About
Julio D'Alfonso is a creative leader with over 20 years of experience across agencies and in-house teams. Most recently, he served as Head of Creative at DoorDash, where he led the company's 40+ person in-house studio and oversaw work across internal teams and partner agencies, united by a single creative vision. He helped shape the brand through a period of significant growth and creative transformation. During his tenure, DoorDash earned its place in culture, made its first appearance on the Fortune 500, saw more than a fivefold increase in market value between 2022 and 2025, and was named the fastest-growing brand of 2025 by Morning Consult.
Prior to that, he led creative for U.S. and global brands including AT&T and Samsung, as well as brands and causes where visibility is the only way to survive.
Beliefs↓
The best creative is never self-serving.
I've worked on both sides. Agency and brand. The work I admire most and strive to make is always in service of something other than a creative's ego. A business problem. An audience need. A human truth. A conversation in culture. Going on stage to get an award is great, but it needs to be paired with business impact.
Being close to the work is part of the job.
I set the vision and trust the team to run with it. But I stay close enough to know when someone needs a sounding board, a sharper idea, or just someone to help take it across the finish line.
Strategy is the first round of creative.
I will unapologetically dig into briefs before they're considered ready to share. I encourage creative teams to do the same. A good strategic angle is already halfway to a great idea.
Collaboration is different than consensus.
I've been part of cross-functional teams where trust between disciplines wasn't a process, but the culture itself. When people know when and where their input matters most, the work gets stronger.
Being safe is scary.
It's not a creative team's job to pre-edit their ideas based on what they think will fly. That's my job. When people feel free to propose the weird, the unexpected, the thing that seems too far or too hard to execute, that's when the work goes somewhere interesting.
Experience↓
Freelance Executive Creative Director / Writer2025 – Present
Head of Creative — Superette / DoorDash2022 – 2025
Creative Director — BBDO LA2018 – 2022
ACD / CW — Leo Burnett Chicago2014 – 2018
Senior Copywriter — Y&R Sao Paulo2013 – 2014
Senior Copywriter — Leo Burnett Tailor Made2011 – 2013
Senior Copywriter — Mohallem/Artplan2009 – 2011
Copywriter — Mohallem Meirelles2007 – 2009
Copywriter — Fallon Sao Paulo2006 – 2007
Awards↓
Cannes Lions1x Gold, 1x Silver, 4x Bronze, multiple shortlists
Cannes Young LionsFilm Representative
The One Show1x Silver Pencil, 5x Merits
One Screen1x Finalist
D&AD2x Wood Pencil
D&AD Impact1x Wood Pencil
ADC NY1x Silver, 1x Bronze, 1x Merit
Clio Awards2x Bronze
LIA2x Bronze
The Webby AwardsPeople's Voice Winner 2020
Young Guns1x Finalist
Eurobest1x Gold
El Ojo de Iberoamerica2x Silver, 2x Bronze
FIAP1x Bronze
Brazilian / American
Brooklyn, NY
Brands
DoorDash, AT&T, Samsung, Vivo, Tam Airlines, Fiat, Peugeot, Kia Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, Brooks Running, McDonald's, Juanita's Foods, Allstate, Esurance, Visa, Fifth Third Bank, Citibank, Bradesco, DIAGEO, Sherwin-Williams, Davene, Danone, Ron Finley Project, The Field Museum, Human Rights Foundation, Akatu, The Salvation Army, SmartBuy Wines
Press & Publications
The Guardian, BBC, Fox, USA Today, MSNBC, New York Post, Fast Company, Mashable, Wired, Gizmodo, HuffPost, CNet, Business Insider, Variety, Globo, Contagious Magazine, PSFK, Adweek, Creativity, Muse by Clio, Luerzer's Archive
Education
Feature Film WritingUCLA Extension, LA
Master Class in Digital AccelerationHyper Island, Sweden
BA in Social CommunicationsESPM, Sao Paulo
