Serviceplan’s Global ECD Duo on 10 Years Staying Sane Together

This month, Erick Barrios Hernández and Wolfgang Warzilek celebrate their 10th year as a creative duo.

Now global ECDs at Serviceplan Group Americas, working with key clients such as Lufthansa, the pair first joined forces at the Mercedes AOR, antoni. The pairing gave Wolfgang (or Wolfi, as he is known) a fresh opportunity at the agency, which he was set on leaving, but neither could have known it would be the start of a decade-long collaboration that’s taken them across the world.

“I thought Wolfgang was too serious during the first couple of weeks,” shares Erick, the art director of the team. “Maybe because I didn’t understand his humour yet. He was the second Austrian friend I’d ever had. The first was a guy from ad school called Amadeus, so I felt like I was onto something.” Meanwhile, Erick’s first impression was that of a quiet, more reserved person – but not for long.

“Once it wasn’t just the work environment anymore, we went on a proper night out,” Wolfgang explains. “It turns out he’s still the most considerate and respectful person I’ve met in this industry… but quiet? Nah, not so much. I figured that out real quick.”

First working together on some digital ideas for the Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet, they soon discovered they had chemistry. “One of our former producers put it best: I’m the voice of reason, whereas Wolfi is the voice of emotion,” says Erick. “I feel it’s tougher for teams with the same personality type to find balance or agree on things.”

“We’re different enough to keep things interesting but aligned enough to keep things moving,” adds Wolfgang. “We share the same goals and beliefs but our personalities bring different flavours to the table. Over time, we’ve learned where each other’s strengths lie, so we know when to step back and let the other take the lead.”

He describes this level of trust as the duo’s “real magic” – the secret sauce that’s got them through countless late nights and last-minute curveballs. Not to mention their “survival tool”: a good sense of humour. “When the industry throws chaos at you, being able to turn it into a joke and laugh about it together is priceless,” he says. “It keeps you sane and it keeps the work fun.”

That’s not to say they never experience any disagreement or conflict – as Erick deploys his sense of humour to tease his copywriter partner: “It might sound cliché, but as an art director, I know Wolfi doesn’t really read, he just looks at pictures. Briefs, emails, text messages. He reads them, but he doesn’t really read them, you know?”

He continues, “Of course, we don’t always like the same things all the time. Fortunately, we can step back and think about what’s best for the idea. Neither of us is too stubborn to insist that things must be a certain way.”

Wolfgang jokes this discussion feels like “couples therapy”, describing their 10-year partnership as his longest-ever relationship. “But we’ve never had that ‘we need to talk’ moment,” he reflects. “I guess that’s a good thing. It means we’ve built something that works without forcing it.”

Erick adds, “When you tell people outside advertising that you work as a duo, they find it surprising. We’ve not only moved to other agencies together but also to different countries. You can’t underestimate the value of that; having a second opinion and someone who’s going through the exact same experiences as you.

“There were moments where I’d think: Is this crazy or is it just me? It’s great to have someone who can relate completely.”

Together, they’ve worked on many projects – at antoni, at BBDO in Berlin and New York, and now at Serviceplan – but when looking back, Erick subscribes to the popular adland sentiment: “You’re only as good as your last project”. With that said, he highlights the pair’s work for airline Lufthansa over the past two years as a significant point of pride.

“We’ve made loungewear designed by different artists, had a booth at Art Basel Miami, shot some light-hearted product films and I like to think we gave people a bit of wanderlust, showing destinations in a not-so-typical airline-ad kind of way.”

Whereas for Wolfgang, some of the highlights of their shared career so far have been the unseen moments in between some of their more notorious work – the ideas they dream up together, even ones that sometimes never see the light of day. He says, “When we find an insight, build a deck, make it tight, craft every slide… that’s sometimes the best part. I’m already proud walking into a client presentation and showing [them] what could be.

“The truth is, only a small percentage of what we create gets made. For me, the pride isn’t just in what runs. It’s in the thinking, the craft, the ideas that push us, even if they don’t sell. That’s also why we do this.”

Outside of the office, the pair’s bond is just as close. Wolfgang has shared his love of schnapps, and even his father’s own homebrews, with Erick; they have hiked in the Austrian Alps together, and even once played pool at a bar in San Salvador when the city was among the most dangerous in the world. “We survived both experiences and are happy to report back,” says Erick, who also enjoys “dragging” Wolfgang to music shows. “He knows all the backstories, which makes it fun. Especially for someone like me who doesn’t usually bother reading up,” says Wolfgang.

Music is undeniably one of Erick’s main sources of inspiration. “I went to see [rock band] Chat Pile a couple of days before Halloween in Brooklyn,” he says. “Between songs, the singer was chatting about horror movies and cult classics set in New York. I thought that was so cool. He wasn’t like, ‘This next song is about this or that.’ He was a real film geek.

“In the same spirit, I’m not going to bore you with ads I find inspiring. Since it’s year-end list season, I’ll take the chance to say that ‘Lonely People with Power’ by [metal group] Deafheaven was my most-played record this year.”

Taking a moment to step outside of the advertising bubble in this way, a decade into their creative partnership, is “the most refreshing thing”, adds Wolfgang. “Our world is all about perfection. Retouched, polished, designed to please everyone. That’s fine when you’re doing the job, but what really inspires me now is the opposite: imperfection.

“Stuff that’s raw, honest or unfiltered. A painting that feels unfinished, a photograph that’s messy but real, music that’s pure and a little uncomfortable. The edge and lack of vanilla is what I’m into these days. It reminds me that creativity isn’t about smoothing out every rough spot.”

Hopefully, Erick and Wolfgang will be bringing this creative attitude to life for another 10 years together – you’ll have to keep your eyes on Serviceplan Americas to find out.