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Work
Lifeforce Membership Magazine – content strategy and editing
The US healthcare startup Lifeforce asked me to help them create a print magazine for new members. The world has changed a lot, but as a means of conveying complex information that reflects the complexity of a brand's nuanced worldview, print still reigns supreme. With the intention of educating new subscribers about the services Lifeforce provides, and building retention while readers are at their most engaged, we created a mix of features from celeb-focussed, to the history of medicine, to lifestyle. The result is an evergreen magazine that can be reprinted as necessary, along with some great editorial that works brilliantly in print, and will translate effectively online.
Wildfarmed Full of Life Toolkit – branding, TOV, mission, messaging hierarchy
Wildfarmed is the most exciting business in the UK today. Where most of us assume its national governments' role to tackle climate breakdown, Wildfarmed is taking a lead and making change happen, one slice of toast at a time. As the business heads into a period of rapid expansion, it needed a toolkit to translate the ethos of the founders and core team into something that can withstand the scrutiny of more touch points and more products. Working with branding agency New For and Wildfarmed's marketing team, I helped craft the brand story, messaging hierarchy, tone of voice principles and creative pillars. If you haven't heard of Wildfarmed, that will change, very soon.
Tracksmith Eliot Runner – campaign writing for product launch
"Who hasn't run the tightrope of a six-inch 'trail' beside a wide asphalt bike path? Logging thousands of miles across New England, we found those moments on pine needle trails, wood chip paths, and old indoor tracks. In France, they'd call it 'terroir.' In New England, we call it pretty great running. And that's the sensation we wanted to bring to the roads – soft, resilient, responsive and ready for anything."
The Eliot Runner was Tracksmith's first move into footwear and the creative direction needed to present a considered, elevated narrative that explained why the shoe was worthy of its premium price tag.
Tracksmith Why the Mile? Film creative direction and written feature
"Why the mile? Why track and field? Few sports allow for individuals to excel and communities to shine. The mile is an outlet for athletic excellence and one we believe everyone at every stage of athletic development can benefit from. But more than anything, racing the mile connects you with the broader track and field community, a community whose strength, camaraderie and positivity really came through that night in London."
Tracksmith organises a series of participation races, and for our first outside North America, we wanted to show our commitment to the London running community.
The Amateur – a guerilla campaign for the 2022 World Championships
"For the first time in history, the outdoor World Championships were held in the United States. We wanted to make the most of this special moment by producing a newspaper... Across ten days, with a team over 14 talented writers, we printed three editions of The Amateur and a total of 33,000 copies – to deliver to track and field fans."
For runners the World Champs are a big deal, but as a small brand, sponsorship was beyond our budget. Instead, we got the Tracksmith brand in front of thousands of track fans every day of the event, handing them free newspapers, packed with fresh engaging content and brand messaging.
Think Global, Run Local – PR content for new store openings
"There are some cities where running is a part of the culture and competitive runners are an everyday visual presence. Boston is just such a city, with the world’s oldest marathon and a constant stream of runners of all ages and abilities pounding the promenade 24/7... New York and London are cities with comparable – but unique – relationships to running and runners. Both host major marathons and both are home to huge, vibrant running communities."
International expansion was a major milestone for Tracksmith and we wanted to control that messaging, creating assets, quotes and a narrative that showed the thought and attention to detail that went into the new spaces.
The Path to Renewal – original poetry for seasonal campaign videos
Working alongside Tracksmith's Creative Director, I created a series of poems to accompany seasonal campaign videos. I was able to explore the language and sensations of the seasons and the experiences we share as the weather changes and goals come into focus while previous accomplishments diminish in the rear view. Spoken by current and former runners and laid over the cinematography of the brand's long-time visual collaborator Emily Maye, these striking films both show the new season's garments in use and create a brand vision that reflects and amplifies the runner's perspective. At present the Path to Renewal has over 3m views on youtube.
METER Magazine – editor, writer
I was initially commissioned to create a magazine for Tracksmith in 2014. Running was poorly served in the media and deserved a publication that paid homage to the sport's heritage, beauty and enduring appeal. METER played a major role in presenting Tracksmith's view of the world, and building a certain mythology around the brand. As Editor, I had a free reign to commission writers, photographers and illustrators to best deliver a global perspective of the sport to our loyal fanbase. In 2020 I oversaw a redesign with New York agency Doubleday and Cartwright, working with stakeholders from within the brand, the agency, printers and freelancers to create a bigger, fresher version of the magazine.
Run Commute lookbook – London art director and writer
For the London portion of this lookbook, I acted as art director, directing the shoot with photograher George Marshall and model Leon Cerrone, specifiying locations and ensuring that the various outfits were all captured while maintaining contact with the creative team in the US. In addition, I wrote the copy for the lookbook, a major outlet for Tracksmith that would be sent to the entire global email list and form the basis of the seasonal campaign across email, social, and PR. This was the brand's first shoot outside of the US, so the pressure for it to hit the brand standards was high, and we achieved that.
Hood to Coast lookbook – creative director, editor
I have a longheld belief that editorial is an underutilised marketing tool and has potential to be a direct selling channel if done well. This 2016 lookbook was an experiment in form: words, photos, embedded audio and shoppable links. Using inexpensive, off the shelf solutions this piece remains once of my favourite concepts and something I believe has potential to exploit more fully in 2023, especially as formats like this have become popularised on tiktok and instagram. Tell attention-grabbing stories, and make it easy to buy.
Speedo Made for This – Pentland Creative Agency, copywriting
"Made for early starts, made for late nights, made for constant hunger... Made for this. Made for Fastskin." To launch Speedo's latest competition swimsuit, we interviewed dozens of teenage club swimmers to discover what makes them tick: what gets them out of bed at 5am to train, and what inspires them to sacrifice their social lives in order to compete at the highest level. The answer was a sense of belonging, something that unites competitive swimmers at all levels of the sport. This inspired the big campaign idea that as an athlete, you're "made for this", and you deserve the best equipment to give it your best shot: Fastskin.
Speedo Learn to Swim creative – Pentland Creative Agency
Working with Art Director Kirsty Hopkins, we completely reworked the ecosystem around Speedo's Learn to Swim collection, from packaging to product descriptions to online editorial content. We interviewed swim teachers, and spoke to parents (as a new father, I had skin in the game) and created messaging that reflected children's pure joy of swimming, while presenting practical, valuable advice to parents. Working through multiple rounds with the brand marketing team, we created an ecosystem that still feels fresh five years later.
Canterbury Own the Unexpected – Pentland Creative Agency, copywriting
Inspired by the illustrious England Manager Eddie Jones' unorthodox tactics, the Own the Unexpected campaign promoted Canterbury's sponsorship deal with the England Rugby Team. Some teams aim to control the uncontrollable, England aims to capitalise on it.
Canterbury Train for your Game – Pentland Creative Agency, copywriting
Rugby is a hard, physical game, but like all sports, the real work happens away from competition, in the gym and on the training pitch. To launch Canterbury's collection of training gear and associated content, we created the Train for your Game campaign, supporting committed players to train smarter, not harder.
Principles
Creativity
Creativity shouldn't be constrained by formats. Throughout my career I have played a role in: campaign conceptualisation and tag lines; video scripts; product naming, positioning, packaging and descriptions; campaign emails, sales emails and community emails; press releases; social copy for all platforms; long form, short form, print and digital, billboards and clothing labels. Wherever there are words, I've most likely written for that application, and wherever there are images, I have been part of creating, commissioning or curating them.
Community
Community has been at the heart of all the brands I've worked with, from Speedo to Tracksmith to Kickers and Strava. I thrive on getting to know customers, learning about their worldviews and then uncovering the bonds that link that community together. It's all about being open to conversation – because good copy is a conversation, don't you think?
Diversity
As a manager I've enjoyed mentoring creatives and I'm keenly aware of the need for diversity. If good writing is a conversation, it's essential to reflect your community and be aware of your blindspots. As an experienced magazine editor, I have had the privilege of commissioning a diverse and talented roster of writers, photographers, illustrators and designers in the pursuit of great, storytelling, always with an eye on choosing the right person to tell a story authentically. I believe that actions speak louder than words, and that editorial is the ideal place to highlight diversity in a natural way.
Sustainability
Today's consumer expects a brand's environmental credentials to be front and centre, something I have created for multiple brands, from Speedo's recycled nylon to Tracksmith's use of natural fibres. In addition, I believe that it's more important than ever to create sustainable models that minimise customer churn and put community at the heart of the business. Good creative can help with this, building salience and maximising customer retention.
Background
I'm a natural doer. I love to take photographs, make music and create. When I unearth an interest in something, I become obsessive about it. And as David Epstein describes in Range, I've found that the learning and practising of new skills often leads to new ways of thinking. Enthusiasm, exploration and experimentation are key to my approach and directly inform my philosophy when it comes to doing good work: listen; be aware of your blindspots; bring others with you; challenge and support younger team members to reach their potential; lead by example; never stop learning. Above all, do the damn work.
If you would like to talk about working together, please contact me:
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