“Love, Trust and Respect” Piercing the Advertising Numbness

Pulse’s director Nico Poalillo is the eldest son of Colombian and Italian immigrants. Born in San Diego and “creatively raised” in Detroit amongst a cultural renaissance, he developed a fascination for both automotive culture and advertising during his time in Michigan.

At the heart of what he does is one thing - pushing greatness. He studied design and business at Michigan, Wisconsin and Harvard, and later started his work at various advertising agencies, including Leo Burnett, McCann, Doner and CM.

Today, Nico’s aggressive, yet human work as an up and coming automotive director is rooted in his love for heavy metal, a strive towards ‘impactful advertising’ and his experience with cancer, which “truly revolutionised his personal approach to filmmaking.”

Nico is certainly focused on finding the edge, and embracing the natural chaos of things, as it naturally provokes a visceral response from viewers. 

As Pulse put it, “Nico operates with a deep respect for the agency zeitgeist, understanding the value of time on set, accountable client relationships, and ensuring that no stone is left unturned as he pushes to make everything count in his directing work.”

While he’s a fan of the chaos of creative work, Nico admits that if it was up to him, creating a treatment for a spot would be a totally predictable process from start to finish. However, in reality, his approach shifts slightly depending on the creative he’s treating against, and where he is physically and mentally.

“There is always so much bubbling under the surface with each and every script, so I just try to let the true meaning of the creative come through in the first day or two of working on the treatment.”

And again, where things end is intrinsically linked to where Nico is mentally and physically. His state of being plays a massive role in how the treatments come together. “Sometimes I start on the scripts, breaking them down, or I start with how the visual language should make us feel, or even starting with the sonic nature of a film. So many ways in, but nothing is more enjoyable than spending time to truly let the creative take a hold of you and immersing yourself in the world you are able to create.”

Winning the job or not, working through each and every detail of an agency’s script is what pushes Nico forward.

And, when it comes to working with brands he’s unfamiliar with, it all boils down to starting with research. “You need to take the time to truly understand the ethos of what the brand is trying to do with the film you’ve been asked to make,” he says. 

Above: Still from Dodge 'The most Dodge Dodge in the History of Dodge'

Even when it requires a push to make himself fall in love with the “plight of the brand,” and “psychoanalyse why the agency is eager to tell this story,” Nico prevails. 

“Coming from the automotive world, it’s imperative to deep dive into what makes said vehicle tick, and why it stands out from the pack.” One thought leads him: “There is always a story behind the tech of a new product. No matter what it is, there’s something there to sink your teeth into.”

Something that remains important throughout the project for Nico is the relationships one cultivates during each step of the production. From pitch to post production, “the way we navigate the creative trenches with our collaborators is ultimately the key to a successful filmic experience,” he says.

Above: Still from Dodge 'The most Dodge Dodge in the History of Dodge'

Nico believes that his attention to the relationships he fosters dates back to his agency start, way before joining the “mysterious world” of commercial directing. What helps is, simply put: respect. 

“Providing respect for each and everybody’s role and ensuring everyone is heard is crucial. This starts when an opportunity comes knocking,” he explains. “I work very hard to understand how this creative came to be and I ensure I am giving it the love, care and attention it deserves alongside our agency partners.”

Creating anything, especially film, is an emotional process for Nico, and most people involved.

“It takes a lot of courage on the agency front to navigate the client trenches and sell their creative. So they need to know that you, the director, sees eye to eye with what they want to do, and can push it even further. It’s their baby at the end of the day!”

Developing those close, supportive relationships from the start makes the whole experience for Nico worth it, and so much more fun and effective. “All we have in this industry are our relationships,” he says. “Love, trust and respect - that’s all we need to pierce the armour of advertising numbness and create films we are proud of.”

Fostering and taking care of your creative network also tends to eliminate one of the plagues on set - lack of communication. This also happens to be at the core of every crazy production-related incident Nico can think of. 

“These situations always start with how we are communicating,” he explains. “It must be noted we are all on the same thing, and creating those lines of effective comms, as well as rooting ourselves in a deep, collective understanding of what we are here to execute upon will always lead to success.”

In his belief, solving any problem on set - from communication, to creative and safety - boils down to “a humble approach”, fuelled by the respect he previously spoke of, and not being afraid to take ownership of the lead.

Firm lines of communication also help Nico balance one of the delicate moments of the “art of directing” - the conundrum between protecting an idea and being open and collaborative with the agency and brand. 

“Establishing good communication and drawing a bit of a line in the sand between the hierarchical parties involved in the creative process helps,” he says. “The director and their team are on set for a reason, and that reason is to not only execute, but lend our vision to expand on the creative process. In the end, it’s just a bit of a dance with what we are setting out to do, asking for grace to push things where we want them to go, while ensuring our agency and client partners are on the same page with us through each step.”

According to Nico, there is “no need to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes,” as everybody’s desire to be included and on the same page is equal.

When it comes to genres, while Nico still finds the automotive world deeply fascinating, the older he gets, he finds himself exploring new ideas more and more. “The idea of travel, and moving the human body with a machine is just a widely fun sandbox to create within,” he says.

While everything automotive-adjacent is Nico’s zone of interest, there’s one thing that always strikes his fancy, no matter the niche - cinematic projects. “It could be sports, or just the active emotion of an individual telling us a story about past trauma that helps to form a beautiful narrative.”

“I love things that pull on the heartstrings, but also move us, both with kinetic energy or with a deep emotional undertone. A semi-genre agnostic director at the moment, I am sure that love will continue to evolve for me.”