Pete Gosselin of CAPE: There Are No Shortcuts to Creativity

Taking stuff apart to figure out what works

Pete is co-founder and chief creative officer of CAPE. He is a Canadian-born creative whose career spans three continents and numerous product categories.

We spent two minutes with Pete to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired. 

Pete, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I spent my early life in Ottawa and in Cantley, Quebec, where I taught skiing. When I was a teenager, my parents moved to Brisbane, Australia. But except for a couple of visits, I stayed behind to finish school. After University, I moved to Aspe to be a ski instructor, and then moved to the U.K. My early career was spent first in London, with a couple of stints in Amsterdam, followed by a couple of years in Auckland. and Now I live in Staten Island, N.Y.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

In high school, a girl told her friend she liked me. We’ve been married for 19 years this summer, not counting the 11 years we dated.

Your most important creative inspirations, and some recent stuff you love.

I love taking stuff apart and figuring out how it works. That’s the key to how I approach problems. I’ve been pretty busy at CAPE, but in my downtime I’ve been working on different chain-wax formulations for my bike. Understanding the chemistry behind it and the role of the ingredients helps me to make my own versions. That sounds super nerdy. But this is exactly the same methodology for approaching clients and their communication needs.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on. 

The first ad in Blockchain for TD Ameritrade. To figure out how to communicate with a Bitcoin-loving audience, we had to understand Bitcoin and the underlying technology. The next step was to figure out how to hack the unhackable. It’s the perfect example of research, problem-solving, team work, and creativity.

A recent project you’re proud of. 

“Fug-AI-zi” for New York Festivals. There’s something so beautiful about being a New Yorker and understanding how this city works. You don’t need to threaten people. You just politely ask them not to do something while holding a baseball bat. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what that means.

Someone else’s work you admired lately.

This ad for Toyota:

Play

Your main strength as a creative person.

Research. I read every client’s annual report. I follow their stock, when available. I buy and use their products. I try to figure out my clients’ problems. No shortcuts. Being a creative is hard work. And I’m willing to do the hard yards.

Your biggest weakness.

Long windedness.

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

Ed Morris taught me how to win awards. Izzy Garber showed me how to win pitches—he’s a natural ad man. Tracy Wong is the kind, thoughtful agency founder I want to be. 

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

I might never have left that job as a ski instructor in Aspen.