Domenico Loperfido is an unusual and even controversial Epica Awards jury president, in that he works for an agency: DUDE, which has offices in Milan and London. But he’s also the editor of the creative industry newsletter In Case You Missed It, which has a fast-growing audience.
Above all, he may have the ideal mix of experience for scrutinising Epica entries, because he’s worked for a client, an agency – and as a trade journalist. In fact, he says: “Writing about advertising has been crucial to my career.”
You’d be right to assume that Domenico is Italian. When he was a kid, his dream careers ranged from surgery to aerospace; but then, when he was 17, something happened.
“After high school I did an internship at a small marketing studio, just to earn some money, you know? But this was the time when guerrilla marketing became a thing, and I found it super exciting. I thought it was something I’d like to do.”
First he took a more conventional approach, studying economics in Parma. But the university had the advantage that local brands like Barilla and Mutti sent marketing managers to speak at the school. “A group of us made YouTube videos of the talks for a platform where students who’d missed them could catch up.”
Next stop was a Master’s at Sole 24 Ore business school. That experience was crucial for networking, as two of the people who taught there later became his partners at DUDE: Lorenzo Del Bianco and Livio Basoli.
From client to agency
He started his career, however, at Vodafone, initially in marketing – which he enjoyed – and then in operations, which was educational but less enchanting. “I felt stuck and I needed an outlet. So I thought of this magazine I’d been following since I was 18 years old, Ninja Marketing. I just sent an email and asked if I could write for them. So that’s how it started – and I loved writing.”
He also realised he had an outsized affection for advertising. “When you get goose bumps watching a TV spot or an activation, something is going on! There are people who are passionate about this, and I’m one of them.”
The decision was pivotal because he ended up interviewing Lorenzo. Shortly after that, DUDE started working for Vodafone and Lorenzo invited Domenico to join the agency. “It was a 15-strong start-up, so in a way it was kind of insane to leave ‘the post office’, as we say in Italy, to join this new adventure. But it was my fourth year at Vodafone so I was ready to make the leap. What struck me immediately was the concentration of talent. I’d never seen anything like it.”
He started on the account side, but quickly moved into business development and operations. “In a startup, you have to do everything, and my corporate experience helped me structure workflows and processes. Later I took on PR, which is closely tied to new business in our industry. I built relationships with journalists in Italy and later internationally, especially when we expanded to London. That experience shaped my current role as chief growth officer.”
A passion project
DUDE became an independent group around 2020, which allowed it to expand into different areas. One of these companies is DUDE Things, which operates more like a branding-driven incubator for startups through a Work For Equity model. “Instead of being paid traditionally, we exchange our branding expertise for equity,” Domenico explains. Since 2023, he’s also been CEO and partner of DUDE Design, the group’s branding and visual identity division.
Alongside his work at the agency, Domenico launched his newsletter, In Case You Missed It, three years ago. “The idea was simple: a quick, curated update on the best in advertising, design and marketing each week. There was a gap in Italy for that kind of concise, international perspective. To be honest, I was my own audience.”
The newsletter is in English because he wanted it to reach beyond Italy. “It’s helped me stay informed and connect with people all over the world. When I interview Nils Leonard, it’s like an MBA for me!”
Journalism and creativity
Being invited to be President of the Epica jury was a genuine surprise. (Full transparency: it’s because we’re fans of his newsletter) “I’m truly honored. What makes Epica special of course is that the jury is made up of journalists, which gives it a different perspective compared to other awards.”
At the same time, he feels that journalism is evolving. “There’s kind of a gap between traditional trade media and the way audiences consume content today. Platforms like Substack show there’s space for new editorial models.”
As an industry observer and an adman, how does he feel about Italian creativity right now? “I’ll be critical: I think the level of Italian creativity right now is about the same as Italian football,” he jokes. “We’re not in our strongest moment. In the past, we had a clearer identity and a bigger international presence. Design is still strong, but advertising has been relatively flat in recent years. We lack boldness, and we say yes to clients too much.”
Comparing Italian work to what comes out of London, he sees a difference in language and confidence. Italy needs to get its mojo back. “If we want to compete globally again, we need to invest in talent, expose creatives to international standards, and encourage more bravery.”
As President of an international creative jury, he may be in an even better position to do just that.
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