Knowledge base
Notable people
Creatives, authors, artists and public figures named in the Agency editions, in alphabetical order.
Ada LovelaceAda Lovelace was an English mathematician of the nineteenth century, known for her notes on Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. The Agency editorial names her three times: as the mother the AI persona PunkGPT claims in Creative.10, as one of the polymaths of Issue.23, and in Issue.25 as the author of what is now considered the first published computer program.
Adam McKayAdam McKay is an American film director and screenwriter, born in 1968, who directed The Big Short (2015). Issue.7 names him once, as the director of that film, in the section 7.6.2 History in Cinema.
Al RiesAl Ries was an American marketing consultant and author, known for the books he wrote with Jack Trout, among them Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind and Marketing Warfare. MetaMarketing.2 names him once, with Trout, as co-author of Marketing Warfare.
Alan WattsAlan Watts was an English writer and speaker known for presenting Buddhism, Taoism and other Eastern traditions to Western audiences. The Agency editorial names him twice: Issue.6 credits him with a quotation about living days by presence and not by productivity, and in Creative.11 the author says Watts taught him the meaning of Nirvana.
AlcibiadesAlcibiades was an Athenian statesman and general of the fifth century BCE, and one of the speakers in Plato's Symposium. Issue.13 names him in its retelling of that dialogue: it lists him as "a statesman and general" and summarizes the speech about love he gives after arriving at the party drunk.
Amanda de AndradeAmanda de Andrade, interviewed in Creative.1 of the Agency editorial, is a voice-over artist and music producer who was a professional classical guitarist until her twenties. She took up voice-over in 2015, at her husband's suggestion, when she needed a way to develop herself from home, and learned audio engineering to pursue the sound she had in mind. The edition counts more than 720 projects delivered. She argues that a brand is heard before it is understood, so it needs a sound identity as well as a visual one.- Amanda VicentiniAmanda Vicentini is the author of a work on the theology of Santo Daime cited in Research.2 of the Agency editorial, an edition published only in Portuguese. The edition names her in the text as its source for the founding of the Santo Daime doctrine through the center created by Mestre Irineu, and lists the work in its references as a master's dissertation in Theology.
- André KochemAndré Kochem is a creative named once in Creative.5 of the Agency editorial, the interview with the industrial designer Pietro Verona. Pietro credits him as a friend who assisted in defining the logo and the name of his own brand. The edition says nothing else about him.
Andy WarholAndy Warhol was an American artist and a leading figure of pop art. The Agency editorial names him once, in Creative.10, the interview with the AI persona PunkGPT: he closes a list of six artists the persona cites when it asks how artists found the means to study and practise.- Antônio CostaAntônio Costa is a figure in the origin story of Santo Daime as told in Research.2 of the Agency editorial, an edition published only in Portuguese. The edition presents him as a countryman of Raimundo Irineu Serra who had migrated to Acre during the rubber cycle, and as the person who introduced Irineu to the Peruvian rubber tappers through whom he first met Ayahuasca.
ArchimedesArchimedes was an ancient Greek mathematician and inventor from Syracuse, in Sicily, who lived in the third century BCE. Issue.27, the edition about the Roman Empire, names him only inside the name of a device: it says Archimedes' screws drained water from mines and lifted it into fields.
AviciiAvicii was the stage name of Tim Bergling, a Swedish DJ and music producer known for songs such as Levels and Wake Me Up. Issue.3 names him only as the credit of a music recommendation box, for the song For A Better Day, in the section Chords.
Ayrton SennaAyrton Senna was a Brazilian racing driver, three times Formula 1 world champion, in 1988, 1990 and 1991. Issue.15 names him once, in the author's prose, in a sentence about the human factor in creative work: "Need an Ayrton Senna to represent you in a race? Well, Agency got plenty."
Baltasar GraciánBaltasar Gracián was a Spanish Jesuit writer of the 17th century, author of The Art of Worldly Wisdom, a collection of maxims. Writing.1 quotes him once, in a quotation box under the heading "1.9.2 In the mind of Gracian", with a passage about valuing quality over quantity.
Barack ObamaBarack Obama is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States, from 2009 to 2017. The Agency editorial names him once, in the Portuguese edition Edição.0, as the producer of the 2023 film Leave the World Behind, which the edition uses to talk about understanding patterns.- BjörkBjörk is an Icelandic singer, songwriter and composer. In Creative.1, Amanda de Andrade, interviewed about her voice-over work, lists Björk among the many clients she has to leave out when she names the ones she is allowed to mention.
Brad PittBrad Pitt is an American actor and film producer, born in 1963. Issue.7 names him once, last in a list of four actors of The Big Short, in the section 7.6.2 History in Cinema.
Brendan FraserBrendan Fraser is an American-Canadian actor who plays the lead role in the film The Whale (2022). Issue.0 names him once, in the author's prose, in the passage that recommends that film: it is "Timelessly performed by Brendan Fraser".
Brett MartinBrett Martin is an American journalist and the author of the book Difficult Men, about the television dramas of the turn of the century. Issue.16 names him once, in the author's prose, as the writer of that book, under an image of its cover.
C. S. LewisC. S. Lewis was a British writer and scholar, author of The Chronicles of Narnia. Issue.6 names him once, in the caption of an image in the section on liquid modernity: "Three other wise men who you may see smoking a pipe one day", together with J. R. R. Tolkien and C. G. Jung.
Carl JungCarl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist and the founder of analytical psychology, known for the archetypes, the collective unconscious and synchronicity. Five editions of the Agency editorial name him: in an image caption, in a remark about a coincidence in a photograph, and in three quotation boxes on one-sidedness, on anima and animus, and on inner conflict.
Carl SaganCarl Sagan was an American astronomer and science communicator, the presenter of the series Cosmos and the author of The Demon-Haunted World. The Agency editorial names him in two editions: Issue.7 opens its look at the past with a quotation credited to him, and Issue.25 takes him as the example of someone who views existence through a cosmology grounded in science.- Carolina JustusCarolina Justus, interviewed in Creative.2 of the Agency editorial, is a designer with experience in sales who comes from Paraguay and speaks three languages. She describes herself as an idealist and a dreamer who expects the best of people. At 24 she was living in Barcelona for her Master of Arts, and developing her family's brands was the first time she considered an independent career. Her process starts by putting herself in the audience's shoes, and for her knowing that audience matters most in a design.
- Catarina CamposCatarina Campos is the football referee named in Issue.17 of the Agency editorial, the edition about sportsmanship. The edition shows her brandishing a white card during a Portuguese women's cup match between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica, in January 2023, and uses the scene as an example of fair play.
Charles BabbageCharles Babbage was an English mathematician and inventor of the nineteenth century, known for designing two calculating machines, the Difference Engine and the Analytical Engine. Issue.25 names him once, in the author's prose: he referenced the punched card system of the Jacquard loom in the design of his Analytical Engine.
Charles DarwinCharles Darwin was the English naturalist who formulated the theory of evolution by natural selection, set out in On the Origin of Species. In the Agency editorial he appears in Issue.26 as Mr. Darwin, the one the author says taught him documented field research.
Chester BenningtonChester Bennington (1976-2017) was an American singer, lead vocalist of the band Linkin Park. Issue.14, the edition about music, gives him its passage on Linkin Park: the author calls him a messiah, quotes a report of his death from The New Yorker and argues that the fans' rejection of the album One More Light came before it.
Chris CornellChris Cornell was an American rock singer known as the lead vocalist of Soundgarden and Audioslave. In Creative.7, Pedro Sampaio names him first among his strongest memories of the bands he has seen play live.- Christian BaleChristian Bale is a British actor, born in 1974. Issue.7 names him once, in a list of four actors of The Big Short, in the section 7.6.2 History in Cinema.
Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus was a Genoese navigator who crossed the Atlantic in 1492 in the service of the Spanish Crown. Issue.4 cites him once, in the author's prose about why leaders inspire, as an example of the willpower to push toward unexplored horizons.
Christopher NolanChristopher Nolan is a British and American film director, known for films such as Inception, Interstellar and Oppenheimer. The Agency editorial names him once, as C. Nolan, in Creative.11: he is one of five directors Thiago Patriota lists when asked where his ideas come from.
Chuck PalahniukChuck Palahniuk is an American novelist, known for Fight Club, published in 1996 and made into a film in 1999. Issue.25 names him once, in the credit of a quotation block: "The things you own, end up owning you." The author introduces the line by saying that Tyler Durden said it first.
CiceroMarcus Tullius Cicero (106 to 43 BCE) was a Roman statesman, orator and writer. Issue.10 names him once, as the credit of a sentence about books in the caption of the image of the section 10.6.1 In the Lenses of Thi.
Claude MonetClaude Monet was a French painter and one of the founders of Impressionism. The Agency editorial names him once, by surname, in Creative.10, the interview with the AI persona PunkGPT: he is in a list of six artists the persona cites when it asks how artists found the means to study and practise.
Darren AronofskyDarren Aronofsky is an American film director, known for Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan and The Whale. Issue.0 names him once, in the author's prose, as the director of The Whale (2022), and adds in brackets: "One of the boldest movie directors of our era".
David ChaseDavid Chase is an American television writer and producer, known as the creator of the series The Sopranos, first shown on HBO in 1999. Issue.16 names him once, in the author's prose, in the section about Tony Soprano, as the creator of the character and of the show.
David FincherDavid Fincher is an American film director, known for films such as Seven, Fight Club and The Social Network. The Agency editorial names him once, as D. Fincher, in Creative.11: he is the first of five directors Thiago Patriota lists when asked where his ideas come from.
David HumeDavid Hume was a Scottish philosopher, historian and economist, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in Western philosophy. In Writing.2, the article quotes a passage from An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding to illustrate aphoristic philosophical writing and references his Guillotine and famous beauty quote.
Denis VilleneuveDenis Villeneuve is a Canadian film director, known for films such as Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and Dune. The Agency editorial names him once, as D. Villeneuve, in Creative.11: he is the last of five directors Thiago Patriota lists when asked where his ideas come from.
DiocletianDiocletian was a Roman emperor who ruled from 284 to 305 and reorganised the administration and the taxes of the empire. Issue.27, the edition about the Roman Empire, names him once, in the part about state finances, as the point from which part of the land tax was collected in kind.
Diotima of MantineaDiotima of Mantinea is a figure of Plato's Symposium, the woman from whom Socrates says he learned about love. Issue.13 attributes to her a sentence at its opening, lists her among the characters of the dialogue as "a prophetess" and summarizes her teaching, which it places at the most inspiring pages of the book.
Don NormanDon Norman is the author who popularized the term User Experience through his book The Design of Everyday Things. In Design.2, the article credits him as the true author behind the concept and cites his teaching on the importance of considering the holistic experience of users when designing products.
Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American writer and poet of the nineteenth century, known for the poem The Raven and for his tales of mystery and the macabre. Issue.2 names him once, in the author's prose, as one of the subjects people discuss in Reddit communities.- Edie FalcoEdie Falco is an American actress, known for playing Carmela Soprano in the series The Sopranos. Issue.16 names her once, in the credit of a quotation: it is the first of five tributes from the cast that the edition uses to introduce James Gandolfini.
Edmund LeightonEdmund Leighton (1852-1922) was an English painter known for medieval and historical scenes. Issue.13 names him once, in the caption of an image: the painting "The End of the Song" (1902), which the caption says "depicts the legendary medieval romance of Tristan and Isolde".- Edward TylorEdward Tylor was an English anthropologist who developed the currently accepted definition of animism in 1871. In Archetype.1, he is named as the scholar who formalized one of anthropology's earliest concepts, if not the first.
- Enrique BragaEnrique Braga is named in Creative.3 of the Agency editorial, the interview of Higor Gomes. Higor calls him his current partner, friend and artist, and says the two planned the LessLoko brand together. The portfolio of the edition lists him at Dogma Studio under Post Production and Motion Design. He is not interviewed, and the edition says nothing else about him.
Eric RiesEric Ries is an American entrepreneur and author, known for the book The Lean Startup (2011). Issue.0 names him once, in a list of five authors the reader is asked to forget because, the edition argues, marketing as we know it is gone.
Ernest HemingwayErnest Hemingway is the writer to whom the Agency editorial attributes the Iceberg Theory, also called the theory of omission. Writing.1 calls him iconic and takes his theory as the starting point of its own proposal, the Titanic Theory.
Ernie BanksErnie Banks was an American baseball player who spent his major league career with the Chicago Cubs. Issue.17, the edition about sportsmanship, names him once, in the credit of a quotation: "The only way to prove that you're a good sport is to lose."- Fabio GonzalesFabio Gonzales is named in Creative.3 of the Agency editorial, the interview of Higor Gomes. Higor calls him his friend, producer and current partner, and says his arrival made the recordings of the channel more professional. The portfolio of the edition lists him at Dogma Studio under Production and Graphic Design. He is not interviewed, and the edition says nothing else about him.
Fabricio TeixeiraFabricio Teixeira is a Brazilian designer and writer associated with the blog UX Collective. In Design.2, he is cited as one of the very few authors who were talking about UX design when the author took up the subject, in the same passage as Don Norman.
Frank HerbertFrank Herbert was an American science fiction writer, author of the novel Dune (1965). Issue.5 names him three times in its passage about Dune: in the heading, in the sentence that presents the novel and as the credit of a line about the spice. The edition uses the story to explain novelty and commodity.
Frank SinatraFrank Sinatra was an American singer and actor, one of the best known popular singers of the twentieth century. The Agency editorial names him twice, both times through one song: Issue.3 lists his recording of My Way in its music recommendations, and in a short tale in Issue.14 a soldier hears a song in the middle of a battle until the vocals of Frank Sinatra fade.
Frans HalsFrans Hals was a Dutch painter of the 17th century, a portraitist who worked in Haarlem. Research.1, an edition published only in Portuguese, names him once, in the credit of an image: the portrait of René Descartes that the edition shows is attributed to Frans Hals or his school.
Franz Joseph HaydnFranz Joseph Haydn (1732 to 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. Issue.10 names him once, with Mozart and Beethoven, in a list of what the Enlightenment produced: under the item Art, the rise of classical music.
Friedrich NietzscheFriedrich Nietzsche is the German philosopher the Agency editorial names, beside David Hume, as an author of profound philosophical investigations that are still very relevant for society. Writing.2 mentions him in its section on aphoristic writing.
Gabriele LodisGabriele Lodis, called Gabi and interviewed in Creative.4 of the Agency editorial, is a UX/UI designer and musician who discovered design when her father showed her Photoshop. She says the turning point in studying on her own was having a clear goal, and she landed her first UX/UI job in less than four months. For her, UX design means understanding human behavior and breaks down the barrier between designer and user. She also sings, and a drawing of hers is the cover of a lo-fi single with over 280,000 plays.
Galileo GalileiGalileo Galilei (1564 to 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and mathematician. Issue.10 names him once, with Isaac Newton, in a list of what the Enlightenment produced: under the item Scientific progress.
Gary VaynerchukGary Vaynerchuk is a Belarusian-born American entrepreneur and author, co-founder of the agency VaynerMedia. Issue.0 names him once, at the end of a list of five marketing authors the reader is asked to forget.- Guilherme VissottoGuilherme Vissotto is named once in the Agency editorial, in Creative.3, the interview of Higor Gomes. Asked about a dream project, Higor cites him as one of the professionals he admires a lot in the identity market. The edition gives no other information about him: it is a single mention, made by the interviewee.
H.R. GigerH.R. Giger was a Swiss surrealist artist who created the design of the Xenomorph creature for the 1979 film Alien. In Creative.3, interviewee Higor Gomes names him as one of his main references in surrealist art with organic imagery.
Harrison FordHarrison Ford is an American actor, born in 1942, known for playing Han Solo in Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Issue.9 names him once, in the section 9.3.4 Cinema, to introduce his character Rick Deckard in Blade Runner.
Haruki MurakamiHaruki Murakami is a Japanese novelist known for surrealist fiction that blends everyday life with dreamlike elements. In Creative.6, Suelen Viana names him among her top three favourite authors, singles out the novel 1Q84, and calls him incredible.- Hayao MiyazakiHayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker and co-founder of Studio Ghibli. In Archetype.0, the author tells of watching The Boy and the Heron, which he calls the last movie from Studio Ghibli, and remarks that before watching it he had no idea that the Phoenix archetype had its origin in the Egyptian Bennu, which looked very like a heron.
Henry JenkinsHenry Jenkins is an American media scholar, born in 1958, and the author of Convergence Culture. Issue.9 names him once, in the section 9.3.5 TV, as the person who first coined the term transmedia storytelling.
Hideo KojimaHideo Kojima is a Japanese video game designer and director, known for the Metal Gear series and for Death Stranding. Issue.23 names him twice in one paragraph of the author's prose about the term Homo Ludens: the author first saw it in a game by Kojima, and the paragraph ends with Kojima's description of the Homo Ludens.
Higor FernandezHigor Fernandez, known as Less and interviewed in Creative.3 of the Agency editorial, is a designer and streamer who reached 192,000 followers on Twitch in two years. He says the key was making clear that Less was a person, not just a brand, in sincere and human conversation. Worn out by the race for shorter videos, he started Dogma Studio with two partners. He says his true passion is developing ideas, from brainstorming to seeing them take shape, and that Dogma aims at work considered indisputably good.
HomerHomer is the ancient Greek poet to whom the Iliad and the Odyssey are attributed. Issue.27, the edition about the Roman Empire, names him once, in the passage on Roman schooling, as one of the authors that wealthier boys memorised with a grammar teacher.- Igor UtzigIgor Utzig is named in Creative.4 of the Agency editorial, the interview of Gabriele Lodis, as the artist of the lo-fi single Smelling the Roses. Gabriele drew the cover of the single, and the edition embeds the track with the credit middt, Igor Utzig. He is not interviewed, and the edition gives the name only in that title and in that credit.
Immanuel KantImmanuel Kant was a German philosopher of the eighteenth century, author of the Critique of Pure Reason and of the categorical imperative. Issue.1 names him once, by surname only, when the author presents a universal maxim and says that in philosophy, specifically in Kant, it is called the categorical imperative.
Isaac AsimovIsaac Asimov was an American science fiction author and biochemist. In Creative.5, Pietro Verona recommends his book I, Robot after saying he has staunch philosophical critiques about the future, generations and technology.
Isaac NewtonIsaac Newton was an English physicist and mathematician, known for the laws of motion and universal gravitation published in the Principia (1687). Issue.10 names him once, in the author's prose, in the section on the Enlightenment, in a list item headed "Scientific progress".- Israel Kamakawiwo'oleIsrael Kamakawiwo'ole was a Hawaiian singer and ukulele player, known for his medley of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and What a Wonderful World. The Agency editorial names him in Creative.11, where Thiago Patriota picks that recording as the single piece of music he would probably choose.
J. R. R. TolkienJ. R. R. Tolkien was an English writer and philologist, the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The Agency editorial names him twice, both in passing: in an image caption in Issue.6, beside C. S. Lewis and C. G. Jung, and in Issue.14, where the mythology of The Lord of the Rings is given as one of the inspirations for the lyrics of Stairway to Heaven.
Jack TroutJack Trout was an American marketing consultant and author, known for the books he wrote with Al Ries, among them Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind and Marketing Warfare. MetaMarketing.2 names him once, with Ries, as co-author of Marketing Warfare.
Jacques DerridaJacques Derrida was a French philosopher born in Algeria, associated with deconstruction. Issue.26, the edition about the Greek concept of pharmakon, names him once, in the author's prose, as the writer of the essay Plato's Pharmacy, where he connects pharmakon to a related word, pharmakos.
Jacques-Louis DavidJacques-Louis David was a French painter, the leading name of Neoclassicism, who painted The Death of Socrates in 1787. The Agency editorial names him twice and only for that painting: Issue.10 reproduces it with a caption about the values of the Enlightenment, and Issue.26 recalls it to say that heroes are immortalized by artists.
James GandolfiniJames Gandolfini was an American actor, best known for playing Tony Soprano in the HBO series The Sopranos. In the Agency editorial he gives Issue.16 its name: the author says the real goal of that issue is to praise him. Issue.14 mentions him once, in a parenthesis, next to the death of Chester Bennington.
Jamie-Lynn SiglerJamie-Lynn Sigler is an American actress, known for playing Meadow Soprano in the series The Sopranos. Issue.16 names her once, in the credit of a quotation: it is the last of five tributes from the cast that the edition uses to introduce James Gandolfini.
Jean-François LyotardJean-François Lyotard was a French philosopher, known for the book The Postmodern Condition. MetaMarketing.1 names him once, in the paragraph that defines metamodernism, where the edition calls Post Modernism "a term coined by Jean-François Lyotard in 1980".
Jimmy PageJimmy Page is an English musician, born in 1944, the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Issue.14 names him once, in the author's prose, in the passage on Led Zeppelin: he is the band's guitarist, who had composed the riff for which Robert Plant wrote the lyrics of Stairway to Heaven.
Joe BidenJoe Biden is an American politician, born in 1942, who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. Issue.7 does not name him in person: it mentions the Biden administration once, in its account of the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
Johan HuizingaJohan Huizinga was a Dutch historian, known for the books The Autumn of the Middle Ages and Homo Ludens. Issue.23 names him once, in the author's prose, as the writer of the 1938 book Homo Ludens, and sums up the book's thesis that play is a fundamental aspect of human culture.
Johannes GutenbergJohannes Gutenberg was a German craftsman and inventor of the fifteenth century, known for introducing printing with movable type to Europe. In the Agency editorial, Issue.2 names him in an image caption and in its reflection on characters and impressions, and Issue.8 uses his name in a short joke about who invents words.
John ThornhillJohn Thornhill is a journalist whom Issue.7 identifies as the Innovation Editor of the Financial Times. The edition cites him once, in a block credited to the Financial Times about the rescue of the depositors of Silicon Valley Bank.
Jon HammJon Hamm is an American actor, best known for playing Don Draper in the television series Mad Men. The Agency editorial names him once, in Creative.11, where Thiago Patriota says the series and Jon Hamm's character inspired him shortly before he chose to study advertising.
Joseph CampbellJoseph Campbell was an American writer and scholar of comparative mythology, known for the book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). Issue.16 names him once, in the author's prose, as the source of its definition of a hero, in the passage that leads to the anti-hero.
Jostein GaarderJostein Gaarder is a Norwegian writer, author of Sophie's World, a novel about the history of philosophy. The Agency editorial names him once, in Creative.11, where Thiago Patriota lists Sophie's World among three books he keeps close to his bed.
Karim RashidKarim Rashid is an industrial designer of furniture, products and interiors. In Creative.5, Pietro Verona names him twice: creating products for Rashid's brand would be his dream job, and Rashid is one of his artistic references.
Keith RomanowskiKeith Romanowski, a product photographer interviewed in Creative.8 of the Agency editorial as its first American creative, says he was always drawing as a child and that art is how he understands the world. He likes product photography because every shot starts from a blank canvas, and creating something from nothing is his ultimate reward. The creative process is also spiritual for him, so he only takes on work he is passionate about. He uses AI as a visual storytelling element to reinforce his photography.
Ken GriffinKen Griffin is an American investor, born in 1968, who founded the hedge fund Citadel. Issue.7 cites him once, in a block credited to the Financial Times about the rescue of the depositors of Silicon Valley Bank.
Lao TzuLao Tzu is the ancient Chinese figure traditionally credited with writing the Tao Te Ching, a foundational text of Taoism. In Creative.2, interviewee Carolina Justus names him as the first of two thinkers who help her come back to herself, and says he makes her see the world more lightly.
Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da Vinci was an Italian artist, engineer and scientist of the Renaissance, the painter of the Mona Lisa. The Agency editorial names him in three editions: Issue.12 uses the Mona Lisa to practise abstraction, the AI persona PunkGPT lists him among great artists in Creative.10, and Issue.23 names him first among the polymaths behind the idea of Homo Universalis.
Lewis CarrollLewis Carroll (1832-1898) is the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the English author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Issue.14 names him once, in the author's prose, in the passage on the band Oasis, where a line of a lyric is said to be a possible reference to the second book.
Liam GallagherLiam Gallagher is an English singer, born in 1972, the lead singer of the rock band Oasis and the brother of Noel Gallagher. Issue.14 names him once, in the author's prose, in the passage on Oasis: the two brothers are "a perfect representation of what happens when two opposites are able to collaborate".
Lorraine BraccoLorraine Bracco is an American actress, known for playing Dr. Jennifer Melfi in the series The Sopranos and Karen Hill in the film Goodfellas. Issue.16 names her once, in the credit of a quotation: the third of five tributes from the cast that the edition uses to introduce James Gandolfini.
Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist, author of nine symphonies. Issue.10 names him once, in the author's prose, in the section on the Enlightenment, in a list item headed "Art", next to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn.- LunnaLunna, a tattoo artist and designer interviewed in Creative.9 of the Agency editorial, sees tattooing as a ritual and a way to connect with people. She began with photography at 15, moved into graphic design and graduated in Social Communication and Digital Media. She says technique can be studied but creativity comes only from living, and sees branding as the essence that makes people connect. Her name, from the Latin for moon, symbolizes rebirth: the choice to live her truth as the protagonist of her life.
Marcus AureliusMarcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor of the second century and a Stoic philosopher, known for the book called Meditations. In the Agency editorial, Issue.7 names him among the emperors who spent time in Athens for intellectual pursuits, and Issue.10 credits him with a quotation placed at the end of a section.
Martin ScorseseMartin Scorsese is an American film director, known for films such as Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and The Departed. The Agency editorial names him once, as M. Scorsese, in Creative.11: he is one of five directors Thiago Patriota lists when asked where his ideas come from.
Michael ImperioliMichael Imperioli is an American actor, known for playing Christopher Moltisanti in the series The Sopranos. Issue.16 names him once, in the credit of a quotation: the second of five tributes from the cast that the edition uses to introduce James Gandolfini.
MichelangeloMichelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter and architect of the Renaissance. The Agency editorial names him once, in Creative.10, the interview with the AI persona PunkGPT: he is in a list of six artists the persona cites when it asks how artists found the means to study and practise.
Mike ShinodaMike Shinoda is an American musician, born in 1977, a co-founder, vocalist and songwriter of the band Linkin Park. Issue.14 names him once, in the author's prose, in the passage on Linkin Park and Chester Bennington: the two wrote "some of the most listened music in human history".
Neal ShustermanNeal Shusterman is an American author known for young adult science fiction and speculative novels. In Creative.6, Suelen Viana names him alongside Stephen King and Haruki Murakami as one of her top three favourite authors in recent years.
NeroNero was a Roman emperor of the first century, the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. In the Agency editorial he is named twice, each time in one sentence: Issue.7 says that even he held Athens in high regard, and Issue.27 gives him as an example of an incompetent heir when the throne passed by blood.
Noel GallagherNoel Gallagher is an English musician, born in 1967, the guitarist and main songwriter of the rock band Oasis and the brother of Liam Gallagher. Issue.14 names him once, in the author's prose, in the passage on Oasis: the two brothers are "a perfect representation of what happens when two opposites are able to collaborate".
Pablo PicassoPablo Picasso was a Spanish painter and sculptor, one of the founders of Cubism. In the Agency editorial he is above all the character of a short story: Issue.3 tells the story of Picasso's napkin to speak about the price of aesthetics, Issue.4 recalls it when discussing heroes, and the AI persona PunkGPT lists him among great artists in Creative.10.
Packy McCormickPacky McCormick is an American writer, the author of Not Boring, a newsletter about business and technology published on Substack. Issue.14 names him once, in the author's prose, as the place where a set of graphs about news headlines was first seen: the Not Boring issue called Weekly Dose of Optimism #40.
ParacelsusParacelsus was a Swiss physician and alchemist of the sixteenth century, known for the maxim that the dose makes the poison. Issue.26, the edition about pharmakon, presents him by his full name, Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, and says that one of the founding ideas of modern pharmacology came from him.
Pedro SampaioPedro Sampaio, a product designer interviewed in Creative.7 of the Agency editorial, says he liked logos since he was little and even drew the logos of imaginary brands. A designer for 11 years, he describes product design as much more than interface skills: you have to know your user, your data, your team and your constraints, own your decisions and know how to communicate all of it. Outside work he collects music: a little over 300 albums, and he counts 58 bands seen live.
PericlesPericles was an Athenian statesman and general of the 5th century BCE, who led Athens in the period often called its Golden Age. Issue.7 opens its trip to Ancient Athens with him speaking in the Agora and says the city reached its Golden Age under his leadership.- PhaedrusPhaedrus was an Athenian of the circle of Socrates, remembered because Plato made him a speaker in the Symposium and named another dialogue after him. The Agency editorial uses the name in both senses: in Issue.13 he is the person, a speaker at the dinner on love, and in Issue.26 Phaedrus is the title of the dialogue.
Philip K. DickPhilip K. Dick (1928 to 1982) was an American science fiction writer. Issue.9 names him once, in the section 9.3.4 Cinema, as the writer of the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the original story of the film Blade Runner.
Philip KotlerPhilip Kotler is an American marketing author and professor, known for the textbook Marketing Management. Issue.0 names him once, first in a list of five marketing authors the reader is asked to forget because, the edition argues, marketing as we know it is gone.- Pietro VeronaPietro Verona, an industrial designer interviewed in Creative.5 of the Agency editorial, says he never quite accepted things as they were presented to him. He argues for original creation instead of copying references and sees design as close to life. In his studio UOB he is launching Sassy, a collection of joyful, colorful objects that evoke childhood and that he calls a protest against the neutral colors of industrial design. His references run from the 1950s to the 1980s, from retro-futuristic cars to disco.
PlatoPlato was a philosopher of ancient Athens, a student of Socrates and the author of dialogues such as the Republic and the Symposium. The Agency editorial returns to him in six editions: for the world of ideas, for the Symposium and its speeches on love, for the Republic, and in Issue.26 for the paradox of a writer who condemned writing.
Quentin MatsysQuentin Matsys was a Flemish painter who worked in Antwerp in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Issue.26 names him once, in the credit of an image: the portrait of Paracelsus shown in the edition is described as a portrait after Quentin Matsys.
Raimundo Irineu SerraRaimundo Irineu Serra, known as Mestre Irineu, was the Brazilian religious leader who founded the Santo Daime, a religion born in Acre that uses ayahuasca as its sacrament. Research.2, an edition about ayahuasca published only in Portuguese, presents him as the founder of the doctrine and tells the story of his initiation in the forest.
RembrandtRembrandt was a Dutch painter and printmaker of the seventeenth century. The Agency editorial names him once, in Creative.10, the interview with the AI persona PunkGPT: he is in a list of six artists the persona cites when it asks how artists found the means to study and practise.
René DescartesRené Descartes was a French philosopher and mathematician of the 17th century, author of the Discourse on the Method and of the principle "I think, therefore I am". Research.1, an edition published only in Portuguese, takes that principle as its starting point and proposes permeability, the capacity to be affected, as a layer that comes before it.- Richard ColeRichard Cole was the tour manager of the rock band Led Zeppelin and the author of the memoir Stairway to Heaven: Led Zeppelin Uncensored. Issue.14 names him once, in the author's prose, as the author of that book, which it gives as the source of what Robert Plant said about writing the lyrics of Stairway to Heaven.
Rick AstleyRick Astley is an English singer, known for the 1987 song Never Gonna Give You Up and for the Rickroll, the internet prank that sends people to its video. Issue.14, the edition about music, presents him as its first musician, under a heading with his name, and recommends two of his songs.
Ridley ScottRidley Scott is a British film director, known for films such as Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator. The Agency editorial names him once, as R. Scott, in Creative.11: he is one of five directors Thiago Patriota lists when asked where his ideas come from.
Robert PlantRobert Plant is an English singer and songwriter, known as the lead singer of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Issue.14, the edition about music, names him in its section on Led Zeppelin as the author of the lyrics of Stairway to Heaven and comments on the song's final verse.
Ruy BarbosaRuy Barbosa was a Brazilian jurist, politician, diplomat and writer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Issue.23 names him once, as Ruy Barbosa de Oliveira, in a list of four polymaths the author says he was studying when he discovered the Homo Universalis.
Ryan GoslingRyan Gosling is a Canadian actor, born in 1980. Issue.7 names him once, in a list of four actors of The Big Short, in the section 7.6.2 History in Cinema.
Ryan HolidayRyan Holiday is an American author, known for books on marketing and on Stoic philosophy such as The Obstacle Is the Way. Issue.0 names him once, in a list of five marketing authors the reader is asked to forget because, the edition argues, marketing as we know it is gone.
Sam EsmailSam Esmail is an American screenwriter and director, creator of the series Mr. Robot and director of the film Leave the World Behind (2023). He is named only in the Portuguese version of Issue.0 (Edição.0), which credits him as the director of that film.
Sebastião Mota de MeloSebastião Mota de Melo, known as Padrinho Sebastião, was a Brazilian religious leader of the Santo Daime. Research.2, an edition about ayahuasca published only in Portuguese, names him in one paragraph and one photograph caption: after the death of Mestre Irineu in 1971 he carried the teachings forward and founded the centre known as CEFLURIS.
SenecaSeneca was a Roman Stoic philosopher and writer of the first century, known for his moral essays and letters on ethics and practical wisdom. In Creative.2, interviewee Carolina Justus names him, after Lao Tzu, as the second of two thinkers who help her come back to herself, and says he keeps her highly motivated and wanting to learn more.
Seth GodinSeth Godin is an American author and entrepreneur, known for marketing books such as Permission Marketing and Purple Cow. Issue.0 names him once, in a list of five marketing authors the reader is asked to forget because, the edition argues, marketing as we know it is gone.
Siddharth KaraSiddharth Kara is an author and researcher on modern slavery, who wrote Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives. Issue.24, the edition about cobalt mining, presents excerpts from that book with the author's comments and credits Kara for a video, a tweet and a picture.
SocratesSocrates was a philosopher of Athens in the fifth century BCE who left no writings and is known through his students, above all Plato. The Agency editorial names him in five editions: as the leading thinker of the Athens of Pericles, as the hero of Jacques-Louis David's painting, as a speaker in the Symposium and, in Issue.26, as the man who chose to speak and not to write.- Soranus of EphesusSoranus of Ephesus was a Greek physician who worked in Rome around the turn of the second century and wrote a treatise on gynaecology. Issue.27, the edition about the Roman Empire, names him once, as "the doctor Soranus", in the passage on childbirth and midwives.
Stanley KubrickStanley Kubrick was an American film director, known for films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining. Issue.23 names him once, in the author's prose: after defending leisure at home, the author writes that Stanley Kubrick said it first in the script of The Shining, and quotes the line typed by Jack Torrance.
Stephen KingStephen King is an American author known for horror and supernatural fiction. In Creative.6, Suelen Viana names him as her favourite author, singles out Pet Sematary and IT, and places him in her top three authors of recent years.
Steve CarellSteve Carell is an American actor and comedian, known for the role of Michael Scott in the series The Office. In the Agency editorial, Issue.4 names him in a joke at its opening and then calls him one of the author's heroes, and Issue.7 lists him in the cast of the film The Big Short.
Steve JobsSteve Jobs was an American businessman, co-founder of Apple. In the Agency editorial he is the credit of a phrase: Issue.15 quotes "Stay hungry, stay foolish" as something he said first, in a passage about the inner child and creation. Creative.11 mentions him in a joke about a garage, and Issue.23 links back to the phrase with a reference card.
Steven SpielbergSteven Spielberg is an American film director, known for films such as Jaws, E.T. and Schindler's List. The Agency editorial names him once, in Creative.11, where Thiago Patriota, the one interviewed in that edition, says Spielberg was "my first favourite movie director".
Steven Van ZandtSteven Van Zandt is an American musician and actor, guitarist of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, who played Silvio Dante in the series The Sopranos. Issue.16 names him once, in the credit of a quotation: the fourth of five tributes from the cast that the edition uses to introduce James Gandolfini.
Suelen VianaSuelen Viana, interviewed in Creative.6 of the Agency editorial, graduated in architecture, founded her own marketing agency and has a literature podcast. She says everything is communication and that in architecture she learned to bring an idea from her head into the world. She came to design by accident in the pandemic, through an Instagram account about books that grew fast. Owner of more than 290 books, she believes branding starts with understanding what the client wants to say, with empathy and listening.
Thiago PatriotaThiago Patriota is a creative director with executive experience in marketing, and the founder of Agency Brasil. A self-taught designer, advertising scholar, and writer, he sees communication as one of the most important spheres of society and uses it to bring inspiration and innovation to the world.
Thomas AquinasThomas Aquinas was a thirteenth-century Italian Dominican friar, theologian and philosopher, author of the Summa Theologica. Issue.23 names him once, as Saint Thomas Aquinas, in a list of four polymaths the author says he was studying when he discovered the Homo Universalis.
Verner PantonVerner Panton was a Danish designer known for colourful furniture in moulded plastic, such as the Panton Chair. In Creative.5, Pietro Verona names him as one of his artistic references, citing his work from the 1960s and 1970s.
Vilém FlusserVilém Flusser is the thinker the Agency editorial cites for arguing that writing does not have a future. Writing.1 ties his name to the book Does Writing have a Future? and answers him with its own thesis, the Titanic Theory.
VirgilVirgil was a Roman poet of the age of Augustus, author of the Aeneid, the Eclogues and the Georgics. Issue.27, the edition about the Roman Empire, names him once, with the spelling Vergil, as one of the authors that wealthier boys memorised with a grammar teacher.
Virgil ExnerVirgil Exner was an American automotive designer who worked at Chrysler, known for the tailfin styling of its cars in the 1950s. In Creative.5, Pietro Verona names him as one of his artistic references in retro-futuristic design.
Wes AndersonWes Anderson is an American filmmaker known for a visually distinctive style combining symmetry, pastel palettes and deadpan humour. In Creative.2, interviewee Carolina Justus says her life started like a joyful and corky Wes Anderson film on a sunny afternoon.
William GibsonWilliam Gibson is an American-Canadian writer of science fiction, author of the novel Neuromancer. In the Agency editorial, Issue.9 recommends Neuromancer in its literature section as the foundation of the cyberpunk genre, and Issue.25 returns to his Sprawl trilogy to ask how far society is from an addiction to cyberspace.- Wolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was a composer born in Salzburg, author of operas such as Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute. Issue.10 names him once, in the author's prose, in the section on the Enlightenment, in a list item headed "Art", next to Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Joseph Haydn.
Yuval Noah HarariYuval Noah Harari is an Israeli historian, known for the book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Issue.27, the edition about the Roman Empire, names him once, in its opening, where the author says he is not a historian like Harari.
Zygmunt BaumanZygmunt Bauman was a Polish sociologist and philosopher, known for the idea of liquid modernity. In the Agency editorial, Issue.6 presents him as the thinker who identified the problems of society in our era and quotes his book Liquid Times twice, and MetaMarketing.1 quotes the same passage, with a footnote, to describe the liquid reality we live in.