WRITER.
I’ve written concepts, decks, manifestos, a mini-autobiography, poetry, some op-eds, a children’s book or two, weekly web stories, tonnes of Instagram & LinkedIn captions, plenty of headlines and radio ads... And started (but not finished) a screenplay. I do rather love words... Here are a few faves from the ongoing journey of my pen:
// KLABU : 6 months of Freelance Impact Storytelling
[plus content creation, social media and CMS management]
I’ve always said I like nothing more than doing good with good people. And KLABU is an amazing NGO and social enterprise, focussed on levelling the playing field for refugees worlwide. Through shipping containers turned open-up-and-play clubhouses with sport lending libraries, they offer the tools to change lives for the better in refugee camps. And you can support that work of the Foundation through their social enterprise, which sells the bold and bright KLABU shirts worn at the cross-border sports club.
I penned regular editorial pieces and social posts to bring the KLABU universe and its treasure trove of beautiful, heartwarming and transformational stories to life. And it left me feeling like impact storytelling is the very best kind of work you can call yourself lucky to do. Below a selection of the stories I told. Join the KLABU!
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// “JELLYPIE, FIREFLY” : Co-written Children’s Book
[plus Creative Direction, Design & Typography]
Good friend and ex-colleague Anne Graham came to me with a fledgling manuscript draft for this wonderful character full of ‘glow magic’ that represents a useful metaphor for a child with an ADHD diagnosis. We developed the book further together, honing the structure and length, the story arc and the functionality - creating ‘Jellypie, Firefly’ as a series of spreads that spark conversation between child and carer to help them make sense of the letters A, D, H & D and thrive in their neurospicyness.
We found our illustrator Emma Gandolfi, I wrote all the concept briefs for her spreads and creative directed along the way. I also put together all the Kickstarter material to help get our book fully funded (including voicing the project film), created all the content for the social channels, and also oversaw the printing process for the book, having designed and laid it all out... A labour of love that has me glowing from top to bottom too, just like Jellypie herself! Scroll the slideshow beneath for some of my favourite spreads, copies will be available to buy from late Feb 2024.
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// *PERSONAL* MIDJOURNEY A.I. : <Input>Haiku {Output}: Illustration
Like all good creatives worried they might lose their job to a computer, I had an A.I. mess-around with the MidJourney beta, and I thought I’d challenge my potential robot overlord by feeding it with some shortform haiku poetry I wrote as the input, just to see what it would spit back out. Verdict: it’s too much fun. I’m sure A.I poetry’s probably pretty good too. But for now I’m still the one holding the pen...and doing the input (and the design overlay!)
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// GABBERISH : The Guilt Issue
I was asked to contribute to the ‘Creative Therapy’ section of this magazine, and chose to write on the theme of working mother guilt, penning a letter to my beloved children and illustrating what the juggle-struggle-blend often feels like around my greatest ever creative products.
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// ANTFUCKER 'zine
Written to enlighten people as to why the smallest meeting room at 72andSunny was called 'Mierenneuker'. This was printed as a *tiny* magazine on a big newspaper stick, for perusal in the little meeting space.
Made with the legends that are Mark Jenkins and Valentina Mandozzi.
// The AXE Fragrance Generator
A speculative and playfully bonkers little experience made to celebrate 'Rainforest & Graffiti', one of AXE's unexpected fragrance combos. So we thought why not make unlimited suggestions? Can you smell them all?
Made with the coding brains of Mark Jenkins (again) and fellow writer and all-round crazy talent Andy Johns.
// PROJECT POO
We decided to make the toilets gender neutral at 72andSunny. So I wrote some pooetry to commemorate the moment, and toilettiquette to help people cope with the change.
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// HUMAN LIBRARY
My advertising life story so far. Writing it was pretty cathartic.
Cover designs by Wendy Richardson.
// GOOGLE x BBC: Child Internet Safety
Sadly this project died deep into the discussions stage with these 2 iconic brands, and I’ll never fully get why. Meme culture was planned to be put to new, subversive smart-thinking use as a way for kids to communicate better behaviour amongst themselves in their online lives. The message bearers could go where no ad campaign could ever hope to reach. Roll Safe, Danny Dyer, BBC newsreaders, nature documentary sloths; we twisted too many bits of TV and internet culture to share here, but it was a joy to write on.
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// OUTDOOR SEASON: The Guardian
I penned these radio spots featuring the comic talent of Tim Key, giving boring tour guide commentary to somewhere that sounds very much like it could be your house.
Nominated Finalist for Campaign BIG Awards.
// ROYAL BALLET LIVE: The Guardian
Probably the longest headline I’ve ever managed to get away with in my copwriting lifetime.
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// KLABU : 6 months of Freelance Impact Storytelling
[plus content creation, social media and CMS management]
I’ve always said I like nothing more than doing good with good people. And KLABU is an amazing NGO and social enterprise, focussed on levelling the playing field for refugees worlwide. Through shipping containers turned open-up-and-play clubhouses with sport lending libraries, they offer the tools to change lives for the better in refugee camps. And you can support that work of the Foundation through their social enterprise, which sells the bold and bright KLABU shirts worn at the cross-border sports club.
I penned regular editorial pieces and social posts to bring the KLABU universe and its treasure trove of beautiful, heartwarming and transformational stories to life. And it left me feeling like impact storytelling is the very best kind of work you can call yourself lucky to do. Below a selection of the stories I told. Join the KLABU!
// “JELLYPIE, FIREFLY” : Co-written Children’s Book
[plus Creative Direction, Design & Typography]
Good friend and ex-colleague Anne Graham came to me with a fledgling manuscript draft for this wonderful character full of ‘glow magic’ that represents a useful metaphor for a child with an ADHD diagnosis. We developed the book further together, honing the structure and length, the story arc and the functionality - creating ‘Jellypie, Firefly’ as a series of spreads that spark conversation between child and carer to help them make sense of the letters A, D, H & D and thrive in their neurospicyness.
We found our illustrator Emma Gandolfi, I wrote all the concept briefs for her spreads and creative directed along the way. I also put together all the Kickstarter material to help get our book fully funded (including voicing the project film), created all the content for the social channels, and also oversaw the printing process for the book, having designed and laid it all out... A labour of love that has me glowing from top to bottom too, just like Jellypie herself! Scroll the slideshow beneath for some of my favourite spreads, copies will be available to buy from late Feb 2024.
// *PERSONAL* MIDJOURNEY A.I. : <Input>Haiku {Output}: Illustration
Like all good creatives worried they might lose their job to a computer, I had an A.I. mess-around with the MidJourney beta, and I thought I’d challenge my potential robot overlord by feeding it with some shortform haiku poetry I wrote as the input, just to see what it would spit back out. Verdict: it’s too much fun. I’m sure A.I poetry’s probably pretty good too. But for now I’m still the one holding the pen...and doing the input (and the design overlay!)
// GABBERISH : The Guilt Issue
I was asked to contribute to the ‘Creative Therapy’ section of this magazine, and chose to write on the theme of working mother guilt, penning a letter to my beloved children and illustrating what the juggle-struggle-blend often feels like around my greatest ever creative products.
// ANTFUCKER 'zine
Written to enlighten people as to why the smallest meeting room at 72andSunny was called 'Mierenneuker'. This was printed as a *tiny* magazine on a big newspaper stick, for perusal in the little meeting space.
Made with the legends that are Mark Jenkins and Valentina Mandozzi.
// The AXE Fragrance Generator
A speculative and playfully bonkers little experience made to celebrate 'Rainforest & Graffiti', one of AXE's unexpected fragrance combos. So we thought why not make unlimited suggestions? Can you smell them all?
Made with the coding brains of Mark Jenkins (again) and fellow writer and all-round crazy talent Andy Johns.
// PROJECT POO
We decided to make the toilets gender neutral at 72andSunny. So I wrote some pooetry to commemorate the moment, and toilettiquette to help people cope with the change.
// HUMAN LIBRARY
My advertising life story so far. Writing it was pretty cathartic.
Cover designs by Wendy Richardson.
// GOOGLE x BBC: Child Internet Safety
Sadly this project died deep into the discussions stage with these 2 iconic brands, and I’ll never fully get why. Meme culture was planned to be put to new, subversive smart-thinking use as a way for kids to communicate better behaviour amongst themselves in their online lives. The message bearers could go where no ad campaign could ever hope to reach. Roll Safe, Danny Dyer, BBC newsreaders, nature documentary sloths; we twisted too many bits of TV and internet culture to share here, but it was a joy to write on.
// OUTDOOR SEASON: The Guardian
I penned these radio spots featuring the comic talent of Tim Key, giving boring tour guide commentary to somewhere that sounds very much like it could be your house.
Nominated Finalist for Campaign BIG Awards.
// ROYAL BALLET LIVE: The Guardian
Probably the longest headline I’ve ever managed to get away with in my copwriting lifetime.
// LIFE IS DRAMA: National Theatre
I highly enjoyed distilling the UK’s National Theatre stage plays down to the very barest of synopses, in this campaign that shows how even the most ancient play is bang up to date on the zeitgeist and rollercoaster ups and downs of modern life.
// EAT DIFFERENT, EAT: Young’s
I put on an anti-meat-eating hat and wrote this campaign from the voices of other animals...to encourage fish consumption.
// HOW TO SPEND IT: The Jacques Allain Edition
If the fancy page-flipping pretend magazine linked here proves too difficult to consume, then please head to the pure words of some spoof articles scribed in loving pastiche of the FT’s How To Spend It, for a dear friend’s landmark birthday. Apparently he very much enjoyed reading them in the bath and at other inappropriate moments for a father of two.
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If the fancy page-flipping pretend magazine linked here proves too difficult to consume, then please head to the pure words of some spoof articles scribed in loving pastiche of the FT’s How To Spend It, for a dear friend’s landmark birthday. Apparently he very much enjoyed reading them in the bath and at other inappropriate moments for a father of two.
