random bits
A few miscellaneous darlings from the archives.
Trending in Anytown: Mums
The state of Texas searches for “chrysanthemum” more than any other state. IYKYK, but if you don't, hold on to your socks. The first in a docu-series designed to explore America through the lens of Search Trends, this story took us to Klein, TX, where we discovered this unusual phenomenon isn't just a tradition, it's a rite of passage. This piece never made it to the the other side of the pandemic, but it lives on here, and in the hearts of every Texan.
Billie
Billie's mission is to champion womankind by relieving them of the harmful pressures created by gender norms. When I was brought on to consult on brand activations that would extend this commitment beyond razors and into the larger beauty category, I had a lifetime's worth of bones with the patriarchy to pick, but knew that we couldn't relieve harmful pressures without first calling attention to their existence in the first place.
I delivered a deck full of ideas that would be executable within their timeframe, and called out one that wasn't, but hoped they would make anyway because society needed them to: an un-winnable board game that navigates the impossible and conflicting narratives that society imposes. I cannot take credit for anything beyond the creative platform and concept, but I was elated to see this perfectly executed game launch—and immediately sell out—a year and a half later.
Search On
With the first few already shot, I was brought in to turn a collection of beautiful, but disparate, stories into Google’s first original branded documentary series, focused on telling the stories at the intersection of technology and humanity.
We produced a series trailer, social films, and helped re-edit and launch existing and future films as a branded series.
Sephora
#NeverStop was Sephora’s first national brand campaign, ever. At a time when cis, white, and young was still the ideal, we went older, browner, and gender-fluid. We launched over 45 pieces of content across the brand's 25M+ following on social.
A timely and relevant message during the historic 2018 Women's March, this work would set the tone and pave the way for the long-overdue shift toward inclusivity that brand and larger industry has seen in recent years. Watching it in the context of today, this work struck me as dated and dull, which is why I ultimately chose to include it—it's a reminder of how ancient recent history can feel and how close we often are to change, even when it seems out of reach.
National Audubon Society
It was 2011, and The National Audubon Society asked us to introduce birding to a new generation as something relevant and, in their words, “cool”?
So we took birding online, releasing thousands of beautifully rendered 3-D birds on the Internet for fledgling birders to spot. Birding the Net was a month-long online scavenger hunt and social media game that spanned over 200 websites and blogs, creating obsessive behavior and camaraderie—with newly minted birders planning to go out birding together in the real world—and picking up a handful of industry awards.