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Outside Voice: BIPOC creators from Brazil & New Zealand share new playlists

Tye Comer

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Outside Voice is an annotated playlist series from Spotify Advertising celebrating and amplifying BIPOC voices in the global creative community. Each month, rising stars in the industry create original playlists that feature their favorite music alongside spoken-word annotations — sharing personal stories and speaking to important social issues affecting underrepresented communities.

As season one of Outside Voice comes to a close, we’re sharing more stories from influential BIPOC creatives who detail their experiences navigating the advertising industry. This month, the series visits Brazil and New Zealand to hear from Samantha Almeida and Raymond McKay, two veteran, award-winning creatives who bring their authentic selves to their work in highly personal ways.

Outside Voice: Episode 5 & 6

Episode five features Samantha Almeida, who heads Twitter Next in Brazil — a division that develops strategies, campaigns and new formats for advertisers on the platform. Almeida discusses her journey as a Black woman in the creative industry, which she admits “has been lonely. You spend a lot of time sharing your vision… and convincing people your vision makes sense.” She shares how growing up in Rio de Janeiro has shaped her perspective, and why she’s passionate about creating work that challenges stereotypes and generates positive social change. “We need to create new stories about Black kids, about people like my friends in the LGBTQIA community, about people from peripheries like my parents — because that’s my fight.” In between her annotations, you’ll hear songs Almeida has curated from artists like Mara Maravilha, Ludmilla, Arlindo Cruz and more.

Episode six features Raymond McKay, CCO and co-founder of New Zealand agency RUN. McKay is one of the few Māori creative directors in the world and uses his unique cultural viewpoint to give voice to Indigenous people. He explains how his agency specifically creates advertising through an Indigenous lens, producing work that resonates directly with Māori and Pasifika culture. McKay also shares the importance of music in his creative process, explaining how karaoke can serve as a form of storytelling and inspiration. Along with his go-to karaoke artists — Shaggy, Usher and John Legend — McKay’s playlist includes more songs that inspire him from Chubby Fly, She’s So Rad, Leonard Charles and more.

We hope these stories can inspire you to use your own outside voice, regardless of your role or industry. And stay tuned for season two of Outside Voice coming soon, where we’ll share more stories that champion and celebrate diverse, underrepresented voices in the advertising world.