Peer Review: David Castellanos

What has your career journey been like so far?

My career has been shaped by movement across countries, cultures, and disciplines. In fact, I often describe it as having built my career twice. I started as a copywriter and worked my way up to Creative Director early on in Mexico, then later repeated that entire progression in the United States, within a different market and cultural context. 

I’m driven by the challenge of turning insights rooted in behaviour and culture into ideas that can scale...

Going through every creative role twice, across distinct creative ecosystems, gave me a rare, hands-on understanding of both craft and leadership in a relatively condensed period of time. That accelerated path led me to become Chief Creative Officer of DDB at a very young age, and eventually into senior leadership roles in the United States. 

Today, with nearly two decades of international experience, I’m the creative lead of the Austin office of Erich & Kallman. Looking back, my career has been defined by constant change and cultural experiences that have become a powerful source of creativity.

Share the Joy, directed by Juan Cabral, who Castellanos describes as one of the greatest creative directors and film directors of our time. 

What do you like most about the work that you do?

What I love most about my work is the intersection between creativity and human truth. I’m driven by the challenge of turning insights rooted in behaviour and culture into ideas that can scale, ideas that surprise people, resonate emotionally, and are remembered. Beyond the work itself, I find real fulfilment in building and mentoring creative teams. Helping people grow and find their own voice matters deeply to me, as does creating environments where creativity is taken seriously but never loses its humanity. 

Who are three contemporaries that you admire, and why? 

Juan Cabral is one of the greatest creative directors and film directors of our time. His work is defined by an unmatched level of craft and abstraction that feels both powerful and timeless. 

I’m always looking for the space where human truth and product truth meet.

Luiz Sanches has an extraordinary ability to visualise human truths, always executed with an exceptionally high level of craft. 

His work is consistently sharp, emotional, and precise. 

Fernando Vega Olmos has an exceptional mastery of language, allowing him to express product truths like no one else. His writing is among the strongest I’ve seen in advertising.

Please share 3-4 pieces of work that exemplify great creative direction and explain why.

Sony Bravia – Paint (Fallon London). This piece is a visual metaphor executed at the highest possible level of craft. Every creative decision, from concept to execution, serves the idea, turning a simple product truth into an unforgettable, purely visual experience.

An ECD needs the ability to articulate what they feel and think about an idea with precision. 

Volkswagen – Opening Doors (AlmapBBDO Brazil). A smart human insight brought to life through bold exaggeration. The idea uses humour and scale to clearly communicate a functional benefit. 

Net10 – Bonnie (Droga5 New York). Completely unexpected. It breaks category conventions so effectively that you would never guess it’s a telecom commercial. 

You’ve built your career in both Mexico and the U.S. What felt different about working in each country, and how did those experiences shape you?

At the core, the pursuit of creativity is the same in both places: the desire to make work that connects, moves people, and delivers impact. What changes are the methodologies, priorities, and the way audiences respond to different stimuli. In Latin American advertising, the human insight often carries the greatest weight. In the U.S., the product benefit usually plays a more central role. 

 The definition of what’s considered creative is changing, along with processes, methodologies, formats, timelines, team structures, the ways commerce is created and enabled.

Working across both markets forced me to learn how to balance those two approaches rather than choose one over the other. That dual experience shaped how I approach creative leadership today. I’m always looking for the space where human truth and product truth meet, because that’s where ideas become both emotionally powerful and strategically effective. 

What is one thing every ECD needs? 

Exceptional clarity. An ECD needs the ability to articulate what they feel and think about an idea with precision. The goal isn’t just to react, but to explain what should change and why it should change. And just as important, when there’s nothing meaningful to add, an ECD needs the judgment to step aside and let the team move the idea forward without getting in the way.