DM9’s creative chief steps down in wake of Cannes backlash

DM9’s co-president and chief creative officer Icaro Doria is leaving his role at the São Paulo-based agency amid the controversy over the shop's case study for its Cannes Grand Prix-winning campaign.

The announcement comes a week after Cannes Lions launched an investigation into the case study for Consul Appliances' “Efficient way to pay”.

In a statement, the agency, part of the Omnicom Group-owned DDB network, said: “DM9 announces that Icaro Doria is stepping down from his role as chief creative officer and co-president of the agency. The decision was made by mutual agreement and marks the end of a cycle that began in 2022, characterised by significant creative achievements and the consolidation of a new phase for DM9 in the Brazilian market.

It added that it will soon announce a “new model of creative leadership”.

Previously DM9’s co-president and chief executive Pipo Calazans admitted in a LinkedIn post that “there were a series of errors in the production and delivery of the video case”. The post said Doria took full responsibility for the incident. 

Doria has been at DM9, which he helped relaunch, since 2022, prior to which he was chief creative officer at Hill Holliday, Havas Health & You, Arnold Worldwide, DDB, and Wieden & Kennedy. 

He served as jury president for this year’s Print and Publishing Lions at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.