If you’ve scrolled on Instagram or TikTok recently, there’s a good chance that Rudy Willingham popped into your feed. There’s an even greater chance that his unique art style garnered a like, and maybe even a follow. Garnering an audience on social media is becoming harder and harder, but Willingham makes it look effortless. It’s 100% intentional. For Willingham, he loves it when viewers watch one of his latest creations and come away thinking, “I could do that!”
Willingham’s unique style of pop art isn’t just beloved by audiences scrolling through social media. He’s collaborated with big names and massive brands including Whole Foods Market, Hasbro, Sony, Paramount+, Microsoft, WWE, the NBA, Starbucks, and Amazon, just to name a few. In fact, Willingham made his bones in advertising, yet another aspect that he believes fueled his success. Playboy sat down with Willingham recently to discuss his art, his favorite creations, and even touch on what it takes to crack it in the cutthroat world of social media.
Playboy: What is your favorite aspect of your work?
Rudy Willingham: Let’s say I like being somebody whose art is physical and real, and handmade and organic. Digital art is totally cool and fun, but I think there’s still a place for the handmade art, especially with all the AI tools coming out today. I think that’s important. In general, I just love being able to make a living as an artist. I think it’s probably one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received.
Playboy: You’ve got millions of followers across social media. Among all your viral posts, is there one that stands out as a favorite?
Willingham: One post that I think changed my life was a Kobe Bryant one that I did. That was my first big kind of paper cutout stop motion one that led to a lot of brand work. It led to a Whole Foods national TV campaign, which led me to my current photography agency. It got reposted around the Internet by celebrities and…it’s funny that project was just a paper cutout.
Stop motion is so time-consuming and hard and I remember finishing the Kobe Bryant video and saying to myself “I’ve never gonna do that again. That was way too hard!” And then all of a sudden, people started hiring me to do it and it sort of became my life.
A very long time ago, I put up some stickers of Russell Wilson on an elevator and when the elevator door shuts, it looks like he’s like throwing a football to a wide receiver. That was another kind of big viral moment. The Simone Biles one that I just posted seems to really resonate with people too.
Playboy: On the other side of that, is there something that you put out that wasn’t up to snuff to your own standards?
Willingham: Something I’ve done that just sucks? Yeah, I let’s see…I mean I definitely, like most creators, I’ve had posts that flop. Posts that just don’t spread anywhere, that you spend two or three weeks on and for whatever reason—like— you think it’s good. But no one else thinks it’s good. And you start to question your own taste a little bit. I guess that’s just part of the game, kind of.
Playboy: Totally. What inspires you?
Willingham: I take a big inspiration from street art. Growing up, I’d always loved street art and incorporating natural environments into the art and sort of transforming things with my paper cutouts. You walk by a tree every day. You don’t think anything of it, but when you frame it within somebody’s t-shirt or something, it turns the tree into a design and it allows you to look at everyday objects like art. Like, “This car’s tail lights look like the Terminator’s eyes” or “This coffee cup looks like a scene from Dune.” Stuff like that.
Before I started as full-time Creator, I worked at ad agencies for 10 years. So that’s sort of my creative training ground. I never went to art school. I don’t have any sort of traditional art background. I think a lot of advertising sucks, but the good ones are art, in my opinion.
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Playboy: You’ve worked with some incredibly iconic brands like Whole Foods and Volvo. Is there a brand that you haven’t worked with that you would love to collaborate with in the future?
Willingham: I would love to do some stuff for the Olympics in 2028, or the Super Bowl or just any of those huge athletic events. But also would love to do something with Nike or Apple. I wanted to get into maybe making a Netflix TV show intro, or music videos, stuff like that. But yeah, I’ve worked with a lot of really big brands that I’d never thought I’d have the opportunity to work for. It’s just about expanding what I’m doing. Advertising and brand work is a huge part of what I do and I love doing that. But maybe get into an art gallery or sell coffee table books.
Playboy: Breaking into the social media spare feels impossible to most people. Is there any advice you would give to creators for standing out?
Willingham: I mean standing out is the biggest thing to me. You’ve got to be different. I see a lot of people that are really, really, good at what they do, but there’s so many other people [on social media]. So I think finding your own voice—I mean, that sounds kind of generic to say—but finding your own style that no one else is doing, I think is important.
An important part of my work has been timing. Playing off moments and pop culture and trends. The Simone Biles post just went viral. If I had posted that two months before, it would not have gone viral, but finding the right time, like posting it right after she won the gold medal. That’s what makes it pop.
Also, just sort of sticking with it. It’s harder and harder, as more people get on these platforms to gain a following. Experimenting…just kind of shotgun blast your ideas out there and see what’s sticking and what’s not.
Playboy: Your approach to art is resoundingly Lo-Fi. Is there a reason that this approach appeals to you?
Willingham: The Lo-Fi feel…I’ve just always liked it, even in music. I like it to sound dusty, like it was made in a basement. I think there’s something playful about it where…it seems like maybe a little kid is doing it. And people watching it are thinking, “I could do that! I could print this stuff out and stick it up.” I think that’s kind of fun for people. It’s very relatable. That also ties back to the standing out part.
Playboy: What’s the secret to your success?
Willingham: I think having that advertising background…I had training before I started doing this in ideation and creation. I think if I just started when I was 18, I don’t think I would have had the brain to do it. That, and I had so many years of working with big brands and advertising and brainstorming and constantly studying other stuff. I would just really recommend to anyone starting out that wants to be a creator to get a base of knowledge for a couple years at least before you start just immediately putting stuff out.
Playboy: Yeah, so to get some real-world experience before you dive in.
Willingham: Exactly. Also I’m just constantly studying. What are people talking about? Absorb other art, whether it’s video or advertising or other viral pieces. Why does this connect with people? Why is this going viral? How fast are they cutting? What kind of music are they using? What’s going on? It’s important to study that.
Playboy: Is there anything else that you’d like to share?
Willingham: Hire me to do your brand work!
Playboy: Is Playboy one of the brands you’d eventually like to work with?
Willingham: Exactly, yes! Playboy, number one. For sure. [laughs]