As Associate Creative Director, Adaobi Ugoagu works with a variety of GALE clients, including MilkPEP and Fogo de Chão. In this Q&A with LBB, learn what cultural touchstones made Adaobi the creative she is today.
This piece was originally published in Little Black Book.
LBB: The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…
Adaobi: The 1,2 Step music video by Ciara was the video that sparked creativity in me at a young age. I spent hours trying to perfect her choreography, including her iconic backbend. In general, I spent hours watching all kinds of music videos and practicing the choreography.
LBB: The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…
Adaobi: The golden age of YouTube (aka the early 2010s) made me (unknowingly) want to get into the industry. My obsession with watching music videos was replaced by hours of watching beauty and fashion YouTubers vlogging their everyday lives. Being influenced by them, I had a short stint as a fashion blogger (which is still the name of my Instagram handle: @disorderlyfashion), which, at the time, I didn’t realize was my training ground for learning social media and marketing.
LBB: The creative work that I keep revisiting…
Adaobi: The Arctic Monkeys’ third studio album, Humbug, is a masterpiece that I revisit in all seasons of life, from back when I was an angsty teen in high school to now: a secretly angsty but responsible adult who pays her bills on time. Alex Turner’s lyrical prowess and the poignant sounds of that album were not a fan favorite when it was released, but I love it because it feels like a diary entry and less of a manufactured hit.
LBB: My first professional project…
Adaobi: ChipotleRewardMe.com. Chipotle was launching their new loyalty program and it was my first year working at an agency. We gave away $250K on Venmo to folks who were the first to sign up for Chipotle’s new rewards program. All I remember was pitching the idea and then spending hours on calls trying to figure out the mechanics of a brand making payouts to everyday Venmo users since it hadn’t really been done before. That project unlocked a different kind of creative thinking for me.
LBB: The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…
Adaobi: Thankfully, I have never created anything that makes me feel like this! Even if I did, I took most “failed” projects as a learning opportunity for me to grow. I am of the opinion that even the worst projects have elements that can be carried over and transformed into something better.
LBB: The piece of work that still makes me jealous…
Adaobi: This example is more recent, but the Jungle x Gap collab is the smartest, simplest and most seamless piece of work I have seen in a while. First of all, Jungle is absolutely everything. Second of all, when the Linen Moves comes up on screen, I am filled with absolute regret that I was not on set that day. This is an excellent example of branded entertainment–something GAP nails over and over again–and the focus of all our work at GALE.
LBB: The creative project that changed my career…
Adaobi: Chipotle x e.l.f collab. At the time, I was running creative brainstorming sessions for Chipotle’s social media. My job was to gather insights that could be leveraged into hilarious meme content and I stumbled on the insight that the food behind the counter at Chipotle resembled an eyeshadow palette at an aerial view. Before I knew it, I was in a DTLA hotel conference room pitching a new makeup line to the e.l.f folks, including their CMO. That collab was such an instant smash that folks were reselling the kit on eBay for double the price. It also made me realize the absolute necessity of marketing campaigns being grounded in real insights that generated organic community and excitement from consumers–which is at the root of my domain at GALE, social-first marketing.
LBB: The work that I’m proudest of…
Adaobi: In early 2020, right before lockdown, I imagined and produced a short photo series called “Black Rest,” in which I explored what it meant to be black and to be in a state of peace. I read the piece The Black Art of Escape by Casey Gerald and was inspired to depict my version of what blackness in a soft, ethereal and restful state looked like. To this day, I revisit those images and find comfort in the message itself.
LBB: I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…
Adaobi: The only projects that made me cringe were the ones where I had to be featured in social content. There are a few Chipotle TikTok videos that I hope never see the light of day. But to give you an idea of my involvement, here's a piece of work that nearly had my vocal cords replaced.
LBB: The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…
Adaobi: This is currently in the works…more to come soon :)
