For our final contribution in our Celebration of Creative Excellence for Hispanic Heritage Month, guest editors Gian Carlo Lanfranco and  Rolando Cordova hand the baton to Giancarlo Rodas, group creative director at Droga5 New York.

Originally from Lima, Perú, Rodas' career has taken him around the globe to work in cities like Dubai, Los Angeles, and New York. He truly believes that creativity has no borders and that exposure to different cultures can only benefit your creative outcome. Currently he and his creative partner, Tres Colacion, lead the Meta account at Droga5's New York office.

“Apart from being one of the nicest people in the creative world, he is an extraordinary creative talent, also from Peru, who reminds Rolo and me a lot of the path and career we took, and the values of being an immigrant," said Lanfranco. "He is not afraid to be uncomfortable, to try new markets and create great ideas. He just comes with the best attitude and turns limitations into creative fuel, and that's what we do best. We take every new challenge with the best attitude, humility, grit and a lot of optimism.”

Here, Rodas reflects on how his international background has helped him tackle any brief in any part of the world and how he used that to help Topo Chico challenge stereotypes around Cinco de Mayo.

When I moved to Dubai in 2017, I had to switch languages full-time. Dubai is a very international city, but English is the common ground for the over 200 nationalities in the UAE. During my first months of only speaking English, I noticed something funny: I found myself using an American accent while pronouncing words in Spanish — even when pronouncing my name. This only happened a few times before I dropped this silly behavior. 

This came from a place of trying to fit in, but I quickly realized that everyone has an accent, and I was just imitating someone else's in hopes that it would make it easier for people to get me.

Years later, and after living in Dubai, Los Angeles and now New York, I’ve met people from all over the world, heard their stories, learned about their customs and appreciated their accents. This has made me realize that the world now allows actual cultural exchanges where there's not one single central point of view anymore.

I joined Droga5 a while ago and when I discovered that we have the Topo Chico account, it was clear that it was a great brand with which to flex our Hispanic creative muscles. We noticed that Cinco de Mayo is often mistaken for Mexico's Independence Day in the United States, but Mexican independence is actually celebrated on Sept. 16. 

Cinco de Mayo, of course, has long been an opportunity for brands to create campaigns at the expense of this misconception. This reminded me of the times I felt I had to fit in at the cost of my cultural identity. So, along with Tres, who is of Mexican background, we decided to challenge this fabricated holiday.

People stereotypically celebrate Cinco de Mayo with party accessories like shot glasses, Cinco de Drinko t-shirts, or fake mustaches. So the idea was simple: to create a pawn shop for people to swap their Cinco de Mayo clichés for authentic Topo Chico Margaritas. By doing this, we can start removing marketing clichés and instead celebrate Mexico's rich culture and flavors.

I might not be Mexican, but I understand how important it is for communities and brands to come together and start prioritizing authentic cultural representation. This also got me thinking that when language and knowledge of other cultures make you an outsider, you must tap into universal human truths. 

In the same way, the Spanish language has allowed neighboring countries of the Americas to bond over cultural exchange; big ideas can do the same. People can relate to pride, progress, and the fact that everyone deserves a chance to tell their truth from their own point of view, using their voices and beautiful acentos.