“Medieval Mercenary Warriors” is the first meaning registered for the term ‘freelance’: mercenary soldiers from the Middle Ages. Warriors who sign a contract to win a battle even if they have to lose their lives doing it. Fortunately, life today isn’t so gory and freelancers are better known for working with their Mac from modern bars than for dying skewered by lances or beneath a horse.

But even so, there are still traces remaining of this idea that the freelancer is a sharpshooter or a troubleshooter. But, is that necessarily a bad thing? And, even more important: is that necessarily true? Because at a time when communication strategies have become atomized, advertising agencies are questioning their models and technology allows for smoother more collaborative forms of work… Wouldn’t it be more accurate to see this medieval soldier as a hyper-prepared ally?

Emma Pueyo is a freelance creative director specializing in brand and communication strategy in new media. She works for national and international agencies like Wieden+Kennedy, Poke, AKQA, McCann or &Rosàs. She also works directly with advertisers like Nike, Atrapa-ho or Harper’s Bazaar. Her work has won awards at The One Xou, Webbies, FIAP, El Sol or El Ojo de Iberoamérica.

Since 2016 she is also co-founder of Más Mujeres Creativas, an independent platform that promotes female talent in Spanish advertising.