2 MINUTES WITH RACHELLE AVILA
Interview by Sherilyn Shackell for The Marketing Academy
With over a decade in brand experience, Rachelle Avila is known for culture-shaping projects and a sharp, intentional point of view. We caught up for a quick chat to learn what fuels her work and where she finds her creative spark.
About Rachelle
Tell Me About Yourself: I was born and raised in California and moved to New York 10 years ago to pursue a career in advertising. Came for the ad world—stayed because, dare I say, the East Coast is better.
Daily Ritual That Grounds You: Matcha and journaling first thing, followed a walk with my dog, Rosie. It’s how I start the day grounded and energized.
About Her Work
Work You Are Most Proud Of: Girls Who Code Girls lets girls and non-binary teens code video game characters that actually look like them—disrupting the default, hyper-sexualized avatars built by and for men. From body type to hair texture, it’s about putting real representation into gaming.
Hot Take for the Industry: Forget Instagram aesthetics and TikTok trends—the future of brands lives on OnlyFans. The platform isn’t just for creators. It’s a blueprint for how brands can build cult followings, becoming magnets for their community.
Rapid Fire: What Inspires Her
Where do you find creative inspiration? Walking city streets. They’re like living mood boards full of culture, style, and design.
Favorite time of day to create? Late nights, when everything quiets down, the ideas really start to flow.
Creative tool you reach for most? My vintage Canon AE-1 camera. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with shooting black & white film.
If you weren’t in advertising, you’d be...? An architectural interior designer — I love how aesthetics and spaces shape experience.
Thanks for chatting with us, Rachelle.
