Creativity Squared: Why André Gola Believes Humans Are Inherently Creative
André Gola serves as Grey Brazil’s executive creative director and has worked at Brazil’s leading agencies including AlmapBBDO, Lew’Lara\TBWA, Leo Burnett, and Publicis. Memorable campaigns developed by André include the launch of Volkswagen’s New Beetle and T-Cross models, and global work on Havaianas and Doritos Wasabi and Rainbow Chips.
In his role at Grey Brazil, he also helps lead creative teams on impactful brands including Procter & Gamble (Downy, Pantene, Gillette, Aussie, and Head & Shoulders), The Coca-Cola Company, Volvo, and Universidade Zumbi dos Palmares.
André has won over 80 Cannes Lions and received numerous awards from The One Show and Effie. Appointed jury member at Creative Commerce Cannes Lions Jury, Art Direction Craft at D&AD, and named the art director responsible for the 42nd Clube de Criação yearbook – he is devoted to the worlds of advertising and art.
Person
I've loved drawing since I was a child. It has always calmed me down and served as a tool to transport myself to my own world. I consider myself fortunate to continue using this tool and exploring my imagination every day in my work, not only for my own benefit but also for the benefit of my clients and co-workers.
As human beings, we've built a prevailing rational culture that constantly seeks absolute control over everything in pursuit of longed-for tranquillity. I've always trusted my intuition and sensitivity, knowing that creativity is directly linked to these traits. I believe we're living in an interesting time where the quest for absolute control is increasingly challenged by unpredictable situations and rapidly changing circumstances. In other words, I believe that for survival, humans need to embrace the idea that we are inherently creative beings capable of navigating life's unpredictability with natural ease.
Currently, I find myself in a very empowering moment in life, surrounded by people here at Grey who value the power of creativity. We work in a pleasant, fluid, and highly respectful environment that honours each person's unique identity.
Product
Idea evaluation should be simpler. Firstly, I always strive to understand and align expectations with the team. Only then can we proceed with surprising, yet relevant ideas. I greatly appreciate Grey's globally renowned concept, which has resonated with my way of thinking: 'Famously and Effective.'
Reflecting on my work over the years, what I'm most proud of is not only building great cases but also maintaining a consistently high level of creativity that has directly influenced the development of major brands throughout these years.
Currently, I believe we're in a very interesting time for creativity, where techniques and vast knowledge are becoming increasingly accessible to most people, and creativity is becoming a distinguishing characteristic.
This massive technological change in our lives is drastically altering all established societal models and demanding increasingly creative solutions, not just from those who work in the creative field.
Process
The creative process is always intriguing. Throughout my career, while collaborating with many excellent creatives, I've observed there's no single way to approach the process. Alternating between rational, linear thoughts and non-linear, sometimes even nonsensical ones, is how I believe many creatives work. It's a great connection of thoughts, knowledge, and varied feelings that gradually organise themselves toward a goal.
We're capable of generating infinite possibilities, even when it seems like we've exhausted all options.
In collaborative work, speaking up is crucial. We shouldn't wait until we have a perfect solution in our heads before sharing ideas. It's the same reason why therapy involves talking, even when your therapist doesn't need to say a word. The act of speaking helps us organise our thoughts. I say the same about drawing. It helps us unleash our imagination, which is different from reasoning.
And I'm not talking about what adults understand as drawing, but more about what our brains perceive, which is exactly how we understood drawing as children. It's not about technique; it's about imagining.
Another fundamental aspect of the creative process is questioning -- understanding the context of everything is also crucial. Every form of communication has the complete message only when it's combined with the entire context, within thousands of variables.
Press
I have a deep love for art and people. I've always been creatively nourished, not only by what we see in museums, galleries, cinemas, books, but also in the streets-- in the designs of houses and buildings, in the clothes we wear, in the gestures we adopt. We're always communicating in different ways, intentionally or not. I'm very observant and sensory.
When it comes to enhancing creativity in day-to-day life, the one thing I'm certain about is: relationships built on trust and respect elevate the quality of 100% of the work. And this must happen with all individuals involved in a process, whether they're clients, teams, or suppliers.
Creativity also needs dedicated time. If your creative team spends more time on things like processes, alignment meetings, and systems, you have less time for these individuals to work on innovative solutions for your business.
