David Madrid might be based in Spain, but it could be said to be a truly international agency. Its 55 employees hail from not just that country, but also from Chile, Argentina, Vietnam, Slovenia, Peru, France and the U.K. And its work resonates globally, from Cannes Lions to the Super Bowl.
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Founded in 2019 just prior to the pandemic, the agency’s revenue grew by more than 60%, from $3 million to more than $5 million, in 2021 on the back of new briefs from existing clients including Netflix, Twitter and Danone, as well as Burger King, for whom its “Stevenage Challenge” work won three Grand Prix and a Titanium Lion at Cannes 2021.
David Madrid’s story starts with founder, Partner and Global Chief Creative Officer Pancho Cassis, who describes the shop as “based in Madrid but creating work that’s tailor-made for clients all over the world.” Chilean-born Cassis has lived in Spain since winning an internship at Leo Burnett Madrid in his 20s. After a spell at Lola MullenLowe—where his clients included then Burger King marketing chief Fernando Machado—he left to start his own agency. Within two months, however, he was snapped up by David founder Fernando Musa to set up an agency for Europe. “Musa said, that looks like David 2.0, and do you want to join forces?” recalled Cassis.