Conversations with David Meneses

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Meneses

Hi David, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and skateboarding has always been a huge part of my life. As a kid, I watched tons of skate videos from Transworld, 411, Thrasher, and other skate magazines. What really stuck with me was the idea of pushing through pain and never giving up until I reached my goals. That lesson has shaped who I am today.

When I started thinking about becoming a writer, I didn’t stop until I made it happen. I knew I wanted to write from a young age, but I had no idea what to focus on—I was into so many things like comic books, science fiction, and even horror stories like Goosebumps.

One Nike ad from the late ’90s really hit me. It asked, “What if we treated all athletes like skateboarders?” I thought it was hilarious because they’d call the cops on people just playing tennis or shout “criminals!” at joggers. It made me laugh and inspired me. That’s when I realized I wanted to come up with creative ideas like that, which led me to a career in advertising. So here I am now, a senior copywriter at Monks in Los Angeles!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
From a personal standpoint, moving to Hollywood was a challenge in itself, especially as a foreign immigrant. There was so much to figure out—settling into a new city, meeting new people, getting a car, and obtaining my driver’s license. Plus, I had to furnish my apartment! As I’ve mentioned before, life is full of challenges; it’s definitely not a smooth ride, but a bumpy one—which makes it a lot more fun.

From a professional perspective, working in advertising presents its own unique set of challenges with every brief. We need to be patient in finding the best solutions. Creatively, I often face obstacles when I feel like I’m not meeting the expectations of the brand, the agency, or even my own. To help with this, I keep a folder on my desktop called ‘The Graveyard.’ It’s a collection of ideas and scripts that never quite made it or were never aired. Some are really funny, some surprisingly good, a few just plain weird, and others downright terrible.

Hitting mental blocks is completely normal for creatives. Whenever I find myself stuck, I like to open that folder and browse through the ideas for a little inspiration. I believe the best mindset isn’t about being perfect and never making mistakes; it’s about thinking like a junior creative and letting go of the fear of not getting it right. After all, mistakes are an essential part of the creative process.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
After I graduated with a degree in advertising, I jumped into my career in 2014 at Young & Rubicam in Bogotá as a junior writer. I wasn’t doing great at first, but I kept pushing through! I was lucky to have some fantastic mentors who really helped me along the way.

I later moved to MullenLowe SSP3, where I had the opportunity to work with incredibly talented creatives on several award-winning campaigns. One project I’m particularly proud of is ‘Women Rewrite Women’ for El Tiempo, Colombia’s biggest newspaper. We tackled sexism in the press by rewriting sexist headlines, which made a significant impact and generated over 200 million impressions. That experience showed me how important it is for campaigns to create real change.

I also contributed to ‘The Beer Cap Project,’ which earned me my first Cannes Lion. The goal was to promote responsible drinking by encouraging food, hydration, and getting home early. We removed the brand’s logo from the caps and allowed food brands and transport services to use that space instead. Each cap offered perks like food, water, and rides home during party hours. It was a success—six global beer brands got involved, and we redeemed over 150,000 caps!

By 2021, I became the Creative Director at MediaMonks Mexico, where I led projects across the LATAM region. This was a significant step in my career and gave me the chance to work with well-known brands like Diageo, Spotify, and Netflix.

For me, writing ads is about creating stories that connect with people. I know many viewers skip ads, so I aim to make them fun and engaging. This focus has led to recognition, with over 80 awards at festivals like Cannes Lions, D&AD, The One Show, Clio Awards, and many more.

In 2022, I wanted to step up my game and work more with brands in the U.S. market, where many big names in advertising are. I joined Hill Holliday in Boston as a senior writer, where I had the chance to work on campaigns for Valvoline with popular figures like Kyle Larson and his NASCAR team.

Right now, I’m enjoying life in sunny California, close to some amazing skateparks I dreamed about as a kid. I’m working as a senior copywriter at Monks LA, creating ads for the California Lottery. I’m genuinely proud of what I’ve achieved, but I think my curiosity and willingness to learn from my mistakes have really shaped my journey. Each challenge has taught me something new and added to my perspective as a creative, allowing me to approach storytelling in a different way.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I see the advertising industry continuing to evolve with new technologies and media. Things are always changing, but as long as we stay curious and open to learning, we’ll figure out how to use these tools. I believe creativity is key, and I don’t think it will be replaced by anything, including AI. While AI can help with certain tasks, it can’t replicate the unique human touch and imagination that brings ideas to life.

What will likely change is how we write, tell stories, and create content. Just look at how traditional TV has been slowly replaced by shorter, snackable content thanks to social media.

As Einstein said, “Creativity is seeing what others see and thinking what no one else ever thought.” It’s all about using the tools we have in ways that others might not consider.

Trends can be pretty unpredictable, so I can’t say exactly what they’ll look like. But it definitely excites me to think about all the changes ahead.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.davidmeneses.net/
• Instagram: @justanotherdave91