When he started college, Mariano German Coley intended to study public relations; advertising wasn’t on his radar because he didn’t possess design skills.

Then a guest speaker, a creative director, told the 20-year-old that if he could write, he could work in advertising. Now, at 50, German Coley has done creative work for numerous Fortune 500 brands, won hundreds of awards and is sharing his experience and expertise as a lecturer in creative in the Advertising Department, where he is teaching copywriting & visualization and creative advertising electives while supervising other creative electives and helping the department develop a creative advertising certificate.

“I became an advertising addict,” he said. “I can’t imagine doing something different. I still have passion for this profession. It’s beautiful; it gave me everything. I love comm and all these things.”

Born in Pamplona, Spain, German Coley earned a bachelor’s in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Navarra in Spain. After working in places like Madrid, Spain; Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Houston; and Miami, he now lives in Gainesville with his wife and 4-year-old son, who “changed our lives in a good sense,” he said.

German Coley is the only active professional creative director working in the Advertising Department.

“UF found they needed people with professional backgrounds,” he said. “Advertising is evolving constantly. I worked at agencies and I’m still doing it as a freelancer, which is good for students and for UF networking. One student recently thanked me for being a teacher who really knows how the industry is working. It’s important for them. When they are working in my classes, I treat them as professionals, not students. I know how to mentor young professionals.”

He taps into his work network to invite A-Listers like Rodolfo Borrell, 27 Lions Cannes winner, and Paco Conde, Best Creative Director Worldwide 2013, to speak to his students; more than 40 have accepted his invitation so far, he said.

In addition to teaching three courses and supervising three more, and ensuring his students are ready to enter the workforce, German Coley is using his wealth of knowledge and connections to help the department develop a creative advertising certificate.

He’s worked as creative director for  many companies, starting with Publicis in Madrid, a job he enjoyed the most. “The president was taking care of the employees. I was the youngest. Everybody adopted me and tried to teach me as much as possible. They made time for me, explained things and gave me opportunities.”

He’s also been a freelance creative director for companies like Apple, Xfinity and Chick-fil-A throughout his career.

As his students prepare for their careers, he gives them three pieces of advice:

• Be passionate about what you are doing. “You need to know a little bit about almost everything,” he said he tells them.
• Have a portfolio. He devotes the last few weeks of each semester teaching them how to build one. “As a creative director, I know what I’m looking for.”
• Never give up. “If you have a dream, go for it.” He applied to 30 agencies when he was starting out; 29 said no. “Our career is about frustration. If you want to work in a place, try to connect with someone who works there. Try to learn as much as possible about the agency.”

German Coley also learns from his students. “I’m surprised how competitive and smart they are. About 20% of my students have their own companies. When I was 20 I was thinking about when the next music festival was going to be held. Many of them have two jobs. They don’t care. They work. They say, ‘We are going to make it. We are going to give it our best.’”

They also keep him up to date with the latest trends in social media and advertising. “They give me ideas. Sometimes I ask: Who is this person? Why is this trend so popular? Why is this social media channel so appealing to you? They tell me. It’s a good way to keep learning.”

Since he joined the college in 2020, German Coley has developed five courses from scratch, helped students win four national Addy’s and a One Show Merit Award for the first time in CJC’s history, and is helping to develop and improve a certificate for the specialty and is mentoring the next generation.

He doesn’t really “teach” creativity, but he helps students tap into and improve their creative side. “I try to give them tools, first and foremost, to stay calm and overcome the fear of the blank page. I make them realize that it's impossible not to have ideas.”

No one should reinvent the wheel, he said. So he shares with them how he tackles the start of a new project – the proverbial blank page:

• Do research, looking for references to similar products or services.
• Study brilliant advertising related to the product or category. That includes reviewing websites of large festivals.

• Put yourself in the consumer's shoes – even if it’s a 60-year-old. Imagine being that person and, if possible, try the product or service
• Learn everything possible about the brand, product or service.
• When you have an idea, sleep on it – and see if you can find something better. There’s always room and time for improvement.

“Generally, the more information and references they have, the easier it is to create something that hasn't been done before. Creation arises from knowledge and many hours of work.”

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