Uncensored CMO Fernando Machado on turning creativity into a competitive advantage
14 snips
Aug 20, 2025 
Fernando Machado, former CMO of Burger King and Activision Blizzard, is celebrated for his daring marketing campaigns. He discusses the genius behind the 'Moldy Whopper' and why surprising campaigns resonate with consumers. Fernando shares insights into driving growth through creativity and the struggle of balancing innovation with caution in business. He also offers advice for startups on bold marketing strategies that can help them scale, emphasizing the importance of a strong company culture and collaborative approaches.
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Real Beauty Sketches' Cultural Impact
- Fernando Machado recounts Dove's Real Beauty Sketches, built from research showing only 4% of women consider themselves beautiful.
- The campaign was a social experiment that created massive cultural conversation and boosted Dove sales despite not being solely sales-driven.
Moldy Whopper Backed By Product Work
- Fernando describes the long product and operational effort behind making Burger King's food less artificial before the Moldy Whopper ad.
- He emphasizes that the ad was crafted to grab attention because the product change alone didn't ensure people would notice.
Whopper Detour Promotion
- Fernando tells the 'Whopper Detour' story: offering a one-cent Whopper when near McDonald's to drive app downloads.
- The stunt used brand banter and placement logic to create massive organic reach at low media cost.