Alejandra Rozo | Next Creative Leaders
By Laurel Stark Akman on Feb 15, 2024
Now in its ninth year, Next Creative Leaders is growing, expanding, and showing the world what advertising and design can be when you lift up every voice on your creative team. In the future, Next Creative Leaders hopes to continue to uplift women, trans, non-binary and gender expansive creatives as well as focus on growing the diversity of voices we honor. Below, co-founder, Laurel Stark, introduces some of the Next Creative Leaders to keep an eye on.
Alejandra Rozo
Art Director, David Bogotá
Pronouns:
she/her
Based:
Bogotá, Colombia
Hometown:
Bogotá, Colombia
What is your “breaking into advertising” story?
Honestly, I stumbled into the world of advertising by accident as Bob Ross would say, just a happy accident. And I mean accidentally because working in advertising was never part of my plans, especially after studying graphic design and having no idea about advertising. I remember being uncertain about what to do with my professional future when my portfolio professor mentioned a job opening as a graphic designer at an agency. I applied for the job without knowing much about agencies or campaigns, and without being familiar with all those basic words for someone who studied at least a year of advertising...
I applied only because there was a little voice inside me telling me everything would be fine. That's how I started working at Leo Burnett Colombia as a creative.
Now that I think about it, I believe that little voice was right because I've been in the advertising world for almost 11 years, loving the ideas and what I do every day.
How did your upbringing, family, or culture shape you as a creative?
I have always believed that life itself is the most powerful source of creative inspiration. That's why I believe being born in a social and political context like that of Latin America, where unfortunately not everything is perfect, provides me as a creative with a multitude of stories to tell, problems to solve, and causes me to fight for every day. In our culture, resourcefulness becomes our mantra, driving us to seek innovative solutions to live in a dignified way, even in the field of communication. As Latinos, we are accustomed to reinventing ourselves every day and seeking the means to become better.
It's for this reason that I consider myself a curious creative, always exploring the most unexpected ways to narrate a story.
What’s the most creatively inspiring part of living and working in Bogotá, Colombia?
Despite being a large city compared to other major cities around the world, Bogotá, being in Latin America, means that life here is far from perfect and there are many things that need improvement. However, this also makes creativity a tool that can be used to make the world a better place. Additionally, it is a city that offers countless things that fuel creativity, such as museums, music, festivals, art, architecture, and various cultural trends. All this combined makes Bogotá a market with great potential and vibrancy, which, although may sound strange, captivates.
What’s the piece of NCL winning work you’re most proud of and why?
One of the projects that makes me most proud is DNA Discounts for Aeromexico.
What I find the most rewarding about being involved in this project is recognizing the power of humor and creativity as a response to social crises. We understand that racism continues to be one of the most pervasive issues in the United States, which is why we aimed to address it thoughtfully and amusingly. By leveraging elements cherished by Americans to convey our message, our goal was to deliver a narrative that not only resonates locally but also takes a stand against racism and global human migration. It's ironic to consider that despite years of evolution, there are still people who believe in the concept of a single race. It's a perfect opportunity for us to express our views when the whole world is watching us. These moments are crucial as they have the potential to inspire and influence a vast number of people.
Where do you most see yourself in your creative work?
"The fruits and vegetables that look ugly are not bought in stores", "there are pictures of many celebrities drinking Bud", "lots of Americans hate Mexico, but many have Mexican DNA"... these 'small' yet at the same time HUGE findings/insights/fun facts are the core of ideas and also my favorite part of being a creative.
You are also the co-founder of Círculo de Creativas Colombia. Can you tell us about that and your mission?
Throughout my professional journey, I've grappled with the notion of the creative industry lacking female representation. And this has become one of the driving forces for me as a female creative, spurring me to take action.
So, I knew Michelle Guichard, one of the founders of Circulo de Creativas in Chile. She told me about the initiative and encouraged me to join forces with five other talented Colombian women to establish "Círculo de Creativas Colombia."
The Círculo de Creativas is a women's collective born in Chile in response to the limited presence of women on the juries of certain local creativity festivals. Its primary objective is to showcase the wealth of female talent within the industry, foster mutual support among creative women, and advocate for improved working conditions and opportunities for future generations.
This initiative is dedicated to promoting the leadership, representation, and visibility of female talent not only within the creative industry of my country but also across other Latin American nations. We firmly believe in the abundance of untapped female talent and are committed to catalyzing positive change by collectively supporting and promoting one another.
I am committed to the change that we can bring about in the roles of women in the creative industry. Together, we can bridge the gap in opportunities for us.
"I am committed to the change that we can bring about in the roles of women in the creative industry. Together, we can bridge the gap in opportunities for us."
What is the ad industry’s biggest challenge and how would you fix it?
Advertising nowadays competes with social media, influencers, the meme of the day, with social contexts, and in the quest for relevance, it often falls into opportunism and conversations where brands shouldn't be unless it's consistent with their brand building. All of this makes authenticity one of the biggest challenges for the advertising industry. I believe that true courage and ingenuity lie in respecting this coherence and the process that a brand undergoes. The best way to address it is by building brands with solid purposes that are reflected in the society we live in, subject to changes that lead it to always strive to be better
Who is inspiring you right now and why?
One of the people who inspires me the most right now is Jessica Walsh; I've always thought she's an icon of creativity in these times. She has a series of mantras that I've been incorporating into my career to become a better leader every day. Jessica firmly believes that there are no innate talents; that creativity is the result of hours of dedication, study, and personal evolution.
She believes that great ideas arise from asking "Why?"; creativity thrives on your limitations. She talks about "Fake it till you make it," about accepting challenges even without initially knowing how to tackle them, and one of the mantras I like the most "Failure is good," which in the creative world can sometimes become a great frustration.
How are you leaving the work and the workplace better than you found it?
I am passionate about my work and creativity. I love to think and enjoy finding new ways to do things. Graphically speaking, I want to explore new trends every day, avoiding repetition. I believe that achieving this requires passion, sacrifice, effort, and love, and I am certain that my bosses, colleagues, clients, and the people around me notice it when they see my work. Beyond delivering a great idea, which is a significant goal in our profession, I believe inspiring people to dedicate themselves in the same way to the things that impassion them is the best legacy I can leave behind.
If you could go back in time, what would you say to yourself, on your first day as a professional creative?
I would have five things to tell me:
- The best gauge of a good idea is in your gut.
- Fear is the best symptom of all. Embrace it.
- Don't compare yourself to others; each person has their own process and method of doing things.
- You will make mistakes a thousand times, and that will make you better.
- It's time to let your bangs grow.
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