5 Minutes with… Cova Díaz
Cova Díaz is an executive creative director at Dentsu Creative Spain, spearheading work for brands such as Red Cross, Oppo Mobile, CaixaBank, and Amnesty International, among others. She’s one of the female creative leaders the European Association of Communication Agencies (EACA) and LBB has selected to showcase as part of an ongoing series.
Chief executive officer of the EACA, Charley Stoney, says: “We all know how shockingly low the percentage of female creative leaders is across the industry. EACA’s own Creative Equality Survey 2024 also found that only 25% of creative awards in Europe have gone to women. I believe in the 'see it, be it' principle, so my hope is that this collaboration with LBB, to highlight female leaders, will provide vital role models for those rising up through the ranks."
Across almost two decades in the advertising industry, Cova has honed her skills across several agencies, including Leo Burnett, Shackleton, China, and Young & Rubicam. Cannes Lions, El Sol, El Ojo de Iberoamérica, Club de Creativos, and D&AD have all celebrated her work. Most recently, she was awarded for Amnesty International ‘Invisible Rights’, a stark reminder of the erasure of Afghan women in society.
Cova is also a member and mentor at Más Mujeres Creativas, a Spanish non-profit promoting female visibility in advertising.
LBB’s Zara Naseer spoke to Cova to get the lowdown on her first Cannes Lions win, why ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ feels “revolutionary”, and the state of gender equality in the Spanish ad industry.
LBB> In the early days of your career, what were some projects/clients that particularly helped you to grow and understand the business?
Cova> There are many projects that have helped me get to where I am today, for different reasons. I’m particularly fond of the campaign we did for the tenth anniversary of 13th Street TV Channel: ‘13th Street Cuisine’. It was quite disruptive at the time – 2009. We set up a pop-up restaurant where each dish represented crime and horror tropes (the channel’s theme). It snatched quite a few awards, both in Spain and at international festivals. It was my first Cannes Lion win, a feeling that never gets old.
Another project that left a mark was a film we shot for Dewar’s White Label, titled ‘Trains’, which aired in several countries. It was the first time one of my scripts became a screenplay for an international client. Shooting it was an amazing experience, and it helped me learn a lot about how a local project and a large, international one can be very different.
And the last one — more than a project, it’s a client: Ausonia, P&G’s female hygiene brand in Spain. It was my first big client as a creative director. We carried out a brand repositioning and a complete shift in communication. It was quite a challenge for us as a team, and one that taught me the importance of taking steps in the right direction.
LBB> Who are your creative heroes?
Cova> I could spend days answering this question! It depends on what we mean by 'creative heroes', I suppose. When it comes to advertising, there are great figures who have inspired me and continue to do so. People I’ve been lucky enough to work with throughout my career and whom I deeply admire, such as Juan Sevilla, who is now a creative director at W+K London. Or people I haven’t met personally but are nevertheless role models, like Mónica Moro, a major female reference in the Spanish creative industry.
But outside our industry, I’m currently fascinated by all the female film directors and screenwriters who are making waves: changing perspectives, telling new stories, especially those aimed at younger audiences. To me, the fact that the most-watched movie in Netflix history is about a female K-pop group fighting demons feels both wonderful and revolutionary. Its creator, Maggie Kang, has instantly become a creative hero of mine.
LBB> Have you always felt like a natural leader, or is it something you’ve been shaped into? What challenges come with taking on such a responsibility?
Cova> Oh no, not at all. I don’t consider myself a natural leader – quite the opposite. I’ve always enjoyed working in teams, but I didn’t see myself as someone with enough charisma to lead.
Luckily, I’ve been working with Emilia Bertola for more than 15 years; she’s been my partner from the start and is also ECD at Dentsu Creative. I’ve learned so much from her about how to manage teams. Together, I think we form a great tandem, and we pass on that sense of camaraderie to the rest of our creatives.
In the end, leadership is more about listening than commanding. And, of course, that’s the challenge – knowing how to listen, having empathy, guiding towards a successful outcome that makes both client and agency happy, but without forgetting to have fun while you’re doing it.
LBB> When do you feel most motivated in your role?
Cova> I really enjoy it when someone with little experience comes up with a brilliant idea. Suddenly, there’s this magic spark. Sometimes they’re not even aware of what they have in their hands, and being the person who gets to say “this is amazing” is a real gift.
Another thing I love about my job is pitching ideas. That moment when you have to make the client fall in love with a strategy or a project feels almost like being on the stage. I love crafting the whole narrative, becoming a storyteller. It’s the cherry on top of the work done by so many people, and therefore a big responsibility, but at the same time, it’s so much fun.
LBB> How do you personally define resilience in the creative industry – and how have you cultivated it in your own career?
Cova> When you work in the creative industry, you put a big part of yourself into everything you do. It’s not a normal job. I think that’s the hardest thing to understand when you’re starting out: that you can’t take every bit of feedback as a personal attack. You have to learn to keep things in perspective and pick your battles, or it can become very tough.
On the other hand, there’s also the fact that you can never fall behind. Media and audiences evolve at breakneck speed, and you have to stay up to date. That’s why it’s so important to surround yourself with a team you trust, a team you can learn from; everyone from the most junior to the creative director has something valuable to contribute.
Ultimately, it all comes down to the same thing: to cultivate resilience in my career, I’ve surrounded myself with wonderful people who’ve helped me grow without losing my sense of direction or enthusiasm.
LBB> What’s unique about the European creative landscape right now, and how does that influence your leadership style or creative decisions?
Cova> Last year, I had the privilege of being part of the Eurobest jury and meeting creatives from countries as diverse as Iceland, Croatia, Germany, and Sweden. And despite what you might think, we all shared a very similar point of view.
I believe that in Europe, we strive to build brands – through both strategy and craft – to create cultural impact. And that’s something I always keep in mind when making decisions: How does this affect the client and their environment?
A great example of this is what LePub Milan has been doing with Heineken for several years. Their ‘Starring Bars’ campaign is proof of how a creative idea can be good not just for the brand but for everything around it – businesses, people, society. That’s the kind of work I’d like to do with Dentsu Creative, and it’s where we’re currently putting our focus.
LBB> You’re a member of Más Mujeres Creativas, a Spanish non-profit organisation promoting female visibility in advertising. How gender equal would you say the Spanish advertising scene is currently at the leadership level? How has that changed across your time in the industry?
Cova> I started out in advertising in 2008. Back then, creative departments in Spain were overwhelmingly male. When a woman joined an agency, it was generally assumed she was an account executive.
In 2011, only 14% of creative director positions were held by women. There were so few role models that it seemed almost impossible to get in. But things have changed. Little by little, women have been conquering those spaces from the ground up.
By 2021, the percentage of female copywriters and art directors had nearly reached 50%. However, leadership positions still reflected past inequality: that 14% of female creative directors only rose to 22%.
According to data from Más Mujeres Creativas, this is the main issue we face: while the base is already balanced, we still need to reach the top positions. It’s not a talent problem – it’s an equality problem.
LBB> You also mentor with the organisation – what impact has mentorship had on your career, and what kind of a mentor do you strive to be for others?
Cova> I always say my first mentor was Silvia Comesaña. She was a senior copywriter at Leo Burnett when I joined as an intern. Without even knowing it, she taught me that sometimes you have to raise your voice to be heard. And that women don’t need to be ‘sweeter’ than men for our ideas to make the cut. We’re professionals and we are competitive, and our performance has nothing to do with our gender.
In my case, I’d like to be an example that says “yes, it’s possible”. It’s possible to have a career in creativity as a woman, to have a life without having to sacrifice your ambition, to go far without being part of the boys’ club.
LBB> What are you most proud of in your career so far?
Cova> I could talk about award-winning work or big clients because, let’s be honest, everyone in this business has a bit of an ego.
I could also talk about how proud I am of having reached where I am now holding a position of responsibility in a company like Dentsu, and earning the trust of clients and colleagues.
But without a doubt, what makes me most proud is seeing creatives I’ve had the privilege to lead at some point in their careers grow. Meeting someone early in their career and seeing them go far, winning awards or becoming creative directors. Seeing a project I wish I’d signed and finding an old junior’s name in the credits always puts a smile on my face.
LBB> What’s inspiring you right now, whether inside or outside of advertising?
Cova> Every day, there are two people who inspire me more than anyone else in the world. The most creative and unpredictable pair I know and, hands down, the ones who have the biggest impact on my life: my children, Max and Greta.
