Young Pros Spotlight
Devon Ott-Barilli
What is your role / current company?
Strategy & Insights Lead for Government and Tech/Google
If you could give one piece of advice to other Young Pros, what would it be?
The career journey isn’t linear; just enjoy the ride. I’ve often felt pressure to map out my career and know my next moves over 1-5 years, but I’ve found the most growth when taking on unexpected stretch opportunities or taking chances and saying yes to opportunities that may not be clearly defined. I’m always looking for ways to learn, build and flex, because the pace of the world is moving so fast – you never know where your next best role will be, and what skills you’ll need to get you there.
What is your biggest professional challenge?
I went to school for journalism; I’ve always been naturally curious and love asking people in-depth questions to get to know them better. While I’ve pivoted away from journalism to ad strategy, one of my favorite recent accomplishments was interviewing a YouTube Creator, I Know Football, on-stage at our Kickoff to 2024 Elections Summit. I am a YouTube fanatic, so giving this talent the main stage to share his journey and the important of YouTube in the cultural zeitgeist ahead of the next election cycle was a proud moment for me, and one of the ways that I’ve creatively flexed my undergrad degree to meet the moment.
Do you have a favorite campaign or activation? What made it stand out to you?
As I’ve mentioned, I’m in the government space, so I’m going to have to highlight an unexpected client here; the US Navy is doing some incredible work on the YouTube platform. Knowing how much Gen Z adores and trusts creators, they’ve created a branded content campaign called Sailor Vs where Gen Z’s favorite creators go head-to-head with Sailors to test their “skills, strength and savvy.” This campaign breaks stereotypes of military life and encourages the next generation of sailors to enlist and protect our country, and it’s the most authentic, inspiring, and badass creative campaign I’ve seen in awhile.
If you’re interested in more culturally relevant creative I’m digging right now, shameless plug to check out my website at devonott.com!
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