Rocha has 20 years’ industry experience, five of them at VMLY&R where she was instrumental in the growth of the business and its trusted clients. Ana will head up the Cape Town team with her creative leadership and integrated approach to building brand experiences that are impactful and relevant. “I will be heading up the office from Cape Town and working closely with our clients, our team on the ground and the business as a whole to make sure the work we put out is fresh and that we create space in consumers’ lives for the brands we build,” she says.
Ana believes creativity brings perspective to brands and gives them a role to play. “Over my almost 20 years in this crazy ad game, a lot has changed – from the people, to tech, to channels – but I’ve learnt that bringing solutions to life in a way that feels like they are not just another ad is what works, and that is what I will keep pushing for,” she says. “Also bringing some joy – life is already way too serious, so let’s play more; if we can bring some delight to the people who engage with the work, that’s the job done.”
“As a shining star of our Cape Town creative team, Ana has driven some of the best work our agency has ever done,” comments Joint CEO Diane Wilson. “With a client roster that now includes Hollard, Google, Strettons and Uber, among others, she has become a powerful female creative leader and we couldn’t be more pleased to see her grow to the natural next level.”
Ana is also looking forward to sharing South African work on a global stage. “I love the work we create at VMLY&R, and the opportunity to grow our brands, the team and our clients is awesome,” she says. “I’m looking forward to shaping great work for South Africa. I think the bar is high and we have strong players. I really believe SA has a lot to bring to the industry globally.”
ISSUED BY VMLY&R
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About VMLY&R
VMLY&R is a global brand and customer experience agency that harnesses creativity, technology, and culture to create connected brands. Made up of more than 11,000 employees worldwide, the agency has principal offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kansas City, New York, Detroit, London, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney. VMLY&R works with client partners including Absa, BAT, Colgate-Palmolive, Danone, Dell, Ford, Nando’s, New Balance, Pfizer, Vodacom and Wendy's. For more information, visit www.vmlyr.com. VMLY&R is a WPP company (NYSE: WPP).