Dave Arnold is the Executive Creative Director of Pereira & O'Dell NY. Dave has worked for clients including Volvo, New Balance, Evian, Intel, Partnership for a Drug-Free America and, the launch of Howard Stern on Sirius Satellite Radio. Dave has been the creative director on Clearasil, and developed their campaign, "Clearasil May Cause Confidence," a campaign that won a Cannes Lion. In 2009, his Most Interesting Man work for Dos Equis was recognized with a Titanium & Integrated Lion. Later that year, Dave was the art director on The Atlantic, Think. Again. campaign which won the gold Effie.
influences
questionnaire
What was your very first job?
Junior creative at Devito Verdi. I had taken Sal's class at SVA, which forced art directors to become writers. It was trial by fire, not because he once supposedly burned an ad off the wall, but because that’s where I developed my creative voice. After school I was lucky to continue doing that working for him.
Please describe, in your own words, what your job is and what work it entails.
My job now is to help inspire and encourage everyone that works at the office to listen for the unexpected ideas and opportunities around us. Then, when we find those ideas, my job is to protect them as they travel from the deck to the external world.
How did you discover that the creative world was right for you? Was there a time in your life that you credit to this discovery? What was there train of events that brought you to where you are today?
I remember building a pretty big castle out of paper cups as a young kid and coming to the realization that I loved making things. Since that moment, at the earliest encouragement of my parents, I have followed my creative instincts from photography to graphic design to advertising and film.
In your constantly growing and expanding industry, how do you find inspiration to keep your work fresh, innovative and relevant?
Truly inspiring work usually has a way of finding the people it needs to reach. It’s hard to purposefully find something you don’t know you need! That’s why always listening and being aware is an important part of the creative process.
If you had to pick one piece of work or project that you are most proud of, more for the creative work and innovation it required, rather than its recognition or industry “success,” what would it be?
Lo and Behold. Mostly because we didn't start out to make a film; our plan was to tell important stories about those who protect the connected world we have come to depend on. The deeper we got into the stories, the more important it became to tell the other side of the story as well, of how complete connectivity has impacted humanity.