"I remember being sat on the floor of an empty warehouse making the first call to set up the internet." Interview with Bernat Escorihuela, Marketing Manager, MTN Australia.

Not just anyone could move from Barcelona to Australia to help coordinate the subsidiary's project on the gigantic island of Oceania. Bernat Escorihuela was "the chosen one" to carry out this task, a true all-rounder, who, at Montana Colors, has demonstrated much more than just the commitment to a job well done. Don't miss what he has to say in this sensational interview.

What the hell are you doing in Australia?

On paper, I am a Marketing Manager. I am in charge of all the subsidiary's communications, both external (customer service) and internal (bridge between HQ's and the subsidiary's team). An important part of my job is to manage social networks, design campaigns, etc...

However, at MTN AU, although efficient, our team is small. That means that both Ben (Manager) and I end up doing multidisciplinary tasks. On the same day I can shoot a TikTok video, answer technical questions from clients, handle orders or, if we're at full capacity, even pack boxes of paint.

Because of my background in the audiovisual field, I am also in charge of generating all the content generated in the subsidiary.

Who is in the team you work with?

Ben Morton (Manager), Jana Font (Area Manager Asia), Matt Read (Warehouse Manager), Ben Moras and Vinh Cao Quoc (both Warehouse Managers) - the best staff the subsidiary has ever had!

Tell us briefly about your journey at MTN.

This summer it will be 13 years since the first time I worked serving dishes at the Montana Cafè Restaurant, when I was 17 years old. During my next 4 years at university, I worked on Saturdays and part of the holidays serving paint cans at the MTN Shop in the El Born district of Barcelona. Thanks to that experience, I understood the dimension of graffiti. It was a very good time of my life, and I met a lot of big names from the Barcelona scene and international artists who came to visit. Among them, I made some very good friends that I still have to this day.

When I finished university, I had the opportunity to start the project of opening the subsidiary in Australia. So, after half a year of training in LA with the big team of the USA branch, I went to live in Sydney where I spent a year laying the foundations of Montana Colors Australia. It was a powerful experience. I remember arriving the first day and being sat on the floor of an empty warehouse making the first call to set up the internet.

My visa ran out after a year, so at the end of 2017, I went back to Barcelona to join the Export Department, took the Asia and Oceania clients, and continued working with Ben on the subsidiary project (remotely). The next 4 years at Export were very intense, in the good sense of the word - I traveled and learned a lot! I was lucky to have great mentors.

Almost 11 months ago I arrived in Australia again with the plan to stay longer to focus exclusively on developing the Australian market and to bring as much as I can to the team in Sydney.

I would like to thank all of you who have been part of this journey and have taught me along the way - you know who you are!

How did you make the decision to go to Australia and what has the change been like?

It was a real win-win. On a personal level, there were many indicators pointing to the Australia project, and I know that for Montana Colors, having someone from home 17,000Km away that you can trust is a good plus.

The change has been very positive. Personally, we are living the life we came here for. Not everything is a bed of roses, as people think. The distance is apparent, some days more than others, but I think we are adapting well.

On a professional level, I think the team here is much more connected and up to date with everything that happens in Barcelona. This year, it has been a year of changes (in Australia too), but we are working on strong projects that will soon bring success.

What are the best and worst things about living in Sydney?

From my point of view, the best thing about Sydney is the multiculturalism, how close you are to wild landscapes, and the infinity of spots to jump into the sea.

The worst thing, the graffiti - there is graffiti, and lots of it! But coming to Sydney, from a city like Barcelona and the options it offers for a graffiti artist, it's a different story from what I was used to. Especially with a work visa...

You were a graffiti artist before you started working at Montana... what does graffiti mean to you?

Freedom.

What similarities and differences do you see between Australian and European graffiti?

Generalizing, here they have stricter laws against graffiti. Society reacts differently to the practice of illegal graffiti. I feel that it is penalized and discriminated against more. There is a lot of distinction between murals/Street art versus simple graffiti. I feel that in Europe it is more integrated, and people normalize it much more. Both scenarios have their positive and negative sides.

We know that you also surf and climb... do these hobbies have something in common with graffiti?

Absolutely. Although it sounds cliché, I look for that moment of freedom and expression in all of them. I think it's something human, everyone has their own methods. For me, the interaction of oneself with the environment, the effort, the curiosity, the practice and the desire to improve that never ends are good points in common between them.

All three are part of who I am and my personality. They lead me to have new experiences, to meet new people and places that I wouldn't meet in any other way. I would dare to say that a large part of my life revolves around these three elements. So much so, that I work for a company that sells spray paint cans. I'm a good customer of MTN.

Come on! Tell us some funny and surprising painting anecdotes.

Be careful, this is going straight to Linkedin...

Coincidentally, you were born in 1994. Do you have any emotional attachment to the company not only because of this coincidence?

I have had a strong emotional bond with Montana Colors. First and foremost, because of my relationship with its founder, Jordi Rubio.

I also paint graffiti. As a graffiti artist, not a worker, I take my hat off to all the MTN employees and ex-employees who have made such an impact in the graffiti world.

I also tend to give my all in what I do, and yes, I do. Now I have an emotional/personal bond with the Australian project that goes beyond the purely professional, I have sacrificed the Iberian ham to make it happen!

The fact that the brand is the same age as you means that for you it's nothing new... is this true?

I think I saw my first can of MTN at home when I was 7 or 8 years old. My dad was using it to paint the peace symbol on a canvas that we later hung up at the time of the Iraq war. So, no. Nothing new.

Do you think that bragging about celebrating anniversaries has a positive or negative effect on younger audiences?

If you know how to handle it well, it is certainly positive. I believe that, as a brand, we must keep up with the trends, needs and concerns of young people. Especially for a brand like Montana Colors. People feel represented by MTN and I think it should continue to be that way. Of course, at home (Spain/Europe) the market is a bit saturated... But you wouldn't believe how passionate people are about the brand in Asian countries, for example. Goosebumps!

In the end, the experience is an added value that in any case adds up and helps those who venture to try a can for the first time to feel more confident in the knowledge that they have a good quality product.

How do you see the company in 5 years time? 

A major effort is being made to diversify markets and channels. Ultimately this should have a positive impact on the company and consequently on the end customer. Whatever the scope of the different product ranges we manufacture.