Today we’d like to introduce you to Gerald Gordon.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I would say my foundation for today started in childhood. I was always into pop culture and history, which later led to my interest in marketing and communications. Industry-wise, I would say when I moved to New York to attend NYU for grad school, I was able to dive headfirst into my career, interning at a fashion PR agency, FactoryPR, later going to Ebony Magazine, BET, and countless freelance event gigs from Vera Wang to Paper Magazine. Upon graduation, I secured an EA position at The Chamber Group, a boutique music and lifestyle PR agency founded by publicist Chris Chambers. There I was able to gain true insight into how entertainment, culture, and advertising/branding collided. Working with A-listers such as Mariah Carey, Jill Scott, Future, Kelly Rowland, & Keke Palmer allowed to see how the brands and images are made, media relationships are maintained, and how being quick on your feet is the most important transferable skill one can obtain early in their career. From here, I moved on to more brand-focused PR, working with American Express for my next client – managing press releases, influencer marketing, and events to gain media coverage and promote consumer conversion. This all led to my current role at Creative Theory Agency, where I’ve been able to merge my NY experiences into an agency that focuses on authentic audience storytelling for some of the largest consumer brands, including Google, YouTube, Nike and Meta.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Naturally, my path was not without challenges. Funny enough, while at BET, an exec used to say, “we have no problems, just challenges to overcome,” which stuck with me throughout my career. I would say due to my network and genuine nature, my career has flowed with one gig leading to the next or by referrals, maybe more fluid than others, but it still required me to constantly stay focused on developing my skills and understanding of the industry. One obstacle that stands out, though, is dealing with microaggressions or preconceived notions of who I am and my abilities (which most people are challenged by); as a Black man with locs, there would be people who would unconsciously/consciously make their own assumptions about my intelligence. Not letting others’ thoughts dictate your abilities is something you will always have to fight. I think my optimism and strong adaptability allowed me to assert my abilities in different professional environments
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I would describe myself as an archivist, abstract creative brand strategist with interests that span art, fashion, advertising, history, and storytelling. Curiosity and connections have shaped my career and the way I move through the world.
I work at Creative Theory Agency as their Senior Brand Manager, managing brand experiences and working across storytelling, production, events, and creative strategy. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to build quite the marketing tool belt, working on everything from global campaigns and product research for Google to creator experiences for YouTube, sports and cultural activations, retail concepts, and community programming. I love that my career has allowed me to explore so many different sides of the creative industry.
Outside of my day job, I’m building Artcor with my best friend, Shade Renée. It’s an exploratory studio and platform for art, design, cultural preservation, and taste expansion. Our Conversation Pit is probably what I’m most proud of right now. It’s our take on a third space, built for people to connect, exchange ideas, and engage with culture.
An earlier creative exploration of mine is Retrogee, my original digital blueprint across platforms before my current moniker, TheGeraldOliver. It’s rooted in my Tumblr era and serves as a visual archive of my perspective on pop culture. Fashion, music, design, nostalgia, and history all meld together across genres and decades. A lot of my range was shaped by ’90s media, so whatever they were talking about, I was digesting. My bio calls it an “Archaeological Service,” which is my way of saying I like digging through culture and bringing things back into conversation. Outside of diving for pop culture and American history, I have also been digitizing and organizing my family photo albums and creating my own digital collection of my lineage.
I’m particularly interested in connecting history through modern pop culture, using art, fashion, music, and everyday objects to better understand society at different points in time. How laws, social norms, and lived experiences influence what we create, and how those creations shape society in return. To me, art and life are constantly informing one another.
I think what sets me apart is my worldview. I’m the baby son of a military family, and both of my parents were born in the Jim Crow South, my mother in Birmingham, Alabama, of all places. Starting when I was five, we moved every 24 to 36 months, so I grew up living in and traveling across the world. That gave me a very specific understanding of taste, culture, what travels, and what stays regional.
Starting in grade school, I learned to use my knowledge of pop culture to connect with kids across the country. This was a time when every city still had its own distinct slang, music, popular brands, and foods. Everyone watched MTV, they were just waiting on a different video. My challenge was figuring out how to crack that code and tap into their frequency. Looking back, I think that was the beginning of my love for culture, iconography, and understanding what connects people.
In a lot of ways, I’m still doing that today, just through different mediums. Whether it’s a brand campaign, an old photograph, a cultural experience, or a random piece of history, I’m always trying to understand the context, make connections, and find something worth sharing.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
You can call it luck, but I would call it alignment. I believe some things in this life are just meant for you, and a lot of that is outside of your control. I’ve always believed that what God has for you is for you.
If you consider it luck that I’ve worked to prepare myself for certain opportunities and that preparation eventually met opportunity, then sure, I’ve been lucky. But I also recognize that no amount of preparation guarantees an opportunity will come your way. There’s something beyond our own will and control that has to align for certain things to happen.
So yes, I believe luck plays a role, but I also believe you have to do the work. Opportunity might open the door, but preparation is what allows you to walk through it. And luck alone won’t sustain you if the work isn’t there to back it up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Gerald-Oliver.com
- Instagram: intstagram.com/thegeraldoliver
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldgordonjr/
- Twitter: https://x.com/thegeraldoliver
- Other: https://thatsartcor.com
