Oskar Pernefeldt, Creative Director at Oatly, revealing his most guilt

We met Oskar in the elevator, where he usually takes his selfies. Oskar is Creative Director at Oatly’s Department of Mind Control, where he helps shape the brand’s unmistakable voice and visual identity. Outside of Oatly, he’s also the creator of The International Flag of Planet Earth. We talked guilty pleasures, bad movies, good design, and the underrated art of doing absolutely nothing.

Why do you use earplugs?

Despite being a sucker for guilty pleasures like Eurovision and boybands, I’ve come to realize that a bit of quiet might actually be my favorite soundtrack — whether I’m trying to think creatively or get some sleep on a night train to a meeting somewhere in Sweden.

What does good design mean to you?

As a Creative Director, I’m contractually obliged to say that good design is extremely important. But really, I think it comes down to function. If it works, it works.

And if it looks great while doing it, even better.

What’s the least creative thing you do that somehow makes you more creative?

I watch really bad movies. I have absolutely nothing against a Hallmark movie. I also spend quite a lot of time just staring into space, preferably from a park bench.

Turns out, doing absolutely nothing is surprisingly productive.

How has better sleep had an effect on your daily performance?

Good sleep is everything. I travel a lot for work, sometimes on night trains, and Happy Ears are basically my lifeline when I’m lying there being gently thrown around in a bunkbed somewhere. If I arrive without proper sleep, I already know the meetings are going to suffer.