Catarina Barcala
Location • Title
New York • Art Director
Portfolio
One-sentence bio
At The One Show Young Ones 2020, I was ranked No. 34 among all the creatives in the world, but to my friends I will always be No. 1.
Creative philosophy or approach
Society is advancing at a pace that advertising does not adapt to. I would like my work to be known for being irreverent, disruptive and unfiltered. As an art director, I am unafraid of representing a reality absent of taboo or idealization. Humans need more honest advertising. Now is the time to claim places that were never present before in this sector.
Recent work I’m proud of
One of the last spec campaigns I worked on that I'm proud of is "Wherever Together" for North Face. There are women all around the world who spend their days outdoors—often traversing over uneven and steep terrain—whom we don’t conventionally consider explorers. To the next generation of explorers, what could be more inspiring? We identify women in developing countries who champion causes such as education, entrepreneurship and empowerment. Collaborating with the popular fitness tracking app Strava, their daily walking route is mapped and mirrored all over the world. When women run, hike or cycle along these special routes, we turn their miles into contributions. Bringing sisterhood to the outdoors, we dare to lead the world forward through exploration.
Link to campaign: https://www.catarinabarcala.com/wherever-together
Recent work I admired
Title: #CleanAirNow
Client: Greenpeace
Agency: Ogilvy Hong Kong and Ogilvy Shanghai
Air pollution has far-reaching effects on our climate. And efforts to curb harmful emissions are difficult and require time. Greenpeace, along with Ogilvy Hong Kong and Ogilvy Shanghai, created a print campaign to show how pollution in one place can produce harm in other far away. The campaign urges people to join Greenpeace to demand clean air in the future. If we want 2030 to look different, we have to start now.
