With what they called "zero financial backing, a lot of humility, ingenuity and grit," L&C Founders and Co-Chief Creative Officers Gian Carlo Lanfranco and Rolando Cordova opened an ad agency in New York during a pandemic. 

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And why not? Both award-winning founders grew up in Peru in the late 80s and learned much about turning limited opportunities into possibilities. “I think that’s sort of our philosophy, we grew up with this in our DNA,” Lanfranco said. “Some people might see the pandemic as a time to keep your job and be more safe, but it’s an opportunity to reinvent yourself too.” Both had served as global creative directors at McCann New York until 2017, then freelanced for a while before pursuing their dream to start an agency in May 2020.

Cordova says the agency has grown organically since it opened, but not without challenges: “It wasn’t easy in the beginning because you have to meet with a lot of people, try to explain your goals, values and you know, sometimes you get an opportunity and the process is hard and you lose. But when you start losing, hope literally appears, a spark of hope, and then you start moving forward.”

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Since L&C NYC’s official opening, and with only 11 employees in New York and Peru, the agency has quickly made a name for itself with major campaigns for brands including GE Lighting and Dole. Its startling “Malnutrition Labels” highlighting issues related to food insecurity and malnutrition by turning trash cans into "media" with labels on trash bags, trash bins, recycling bins and garbage trucks in New York City.

“We really liked this campaign because it’s just using trash, it’s symbolic to use trash as a form of media,” Lanfranco said. “Usually people ignore trash, you know, normal people walk away from it, especially in New York because it smells bad and there's rats. To actually see a person stop, read it and think about it, that’s already winning.”

The campaign generated more than 170 million impressions, 6.7 million online views and more than $15 million in earned media. The shop also worked with Dole and a company named Ananas Anam to create a sustainable leather alternative out of pineapple leaves that would otherwise go to waste. "We are lucky to get their unique combination of outstanding strategic thinking and creativity," said Rupen Desai, global chief marketing officer at Dole.

The agency, moreover, is expecting revenue to grow elevenfold to $5.2 million this year, an astounding jump, behind work for clients including GE Lighting, Thumbtack and Spinmaster. 

For GE, the agency also created a feel-good campaign with the objective of introducing new products including an Indoor Smart Camera and Outdoor Smart Plug, while highlighting their functional aspects. The campaign rewinds the clock to show how “magical” it would have been to have the products far back in time.

The agency plans on expanding its locations to Europe by 2023 and is taking its “human truth” approach with it. The employees all bring an international perspective that emphasizes a common humanity across languages, cultures and borders, says Camden Elizabeth, executive producer.

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“We're all just human and marketing inherently is kind of tapping into human needs, human desires, kind of what makes us tick.” Elizabeth said. “So I think what a human truth is for us is it's that one thing that no matter your age, your gender or your race, you can read it and just go ‘Oh, yeah, that does apply.’"