“In one of those moments of endless scrolling on Instagram, the algorithm — which isn’t all bad — delivered a gem that made me reflect.”

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In one of those moments of endless scrolling on Instagram, the algorithm — which isn’t all bad — delivered a gem that made me reflect. I was struck by a clip from Conversa com Bial featuring Emicida (by the way, I highly recommend watching the full interview).

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In the excerpt, the singer, songwriter, and presenter speaks very sensitively about his mother and her teachings. He started recording his mother’s words, always very wise, with the intention of turning them into a rap, almost as a joke for his mother, who didn’t like the musical genre. With her passing, these words gained a new meaning and transformed into a song full of love and presence. And, among these phrases, came the one that echoed in my head:

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“Legacy is always an exchange.”

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Amidst a chat about the difference between price and value, Emicida starts talking about how value is directly linked to human potential and how this potential is infinite. In my head — as someone deeply passionate about behavior and symbolic sharing — the moment the word “value” comes up in the conversation, my mind automatically goes to the field where I work with brands: value proposition, purpose, and the strategic-creative direction aimed at the symbolic they build in the world so that their messages can break through the daily noise of so much communication and, thus, genuinely connect with their audiences.

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And, if we understand these symbols as a legacy, our responsibility increases. In a routine guided by briefs and ambitious business goals, it is always important to maintain the clarity that these movements also help to shape the society we live in — and the one we want to build. It is undeniable how much “advertising” (with many quotation marks here, because we know there are many other disciplines involved) helps to dictate and/or consolidate the aesthetics and behaviors of our time.

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Throughout my life, I have seen entire worlds of possibilities being projected from cigarette advertisements — an insanity, by the way. I was impacted by the exaltation of extreme thinness in the fashion universe of the 2000s, I saw the embrace of real beauty in the cosmetics market,

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and the power of “what matters is doing it” in the sports world. It is undeniable how these symbols move me — and move so many other people — and how these collective memories help to consolidate the way we experience and read the world.

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All this to say that the great reflection is: our choices, as professionals who work with brands and their expressions, make a difference in the world. Every time we choose A and not B, we are deciding which symbols and which values we put into circulation, with real potential to be shared. Shared symbols shape behaviors, relationships, and attitudes. We should not and cannot underestimate the reach of this seed.

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To close, Emicida brings another phrase that expands this discussion: “I leave it, but I also take it”. May we be capable of delivering our best to the world and, at the same time, keep ourselves open so that it also moves us, with open eyes and hearts, allowing this encounter to refine, reveal, and reflect the values we choose to carry.