Art Director Inspired: Carmelo Rodriguez
Creative Director Carmelo Rodriguez shares with us her daily inspiration.
Creative: Carmelo Rodriguez
Title: Creative Director
Current Agency: BRAVO/ Y&R New York
Current Clients: Coors Light, Campbell’s, Prego, Popclik, WeSaveLives, Techo, American Express, Best Buy, Red’s Apple Ale, and as a side project Estraperlo - an Organic Store/Cooking School I just opened in Sevilla, Spain.
A Little Bit About Carmelo:
Carmelo assumed the role of Creative Director at Bravo / Y&R New York alongside Willy Lomana, his partner in crime (and ideas) for the past eleven years. After a long experience in the US Hispanic and European Markets he arrived at Bravo from The Vidal Partnership, New York where he produced award winning work for Heineken, JCPenney, Sprint, Kraft, Johnnie Walker, NFL, Partnership For a Drug Free America, Wendy’s, Home Depot and Remy Martin.
Question:
What keeps you inspired?
There are the classic ones: a good movie, a great painting, a book, an art installation that I barely understand, nature, the latest technological gadget (there’s a little geek in me) and so on… But the truth is that to create something interesting, to be able to offer unique solutions to a problem or simply an original point of view, the first thing that I always try to do is to forget about advertising and design.
I take a look at the most easy to find, but complex and rich source of inspiration: People.
Urban legends, a classic family tale that you forgot about, a good joke, an insightful conversation over a good bottle of wine and a delicious plate of food. Estraperlo, an organic store/cooking space that I began as a side project away from advertising in Seville, Spain is a great example of an unexpected source or continuous inspiration through something non-related to advertising. Also my friend’s work, especially those who work in totally different fields. There’s something special about cross-disciplinary projects. Also my father, who is a crazy talented painter besides his work as an architect. Again the cross disciplinary. My coworkers. That guy at Starbucks that every morning spells wrongly the name of a friend. Even an argument you overhead in the subway or the latest meme you saw…. Real life at the end! That’s where the most powerful insight and ideas rely, from the most psychedelic ones to the more grounded and reality based ones.
Inspiration to me is a mix between hard work and knowing when to let it breeze. It usually strikes you after many hours immersed in a project; thinking, trying, experimenting and writing tons of shit. But as important as that hard work is, it is also essential for us to stop and look around for a minute, take a step back, and refresh our ideas with the outside world, instead of keeping on in a circle.
Sometimes schedules, corporate environments, marketing blurbs and way too many meetings make us forget that communication is nothing more than listening, understanding people and then letting yourself be heard. Now, how to achieve it? My suggestion - try taking a walk.
A Carmelo Rodríguez Merchán painting.
Estraperlo: The side project in Sevilla Spain, aside from advertising but somehow related.
We Save Lives: The latest project we have been working on, a rolling paper against stoned driving.
Popclik Escape