Interview
Colombia
David Romero Álvarez is a 30-year-old Colombian advertising professional boasting 8 years of industry experience. He has garnered international acclaim with accolades from prestigious advertising festivals, underscoring his dedication to crafting innovative and resonant campaigns that engage audiences worldwide.
1 Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your creative background.
Hello, my name is David Romero
2 What made you become/why did you choose to become a creative?
I believe that no one chooses to be creative, it is something we are all born with and later on we improve it for certain specific areas. But something that made me very passionate about being a creative in an advertising agency was the power we have to create things as a team every day.
3 Tell us more about your business/company, job profile, and what you do.
I currently hold the position of Associate Creative Director for Sony Pictures and Codere brands. My job is to increase the creative level of both and take advantage of every opportunity to turn it into world-class work made in Mexico.
4 What does “creativity” mean to you?
For me, creativity is the ability we have to solve problems in an unconventional way.
5 To you, what makes a “creative” idea and/or design?
I think what makes one idea more creative than others is the impact it has on people. Both for the person who sees or hears it, and for the person who lives it.
6 Tell us about your creative and/or design process.
First, I always try to research as much as I can about the brand, person, product or service for which I am going to create the ad. Then I look for references to know what has already been done and what I should not repeat. Then I let my mind cool down and step away from the process for a moment. I just live. After a few days, I return to the project with as much concentration as possible and start brainstorming without being my own judge. At the end I evaluate which of all the creative paths can become the most impactful for both the client and his audience and finally I tell it in the simplest, shortest and most understandable way possible.
7 What's your favorite part of the creative process and why?
My favorite part of the creative process is the thrill of seeing your work on air.
8 Describe your creative style and its main characteristics.
I pay a lot of attention to the small details that hide big ideas.
9 Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your creativity process?
Of course, it is. In Colombia we are very resourceful and from an early age we learn to do a lot with very little.
10 Congratulations! As the winner of the 2023 MUSE Creative Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?
For us it is a great honor, it is the first time we participate in the festival and we feel very privileged to have been part of the winners. It is a very nice achievement that we will remember forever.
11 Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the 2023 MUSE Creative Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?
This was an idea we had for the launch of the Diablo IV video game for the Blizzard Entertainment brand. We chose this idea because we felt it was very impactful to be able to gather all the verses in the story that would teach you how to beat Diablo and turn them into moves to beat Diablo in-game. That's how we got a job that makes us very happy and represents us.
12 What was the biggest challenge with this project?
We had several. At the beginning we had another idea that we had to discard and I think that was the first challenge we had, having to give up something good to do something better. The second one I would say was to find the verses in all the languages that would help us to tell the idea in the best way and I think the last challenge we had was to make the book to the level we wanted it to be and in the end the result is very good and I think for those reasons we were also chosen as winners.
13 How has winning an Award developed your practice/career?
It has helped our professional career a lot. It has helped us find more job opportunities and personally it has given me more confidence to believe that I can know when an idea is a winner or not.
14 What are your top three (3) favorite things about our industry?
Making friends, being able to create something new every day and healthy competitiveness.
15 What makes your country specifically, unique in the creative industry?
We never give up. In Colombia we have always learned to be resilient in many things, so we turn no's into yeses. Always.
16 Where do you see the evolution of creative industry going over the next 5-10 years?
I think the next step is how we will make artificial intelligence and the digital world a sales model, where the consumer will seek to solve both physical and digital needs. Going from buying clothes for you, to finding the best collections for your avatar, making you spend more time in the digital world than in the real world... if we are not in the future now.
17 If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring MUSE Creative Awards submitter, what advice would you give them?
I would recommend that before starting anything, you put together a very good work team. In this industry you don't win anything alone, you will always need someone else to make your ideas come true. The second thing is to always be very humble and never waste any opportunity that life gives you.
18 What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the creative industry?
I would tell them to study a lot, read poetry, watch Cannes cases, sign up for competitions like these to gain experience, go to museums, surround yourself with art and start looking at everything as a resource that could be useful to you at some point.
19 Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
Even when I'm asleep my mind keeps coming up with ideas.
20 Who has inspired you in your life and why?
The person who has inspired me the most in life is my mom, the most creative woman I know in the world. She was so creative that she made magic and with one person's food she fed 3 of us.
21 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
Mamba Mentality
22 Do you have anything else you would like to add to the interview?
Yes. I would like to tell everyone who reads this interview to never give up. The only person who can make or break your dreams is yourself. No one else than you.
Entrant Company
The Pub School
Category
Student Submission - Student Games