A multi award-winning ad marketer responsible for some of the most iconic and effective ad campaigns in the past 25 years, Ingrid Reyes is Chief Executive Officer, Americas at M&A Creative Agency. She has a proven track record of developing successful marketing strategies and driving high growth for Fortune 500 global businesses. She says, “My campaigns have won, a gold Effie for the most effective advertising in America and a gold and silver Cannes Lion for creative media.”
Ingrid worked at a few small agencies in Los Angeles before joining the world’s largest global advertising behemoth, WPP, at Mindshare in New York, where she was Managing Partner and Director for North America and oversaw teams in five offices throughout the country. After leaving Mindshare in 2015, Ingrid went to Los Angeles and established her own marketing and communications consulting agency, where she remained until she met her business partner, Luis Marques, Founder and Global CEO of M&A Creative Agency.
In 2019, Ingrid decided to follow her passion: the wine industry. She desired a worldwide agency with a linear rather than hierarchical agency culture, a collection of the greatest professionals, and a specialty in the wine and spirits market.
Her vision became a reality when she met her business partner, Luis. She asserts, “we met by pure chance. As he told me about M&A Creative and showed me their work, I knew immediately, this was the agency I’ve been searching for! After a few chats, we decided to join forces and opened a US Division from where I would lead business for North and South America, launching M&A Creative Agency in the US in April of 2021.“
Below are highlights of the interview:
Tell us more about the M&A Creative Agency
M&A Creative Agency is a multi-national award-winning full-service advertising agency specializing in branding, luxury packaging, and communications, focused on the beverage, food, and hospitality industries. For 25 years, we’ve worked with global and regional brands around the globe. Our US division has offices in Napa Valley, NY, and Los Angeles and our headquarters are in Portugal. We also have offices in Bordeaux, France.
Our core services include, storytelling, branding, creative, strategy, content, luxury packaging design, digital, high-tech, e-commerce, media, social, and production. In addition to food and beverage, the agency has extensive experience in a variety of other industries, including hospitality, auto, financial, telecommunications, and entertainment, among many others.
Our creativity, innovation, high tech, size, experience, and longevity are the reasons why we stand out! Formed by a multi-disciplined dream-team of creative designers, brand strategists, photography and video production experts, technologists, and strategic digital and social thinkers with a worldwide reputation.
How did you get into the advertising industry, specifically, branding, creative, and luxury packaging?
My journey in advertising began just after high school. I took time off before starting college to become an interior designer at the Fashion Institute of Design. I was eager to get into the working world, so I got a job as a receptionist at a hot boutique ad agency, they handled Disney and AT&T, there I discovered the world of advertising, it was exciting, glamorous, and fast-paced. I got to learned about brand positioning, strategy creative, production, and how casting was done. I enjoyed every second of it, but after 6 months, I left to do what I had planned to do before arriving there: become an interior designer. After graduating, I worked in the industry for 6 years before switching back to advertising. Once I went back to advertising, I never looked back, advertising is my passion.
How do you motivate people to go the extra mile?
M&A Creative’s culture is one where people can thrive. They encourage respect, new ideas, and fun. It is a place where everyone has a voice. Because it is a linear rather than hierarchical structure, everyone feels ownership of their work; as a result, they are contributors, which is an asset to the agency and its clients. Team members are praised for their good work, they are recognized. We make sure that they are always learning new skills as growth is an important part of keeping the agency culture and team inspired and happy.
What gets you up in the morning? What motivates you?
What motivates me every morning is my vision for the company. You need a purpose, my purpose is to build the company in the US and become #1 in the beverage industry, his is my driving force. I’m excited when I wake up, I can’t wait to start my day and to start and work on my daily goals, which can be from developing new branding and packaging for clients, having an ideation session with clients and/or the team, or simply having a team meeting to empower them. I thrive on creating new campaigns that have never been done before, pushing our clients to the limit, breaking down the boundaries of design.
Kindly describe how you will specifically know what success looks like for you.
Success to me is “doing what you are passionate about, doing what you love, when you want it, with who you want. That’s how I define success today.” Over the years, that definition has changed. When I was entering the ad world, I considered success as climbing the corporate ladder, the title I had, and how much money I made. Seeing what I know today, I see what true success is. There is no greater satisfaction in life than doing what you love, being excited about it every day when you wake up, and having the desire to get better every day. It takes focus, determination, and guts, but living your best life deserves all of that.
What is some of the advice you give to aspiring women leaders?
My advice for aspiring women leaders is first and foremost, get to know who they are, stay true to themselves and their beliefs, and let their inner voice and their values guide them through their career paths. They must believe in themselves, trust their inner voice, and take risks. If they don’t take risks, they will never know what’s on the other side. It’s important that they use their voice. it is powerful tool, use it to influence positive change. Don’t let anyone tell them, it can’t be done. Don’t wait too long to start your own business. Start small, but think big. Never settle for less than what you are worth. Lastly, remember to think sustainability; leave the world a better place than you found it.
What are your future plans to sustain M&A Creative Agency USA’s success?
M&A Creative Agency’s work is a balance between creativity and artistry. Our work is innovative, disruptive, and pushes the boundaries of advertising. My goal is to continue pushing those boundaries and create compelling brand campaigns in the United States and globally by leveraging our creativity and innovation. I hope to expand the US business and become known as the best full-service and luxury packaging agency in the beverage industry.
Another goal is to diversify the company’s clients outside the beverage sector by bringing in other categories like packaged goods, luxury, and celebrity brands. “We’d like to continue pushing the boundaries of the industry and of our clients to create more sustainable packaging, including taking brands to a world without paper labels one day, not too far from now.” My vision for the agency is to support sustainability in everything we do, to build a better future for clients, people, and communities around the globe.
Website: www.macreativeusa.com
