Who am I? I’m Gal·la. Yes, my name has a dot in the middle of it. This is because the catalan alphabet has a letter called ela geminada, spelled with two “l” separated by an interpunct. Don’t worry: it’s actually pronounced like a regular “l”. I know. My name’s kinda annoying kinda cool. And I couldn’t find a better way to describe myself. What I do for a living? I’m a copywriter.

What is the best thing that I love about my work? that new challenges are my routine.

What is my idea of perfect happiness? “We just need three things to be truly happy: someone to love, something to do and something to hope for”. It’s not mine. It’s Kant.

What is my greatest fear? Wasting time and losing my loved ones.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? Not allowing myself to fail.

Which living persons in my profession do I most admire? Ricardo Casal and Juan Javier Peña, DAVID Miami ex-ECDs and currently GUT ECDs. My philosophy about advertising and the importance of great ideas is perfectly summed up in the talk they
did a year ago for Miami Ad School graduates. 100% recommended (you can find it on YouTube).

What is my greatest extravagance? I own a (secret) Instagram account with my best friends where we basically create memes of each other and post the weirdest pics. Definitely, it’s a great way to explore my humor while immortalizing fun memories.

On what occasion would I lie? I once read a study hat said that the average number of lies told per day is 1.65. So. Every day. I guess.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? Egos.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? When my creative partner and I won our first advertising award: a D&AD New Blood Pencil. You can watch our awarded piece here: https://vimeo.com/345895294

If I could, what would I change about myself? I prefer the word ‘improve’. I would like to polish up my ability to tolerate frustration. Also, sometimes I find myself a little bit ‘too bossy’.

What is my greatest achievement in work? Working overtime, writing over and over again the same line, dealing with the imposter syndrome and, despite all of this, being extremely happy every morning when the alarm starts to ring.

Where would I most like to live? I would love to live in London, New York or Buenos Aires for a few years as I tend to have a deep connection with big cities. However, no matter where I live or travel to, I’ll always come back to my beloved Barcelona. (Also,
Formentera would be my go-to place for a year off.)

What is my most treasured possession? My family and my friends.

What is my most marked characteristic? People tend to say I should try to stop thinking ideas for a while, but I just accepted that I can’t stop my head from creating.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? My sofa (bonus: on rainy days).

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city? whenever my friends are.

What books influenced my life and how? ‘Thinking fast and slow’ by Daniel Kahneman showed me how amazing our mind is and how often our own thoughts are actually not that unique, but predictable and almost inevitable.

Who are my favorite writers? My mother and the Spanish rapper and poet Sharif Fernández.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? Far from trendy, I would go to some reggaeton club. Sorry not sorry.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? Hermione Granger.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? My mother: for teaching me what an independent and strong woman looks like. My father: for being always there, unconditionally.

Which movie would I recommend to see once in a lifetime? ‘Big Fish’ by Tim Burton

What role plays art in my life and work? This is a hard one. In my opinion advertising isn’t art. Let me explain myself: I love both. But they’re not the same thing. Campaigns like ‘Viva la vulva’ by the brand of feminine hygiene products Libresse show that beautiful aesthetics in advertising are the response to a consumer that, now
more than ever, demands content worth spending time on. By the other hand, artists like Warhol showed that everyday products can be turned into art. Then, why I say advertising is not art? Because of a simple thing: by definition art is an expression of emotion that can have a purpose but doesn’t have to. However, advertising
MUST have a purpose, behind every campaign there’s a brand that wants something in return, and is our responsibility as professional publicists to know that. This is why although I often use art as an inspiration to my work and I truly appreciate campaigns with exquisite art direction and production, from my point of view, they’re two independent things.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? Marc, my creative partner and 50% of http://www.marcandgala.com

Whom would I like to work with in 2019/2020? Whoever loves the industry as much as I do.

Which people in my profession would I love to meet in 2019/2020? Soooo many! Right now I’m really enjoying the work of industry leaders like LOLA MullenLowe, DAVID, GUT, FCB Inferno, McCann and also smaller studios and agencies like &Rosas,
Forpeople or KesselsKramer, just to name a few. Being able to meet anyone from their teams would be awesome. I would also love to continue learning from young creatives. This year I was selected to join the D&AD New Blood Academy, a 1-month creative program in London for 25 lucky creatives from all over the world. It was an incredible experience and I wish I continue having opportunities like that in the future. Last but not least, filming a campaign with Brad Pitt… that would be great too.

What project, in 2019/2020, am I looking forward to work on? All I can say is that exciting news is coming soon! Stay tuned to my portfolio http://www.marcandgala.com to find out new projects.

Where can you see me or my work in 2019/2020? Portfolio:
http://www.marcandgala.com & Behance: http://www.behance.net/elepuntoele

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? I will answer to this question with another one: How to stop loving what you love the most?

Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story? brazilian artist: Eduarda Nieto, illustrator and owner of her own Health Design Studio: Sophia Luu and photographer and graphic designer Daniela Paccinelli (they are also amazing humans and friends).

How can you contact me?
E-mail: gbasoras@gmail.com
LinkedIn: Gal·la Basora Santín
Instagram: personal: @gbasora | poems: @elepuntoele_
Portfolio: http://www.marcandgala.com
Or you can also send me a letter (please, never let handwritten
letters die).