how writing trash got me into advertising

I wrote my first ad in the fourth grade. The brief was simple: write a slogan for the city's recycling campaign.

Someone had the brilliant idea of outsourcing the task to a bunch of primary school kids, disguised as homework.

I wrote a rhyme and handed it to my teacher. To my surprise, my line was the one they picked.

And there it was: my own words riding around the city on garbage trucks and sitting on trash cans.

I loved it.

There was something magical about watching an idea that had lived only in my head become something real. Something people could see, read, and connect with. And, if I'd done my job right, something that might even convince them to sort their waste.

One day, I found out people actually got paid to do this, and it sounded like a dream job. So I decided to give it a shot. After all, I already had experience.

More than 15 years later, here I am, still living the dream. Working for brands like Pepsi, Billboard, Chevrolet, AB-Inbev, P&G, Nike, and many others.

Not bad for someone who started with garbage.

But one thing hasn't changed. Every time I see one of my ideas out in the world, I'm ten again, staring at the side of a garbage truck with the biggest smile on my face.

If you have some work for an eternal fourth-grader, say hi.

leorazera@gmail.com