ADFEST 2025

< TO 3-DAY PROGRAM

When Bravery and Business Collide

Carlos Camacho/Belynda Sim-Mak

Too often, our industry positions agencies and clients as opponents:

Agencies want to do brave work that wins awards

Clients want to do work that drives their business

But what if they are the same thing?

This session will focus on understanding what makes work “brave,” explore how we should measure/quantify bravery, the impact of brave work on client business and how often the collision between agencies and clients is actually the best opportunity to create growth-driving creative magic for everyone.

Showcasing a wide range of work and provocations for the audience, including GUT’s own Bravery Scale methodology, GUT Asia’s Chief Creative Officer, Carlos Camacho and Head of Strategy, Belynda Sim-Mak, will demonstrate that bravery means business, for clients and our industry.

Proving that when bravery and business collide, amazing things happen.

Carlos Camacho

Chief Creative Officer, Asia

GUT

Singapore

Carlos is an award-winning creative leader with a career that’s taken him across Asia, Europe, and Latin America. From shaking things up in Ho Chi Minh, Shanghai, and Hong Kong—where he made Campaign Asia’s "40 Under 40"—to creating memorable campaigns in Amsterdam, his work has always been world-class.

His creativity has earned recognition at prestigious industry shows, including Cannes Lions (with a Titanium), Andy’s, D&AD, One Show, LIA, Clios, ADFEST, Spikes and more.

Back in Colombia, Carlos joined DAVID, where he used his global experience to deliver innovative work for top brands.

After a call from Gaston and Anselmo, Carlos is back in Asia, taking the lead on Gut’s exciting expansion in the region.

Beyond advertising, he fuels his creativity through entrepreneurship, launching a coffee brand, architecturally celebrated restaurants, and soon, his own distillery.

Belynda Sim-Mak

Head of Strategy, Asia

GUT

Singapore

Belynda has more than 20 years experience driving brand growth and partnerships across APAC, connecting the dots between cultural shifts and business needs, creating future-fit brand solutions.

An ex qualitative researcher at Flamingo research and Head of Cultural Intelligence APAC at TBWA, Bel has extensive experience synthesizing and processing insight/ foresight planning, investigating and understanding human behaviour in the larger context of what’s happening, using cultural and brand insight to fuel strategy, innovation and new business ideas.

Some of Bel’s key brands and work over the years include destination branding for Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Hilton. Taking APAC/ AU brands like Tiger Beer, Toll Group out to the world and driving cultural relevance across Asia for global brands for Spotify, IKEA, Heineken, Guinness, Manulife, Unilever. She was also the lead strategist driving more than 50 creative, PR and effectiveness awards for Spotify, IKEA, Singapore Airlines, Manulife, Samaritans of Singapore & Shell Singapore.