LEADERS OF THE NEW: Louie Plantado

Leaders of the New is an ongoing series at jettlandicho.com that will focus on the future talents of advertising. Click here to check the archives.



Name: Louie Gene Plantado

Career Path: Account Executive/Account Director

Education: BA Communications/IT York/Creative Advertising Graduate of Seneca College


Advertising Experience:

2 years in the Creative Advertising Program at Seneca College
• Numerous team/agency pitches (never lost a pitch)
• Adweek in New York
• Volunteered for Marketing Week in Toronto
• Was taught both sides of the Advertising Industry (Creative/Account)

Account Coordinator Internship at DDB Toronto/Mass Department
• Work on two big time clients
• Status Reports/Sales Tracking
• Competitive Review/Market Research
• Attend creative briefs
• Put together decks and presentations
• Put together cost estimates
• Organize files and documents
• Attend photo-shoots and radio recordings
• Also help out with not-for-profit and DM projects

One Thing About You: Writing poetry is a passion of mine. I haven’t done so in a while. But writing is something that I do to relax. I have a collection of poems that I have written-I think it is due for a new addition.

Contact: lgplantado@gmail.com

Full interview behind the cut!


When did you know that advertising was for you?

A month into my first semester of the Creative Advertising program. The enthusiasm and passion the professors had made me excited and eager to learn more and to eventually become a part of the industry. The creativity and the emphasis on building strong relationships that this industry centers upon really attracted me. The projects I was a part of and the amount of happiness and the great feeling of accomplishment every time I finished a project was something I have never felt before in my previous educational experiences. Winning the first semester agency pitch to Due North with my team was something that gave me great confidence and further solidified the fact that this is something I want to do with my life.


I remember seeing on your business card that you had your career direction listed as “Creative Account Services”. Explain.

This spawns from the fact that everyone thought I was going creative side. I went account side because I love the relationship building aspect of it- with the clients and with your teams. My professors refer to me as that ‘hybrid’- a perfect mix of strategy and creative. I am flattered by this fact as I tend to put creativity in everything that I do.

I am comfortable with the business side aspects as well as the creative side as I have a bit of skill in desktop publishing and copywriting. I have love for both the creative and account processes. I feel that being on the account side I am able to be involved with both sides. But we were taught in the program that to be a part of this industry and excel in it you must wear many hats and be that ‘hybrid’. So it is not just me- my peers/classmates whether creative or account side possess that versatility and I am very blessed and honoured to have been able to learn and to work with amazing media, account, and creative minds. I possess the skills that I have through collaborating and learning with them.


How did you get from being a student to being an intern at DDB?

I was lucky enough to meet an amazing Account Coordinator and Seneca Advertising graduate at New York Adweek and maintained contact with her. So I told her I was looking for an internship and I sent her my resume. She did not promise anything but put in a good word for me to the Talent Manager at DDB Toronto. I soon got an e-mail from a Senior Account Executive at DDB for in interview regarding an internship. I went to a total of 3 interviews until I finally got the internship. I have been at DDB for just over a month and it has been nothing short of amazing.


Describe a day in the life of Louie Plantado at DDB.

Well I get in around 8:30 am to 9am and check my e-mails. I check in with my two account supervisors and ask if there are any tasks they want me to focus in on for the day. After that I update the client files by inputting new sales numbers and updating status reports. My days are never really the same. I won’t know how my day will go until a few hours into the day. There are days where there is a lot to do and there are days were there is very little.

My tasks can range anywhere from writing competitive reviews, doing research, putting together decks, putting together director/editor/cast reels, compiling data, building PowerPoint presentations, attending meetings, or even going to photo-shoots or radio recordings. There are days where I am out at 5 or there are days when I am still at DDB till late at night. My supervisors get mad at me if they still see me at the office after 5-they make fun of me and tell me I do not have a life and ask me why I am working so hard!


In our conversations, you’ve talked a lot about starting your own shop someday. What’s your motivation to start your own thing?

There are numerous things that motivate me to start ‘our’ own shop. The number one thing is the strong relationships I have with my peers. I know for a fact that given the opportunity-the amount of talent, creativity, passion and work ethic that this graduating class from the Creative Advertising program has to offer will contribute A LOT to this industry. The sad part is-that due to the current state of the economy many of us are not given the opportunity to show this.

I have no doubt in my mind that if this was any other time-many of us would not only have gotten internships at agencies but jobs as well. Opening ‘our’ own shop one day is definitely something I will pursue and I know that once that happens there will be nothing but success-not only terms of the work that we produce-but the fact that we are working with the people that we have grown and learned about this industry with. I would be coming in every morning at 9am to spend the day with my second family 5 days a week for many years. With that connection combined with the talent our shop would possess-our agency would be hard to beat. This is what I strive to accomplish in my advertising career.


What would your own agency be like? Big or small? Full-service or boutique? Any other details in your head so far?

The agency that I envision in my mind would be a mid-size to full-service agency as it combines many talents from our program. However, the direction of the agency structure and culture will be determined collaboratively among those involved. In short, the agency will be what we ALL want it to be.


What would be your dream client to work with? Why?

This is a tough one. I would have to say that the Nike brand, especially the Air Jordan brand is a dream client of mine. These are two brands that have a culture and a movement surrounding them and advertising for them would be a great honour. They are also in the category which I have great personal interest in-Shoes! I would also love to work with a client that does not have huge market share or brand image. The task of doing great things for a brand is something exciting and extremely rewarding. A clothing brand, an automotive brand, or even a service that is in need of increased brand awareness would be something I would love to be involved with.


What do you think is the future of advertising?

I believe that the future of advertising is anything ‘below the line’. We are entering the age of word-of-mouth, consumer generated media, social media etc. Traditional advertising is not as effective anymore. The possibilities are endless now with the amount of technology and communications platform we have available to us in reaching our target audiences.


What do you do for fun?

I shop a lot! I am a big fan of denims and fashion in general. I do an extensive amount of online shopping. I was also a heavy sneaker head. At one point I had close to over 200 sneakers. I have slowed down now, but I buy a new pair of sneakers here and there to add to my collection, but not as frequent as before. I also love to exercise and be active as much as possible. I am a big fan of mixed martial arts and I never miss a pay-per-view event! I love watching movies, playing video games when I have time, and spending time with family and friends.

Some of Louie's Kicks

E-Elevator Pitch: Sell yourself in 140 characters or less.

I am a perfect mix of strategy/creative. I am dynamic, intelligent, and hilarious. DDB intern+2 years of creative advertising experience. I make this sh*t look sexy!


If you're an advertising student or are just starting out in the business and would like to be featured on Leaders of the New, send me an email at jettlandicho@gmail.com