Indifference. This is the greatest of all dangers that a brand has to face - utmost indifference. Currently, society is overwhelmed by infoglut, consumer behaviors are changing and the media are falling into pieces. In our times, more than ever before, intelligence, intuition, a good head, and a fair amount of creativity are all part of putting together a good communication plan. But, above all, a disruptive attitude is needed, one which represents rupture with conventional thought, one which will accelerate the rhythm of change, thus leading brands and organizations to be in the front line. An attitude with consumer-relevant ideas, which will guarantee differentiation - because differentiation is mandatory.

Sérgio Carvalho was born on January 3, 1969, in Porto, where he studied Graphic Arts at the Soares dos Reis High School. At the age of 18 he worked as illustrator to the advertising agency Logo, and in his spare time did the graphic design for the advertisement of projects to be presented at the Porto University Theatre and Rivoli Municipal Theatre.
He did lighting design for famed Portuguese bands and musicians - Táxi, GNR, Xutos e Pontapés, Carlos Paredes - as well as Piazzolla.
Window dressing and interior design are also part of these image-related activities.
His first steps as director and art director are at the Youth Institute, where he studied Cine-video. And it is as art director that, at the age of 18, he made it into the world of advertising agencies.
At the beginning of the 90s he moved to Lisbon, straight to TBWA/EPG, as art director, where he worked with renowned names: editor/copywriter Albano Homem de Melo, and creative directors José Heitor and Pedro Bidarra.
In 1996, invited by the then president of Young & Rubicam, Vera Nobre da Costa, he took on the creative direction together with Albano Homem de Melo of some of the agency’s accounts.
The following year, Sérgio Carvalho returned to TBWA/EPG, where he shared the creative direction with Albano Homem de Melo, José Heitor and Pedro Bidarra.
In 1998 he won several awards, among which were Prisma award for Best Digital Image, Best Press Advertisement, and Best Outdoor, with the RTP campaign “TV em simultâneo/Simultaneous TV”.
In 1999 he won the New York silver medal for Cultural Communication, the Portuguese Creatives’ Club gold medal and the daily newspaper Diário de Notícias silver medal with the print ad for international horror/fantasy film festival Fantasporto.
In 2000 he began working as ad film director for producers Quimagem, Diamantino Filmes and Panorâmica 35. He directed TV adverts for Murganheira sparkling wines, the largest supermarket chain in Portugal Pingo Doce, mobile operator TMN, high speed train Alfa-Pendular, Jumbo hypermarkets, Porto european capital of culture, and others.
He made another incursion into the world of music, directing the music-video “Casino” for publisher Valentim de Carvalho. At the end of 2001, he went back to creative direction, this time at the advertising agency Z. Publicidade.
In March 2003 he joined the team of BBDO Portugal, as creative supervisor, pairing with creative director Gonçalo Morais Leitão. This period gave birth to the new image of the Optimus brand campaign “Follow your feelings”, among other works.
In Summer 2003, Francisco Saalfeld, executive producer of Montaini Filmes, challenged Sérgio
Carvalho to go back to film direction.
He then left for New York, and at the New York Club Theater he attended the workshops “Directing Actors” and “Script Analysis” given by Judith Weston (X-Files, The Sopranos, NYPD Blue and Amores Perros). Back to Lisbon he rejoined Montaini Filmes and resumes his role as director with two advertising films (Novis) for BBDO Portugal.
In 2004, he created his first film script. Blind Dog is a short-film listed for the second application period of the ICAM-Cinema, Audiovisual and Multimedia Institute. He also gave a public lecture about Advertising Communication for the Communication and Media Studies’ students of the University of Minho.
In February 2005 he was invited once more to give a 5-day workshop to senior students of the 5-year degree in Communication and Media Studies. This workshop, “Imagination is more important than knowledege” aimed at simulating a creative department and creating an advertising campaign. Sérgio Carvalho was asked a second time and in May he gave “Imagination is more important than knowledge II”.
In 2006 and 2007 he worked for advertising agency - Hotshop.

Since 2007, freelancer...
 

1995



Festival:
NY
Festivals

Award:
Finalist
(Press)

Client:
Choral
ECM

Title:
Reis
Magos


Agency:
TBWA





1996



Festival:
FIAP
96

Award:
Finalist
(TV)

Client:
Texto
Editora

Title:
Dog
Testis

Agency:
TBWA



Festival:
RTC
Awards

Award:
Honours
mention
(TV)

Client:
Sandoz

Title:
Fado

Agency:
TBWA



Festival:
Prisma
Awards

Awards:
Gold
(Outdoor)

Client:
BES

Title:
Changes

Agency:
Y&R



Festival:
RTC

Award:
Honours
mention
(TV)

Client:
Knorr

Title:
Feeding

Agency:
Y&R





1997



Festival:
The
Club
Creative
of
Portugal
Festivals

Award:
Bronze
(TV)

Client:
Limiano
cheese

Title:
Ugly

Agency:
TBWA





Festival:
Prisma
Awards

Award:
Gold
(Press)

Client:
Rádio
Televisão
Portuguesa

Title:
Herman
Jose

Agency:
Y&R



Festival:
Prism
Awards
‐
Press
Jury

Award:
Gold
(Press)

Client:
Rádio
Televisão
Portuguesa

Title:
Herman
Jose

Agency:
Y&R





Festival:
Prisma
Awards

Award:
Gold
(Out‐door)

Client:
Rádio
Televisão
Portuguesa

Title:
Jose
Rodrigues
Dos
Santos

Agency:
Y&R



Festival:
FIAP

Award:
Sun
Silver
(Radio)

Client:
Rádio
Televisão
Portuguesa


Title:
Opera

Agency:
Y&R



Festival:
Awards
prism

Award:
Gold
(Better
digital
image)

Client:
Rádio
Televisão
Portuguesa

Title:
Jose
Rodrigues
Dos
Santos

Agency:
Y&R



Festival:
Prism
Awards
‐
Press
Jury

Award:
Gold
(Billboard)

Client:
Radio
Television
Portuguese

Title:
Jose
Rodrigues
Dos
Santos

Agency:
Y&R



Festival:
DN
Trophy


Award:
Honours
mention
(Out‐door)

Client:
Rádio
Televisão
Portuguesa

Title:
Herman
Jose

Agency:
Y&R



Festival:
Hit
Parade

Award:
Finalist
(Radio)

Client:
ICEP

Title:
Dreams
of
winter

Agency:
Y&R



Festival:
Hit
Parade

Award:
Finalist
(Radio)

Client:
Rádio
Televisão
Portuguesa

Title:
Opera

Agency:
Y&R



Festival:
Prémio
Grande
RTC

Award:
Gold
(TV)

Client:
Tints
Dyrup

Title:
Box
of
music

Agency:
Y&R





1998



Festival:
Prism
Awards
Design

Awards:
Bronze
(TV)

Customer:
Portugal
Telecom

Title:
Luggage
of
circuits
digitals

Agency:
TBWA



Festival:
Awards
prism

Awards:
Finalist
(TV)

Client:
Cheese
Limiano

Title:
Ugly

Agency:
TBWA



Festival:
Awards
prism

Awards:
Finalist
(TV)

Client:
Cheese
Limiano

Title:
Plastic
Mouse

Agency:
TBWA



Festival:
Awards
prism

Awards:
Gold
(Billboard)

Client:
Oeiras
Park

Title:
Summer
Line

Agency:
TBWA



Festival:
Prisma
Awards

Awards:
Finalist
(Billboard)

Client:
Oeiras
Park

Title:
Winter
Line

Agency:
TBWA





1999



Festival:
NY
Festivals

Awards:
Silver
(Press)

Client:
Fantasporto

Title:
Opened

Agency:
TBWA



Festival:
The
Club
Creative
of
Portugal
Festivals

Awards:
Gold
(Press)

Client:
Fantasporto

Title:
Opened

Agency:
TBWA



Festival:
DN
Festival

Award:
Silver
(the
Press)

Client:
Fantasporto

Title:
Opened

Agency:
TBWA





2003



Festival:
NY
Festival

Award:
Finalist
(TV)

Client:
Optimus

Title:
Night

Agency:
BBDO



2004



Festival:
The
Club
Creative
of
Portugal
Festivals

Award:
Silver
(TV)

Client:
Optimus

Title:
Thunders

Agency:
BBDO



Festival:
The
Club
Creative
of
Portugal
Festivals

Award:
Finalist
(TV)

Client:
Optimus

Title:
Night

Agency:
BBDO



Festival:
ADCE
‐
Art
Directors
Club
of
Europe

Award:
Finalist
(Silver)

Client:
Optimus

Title:
Night

Agency:
BBDO