Watching sports is one of Gerardo Ortiz’s (Advert'10) guilty pleasures—but as a creative director at 72andSunny, sometimes it’s part of the job. Ortiz, second from left in the photo, recently teamed with fellow Buff Shane Chastang (Advert’04) on an Emmy-winning commercial promoting the NFL.

Responses edited for length and clarity.

Photo courtesy Gerardo Ortiz

  Congrats on the Emmy win! Tell me all about Champion.

Coaches have played a great role in my life—I played football, basketball and baseball growing up. We had the idea that, for better or worse, kids repeat everything they hear. And I would know; I have a 2-year-old.

We wanted to honor coaches, and we even got data that the ad sparked an interest in coaching—that was a huge win. Seeing my kid react to it was a win. The Emmy was a cherry on top.

  He’s only 2, but will you coach your son?
Oh yeah, that’s the goal! Participating in sports helps shape future leaders. That’s why Champion was near and dear to me.

  Now, Champion wasn’t your first time working in the sports space, was it?
No. Through my career, I’ve been able to do work with dream brands like ESPN, Adidas and the NFL. 

More recently, I’ve done work for the Cadillac Formula One team. So I’ve had the chance to travel to Guadalajara and even Monaco to tell the stories of those drivers.

  How about a favorite project you’ve worked on?
I would say the glass helmet. We made a clear helmet that athletes would take photos in, and then tell their stories. It really let fans connect with players in a way that their actual, opaque helmets can make difficult. 

  What’s one of your proudest moments from your career?
One of the most rewarding was when I spoke to CMDI’s Class of 2021. I grew up in North Denver, and CU was always my dream school. I learned how to tell stories here, so having that opportunity was a full-circle moment I’ll always remember.