On one of my first weekends in NY, I met Antonio for drinks in Brooklyn. He said a friend of his, another Spaniard working in advertising, would join us later. “He’s quite popular on Instagram, his engagement rate is pretty high”, Antonio half-joked. I looked him up: his content was a good a mix of social observations, selfies and NYC visuals. I followed him immediately. Of course, it turned out we had mutual friends back in Barcelona. And of course, I soon understood why he made it in the ad industry in NY.
Let me introduce you to Javier Ortiz.
In the creative industry…
Who are you, what do you do and where?
My name is Javi and I’m from Spain. I work as a creative copywriter for a multicultural advertising agency, CIEN+.
Why do you do what you do?
I was such a talkative kid and I was obsessed with languages, especially English. I would connect the noisy 00’s modem just to look for song lyrics on the Internet. I guess that’s why I started my degree in Translation and Interpreting in college. However, before I finished, I decided to change my degree to Advertising because I realized that I wanted to use languages as a tool to develop a career in communication. Once I moved to New York, I realized that American companies had a new appreciation for other cultures, Hispanic in particular. I learnt that there was a need for people who understood and could utilize that point of view in advertising. And here I am.
What keeps you inspired?
Music, definitely. I couldn’t live without music. It sounds ridiculous, but “word play” is kind of my thing when I write and Britney Spears songs are the best training.
In NYC…
What brought you here?
I always wanted to live in New York City. As a kid, I was in love with American pop culture and New York has always been my dream city. One day I felt I needed a change, so I packed my stuff, took my savings and came to the city to study for three months and try to fulfill my dream. I was very lucky, and before coming back to Spain after finishing the course I was taking, a company sponsored me and I got a Visa.
What keeps you sane?
Great question when it comes to living in New York. This is a crazy city and sometimes I feel the need to get away for a little while. There are beautiful places in Upstate New York. I remember going to Cold Spring just for a day and feeling incredibly relaxed. I think that’s what makes the difference, taking a break from the city from time to time.
Where do you go to get great coffee / drinks?
I fondly remember the first place I went when I first landed in New York, Clementine’s Bakery in Clinton Hill. They make the best Chai in Brooklyn.
For drinks, there’s a very special place called Hotel Delmano in Williamsburg. They make amazing cocktails, but I always like to keep it simple with a Negroni.