I am Gabs Samame, a Peruvian art director. I have been immersed in advertising for nearly a decade. I initially focussed my career on social media, and during that time grew incredibly fond of art direction and the wide capabilities it has in advertising. That’s when decided to pivot and start my journey as an art director.

Oddly enough, I discovered my passion for communications when I went to clown school. Meeting a wide spectrum of people from all ages walks of life, and professions gave me a sense of what I wanted for myself and my career: to be a creative and bring joy to others.

As a creative art director I concept, design, and illustrate the needed assets for campaigns determining the overall look and feel of the clients’ ads. As a marketing communications professional, I am empathic and effectively connect with the masses, and creative so that my work stands out and creates an impact. I these essential traits of an effective art director.

I co-founded the creative shop Four4Fun with fellow award-winning creatives Samruddhi Pawar, Joshua Blanco, and Hunter Swink to fill a gap in advertising. We identified the opportunity to make advertising more playful and we went for it. Our first project, the game Commercial Break was the first of its kind in the industry, unique because it is designed by and for advertising professionals. The game has received awards and press coverage as far as Peru! We’re looking forward to launching additional creative projects in the future that bend the traditional rules of advertising.

My definition of marketing communications refers to every little effort that a company or organization makes to create a conversation using different channels and tools. It’s a way of communicating with your target audience in a relatable way.

I consider myself a chameleon in this regard. I adapt to various styles that are required for each particular project. However, I do enjoy including playful elements to campaigns so they’re visually engaging and draw viewers in.

I start by understanding the brand and defining what we want to say, whom we want to reach and where we are going to say it. This is followed by extensive research and a search for truths or insights that resonate with our goal. And last but not least, I share findings with colleagues in brainstorming sessions.

We are proud, humbled, and honored to have received this grand recognition for our project, Commercial Break. This was a passion project conceived mid-pandemic, so it gives us joy that others are appreciating it as well. The great reception also gives us the confidence to continue to try things that are outside the box!

Winning such a well-regarded international award helps not only with exposure, but brings to the team more opportunities. It is this type of recognition gives allows us to compete for major projects and garners that much welcome visibility for us.

Commercial Break was born in the pandemic. While the circumstances were a huge part of making our game possible and brining it to life, at the same time, the pandemic was also our biggest challenge due to agencies going remote.

They say that America is for the dreamers and I completely second that thought. Being in a city like New York, where you are exposed to people from different cultures, homelands, skillsets, and beliefs has been insightful for our team in coming up with more creative ideas for our game Commercial Break and other projects.

Not that it necessarily counts as a trend, but the recent embrace of diversity at a large scale in the industry is what gets me really excited. Because only through a diversity of people, cultures, and perspectives can great and authentic ideas be born.

The impact, the creativity, and the connection.

I would recommend spending some time of the day reading articles about the industry. It’s good to know what’s happening and there’s always inspiration in other’s works.

Never give up, always learn, and find opportunities for growth. Be the person you would want to work with. And always stay humble, collaborative, and approachable. Success and recognition will follow.

I would just like to thank NYX Marcom Awards for this wonderful opportunity and for giving creative minds the platform they deserve.