The Work That Made Me: Pablo Dachefsky
Growing up in Argentina, Wunderman Thompson Dubai’s executive creative director Pablo Dachefsky now resides in the UAE, a place which has become home. Having worked across different countries and a variety of markets, the multicultural city has welcomed him with open arms.
Through the years, Pablo has been involved in a number of campaigns, notably ‘The Moldy Whopper ‘spot for Burger King, and the recent ‘Unstainable Thobe’ for Heinz, among many other campaigns which have received both local and international recognition. With his inspiration coming from his Argentinian roots as well as classic ads such as The Independent’s ‘Don'ts’, his understanding of the industry fuels his desire to create groundbreaking work.
Pablo speaks to LBB about some of the campaigns which have inspired him, made him jealous and been created with him on the team.
The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Pablo> I want to give you both examples. An ad… I have a lot of them, but I’ll just mention one: ‘Owners (dueños)’, by Banco Hipotecario. Amazing concept and execution, but still the strongest thing for me is the insight it brought: a bank is there to turn you into an owner of things. How they showcased that feeling was simply amazing. A music video? I don’t know if it is my favourite, but this was the first one that came to my mind… ‘Do the evolution’, by Pearl Jam. Simply powerful.
The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Pablo> Well, call me ‘classic’, but the ad that made me an ad-boy is ‘Don’ts’, by The Independent.
The creative work (film/album/game/ad/album/book/poem, etc.) that I keep revisiting…
Pablo> In Argentina, we have an iconic comic called ‘Mafalda’. The character’s simplicity in expressing powerful insights and thoughts has been a guide for me. I just started reading it when I was five and I still do.
My first professional project…
Pablo> My first one? Really? Mmmmm… tons of sh**, like every beginner. I remember designing pamphlets for McDonald’s, to promote birthday parties. It was amazing. A little story to share… One day, instead of keep doing the same thing again; putting the image of Ronald McDonald here or there; I proposed showing parents enjoying their time while kids were playing. It’s never seen the light of day, but I’ve learnt that even a birthday party in a McDonald’s store could be a good opportunity to think out of the box.
The piece of work (ad/music video/ platform…) that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Pablo> Pfffffff… millions, but rather than a specific one, I’ll say most of the perfume ads (maybe I can just put aside the Kenzo one). I’ve never understood that stuff.
The piece of work (ad/music video/ platform…) that still makes me jealous…
Pablo> Millions again… ‘Dumb ways to die’, for example. Recently, ‘Confusing times’ in terms of craft, simply perfect. Or ‘Detectives’, by Apple – simple, clear, funny, amazing. But this answer will need hours and hours…
The creative project that changed my career…
Pablo> Well, for sure, ‘The Moldy Whopper’. No one told me that farming more than 60 burgers at home will become the most awarded campaign in history.
The work that I’m proudest of…
Pablo> Well, to be honest, I always try to not define myself by a project. I’ll say, my whole career with all its ups and downs. I’m proud of who I am and how, after more than 28 years of experience, I’m still feeling that passion for my job.
I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Pablo> ‘Cringe’ sounds like, ‘please God never give me that job again’… So, I will say a lot of multi-market campaigns with empty concepts and fits-on-everything executions.
The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Pablo> Fortunately, we’re in a good place, having launched a few very interesting projects that are making me feel so proud. We recently launched ‘The Unstainable Thobe’ with Heinz, a very interesting project for the Argentinian retailer FC Hogar called ‘The Passion Calculator’ and a few more for HSBC and Samsung. Not bad.
