that could also resonate with people and society. In consumer advertising, this often feels forced. But in health and pharma, the products and services already have a built-in purpose. The job of advertising is to observe that truth and communicate it in the most powerful way.

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

The first is “Waiting Lis,” an ad we created for Santa Casa de Misericórdia in 2008. It was the last campaign I worked on with my mentor and idol, Tomás Lorente, before he passed away. It became the project that brought my first Cannes Lion, and, sadly, his last. That makes it deeply symbolic for me. The second is a more recent project: Lil Sugar. I got to work with one of the most brilliant teams I’ve ever been a part of. It was also the first time I collaborated with my current creative partner, Thiago Fernandes, who has been the best partner I’ve had the honor of working with in my career.

A recent project you’re proud of.

“In Transit” is one of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever worked on. My creative partner Thiago discovered late one night that Bernie Wagenblast (the iconic voice of the New York City subway) had come out as transgender. We reached out to Bernie and invited her to be the voice of a campaign that would help educate the public about the trans community in a natural way—using a voice everyone already knew. We launched the campaign on the Transgender Day of Visibility. It was so well received that it became part of the New York Transit Museum.

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One thing about how health is evolving that you’re excited about.

Every brief begins with innovation: a new therapy, drug or technology backed by research. That means we have to dive deep. And we often get to work alongside health startup founders and medical professionals, which is a learning opportunity in itself. We get to imagine the future, like with our project “bAIgrapher,” the first LLM that writes personalized biographies for people with Alzheimer’s. It is used as reminiscence therapy in hospitals. And we did it over four months before ChatGPT was released.

Someone else’s work, in health or beyond, that you admired lately.

“Magnetic Stories.” What I really admire is the simplicity of the idea and how they managed to turn an uncomfortable moment for children into something entertaining. It’s a perfect example of how creativity can transform experiences and make a real difference in people’s lives.

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

I recently watched Season 3 of The White Lotus with my wife, and I loved it. What I enjoy most is how the show explores social tensions in a way that completely draws you in, from the very first minute to the last.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

I’ve been a Beatles fan since I was a kid.

Your favorite fictional character.

Charlie Brown. I’m fascinated by the way Charles Schulz captures the struggles of adult life through the perspective of a child.

Someone worth following on social media.

@area.filosofica. It’s in Portuguese—but really worth checking out.

Your main strength as a marketer/creative.

I see creativity as the starting point for everything. It’s the engine that drives the business. But I always keep the end goal in mind: the impact on the audience, the product and the client.

Your biggest weakness.

Waking up early. It’s really hard for me to get up before 7 a.m. And since I work with international clients, sometimes I need to be up by 6. Honestly, I’d rather take a 2 a.m. meeting than a 7 a.m. one. But I do my best to adjust.

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

Perhaps an engineer like my brothers. Or maybe, if my sister hadn’t steered me toward advertising, I’d happily be working the night shift at a 24-hour copy shop downtown—my dream job when I was 14.