spec campaigns
Barnes & Noble
Problem: Book sales are down, which isn’t surprising due to shortening attention spans. People are used to getting fed information in short bursts and have forgotten how wonderful it feels to get lost in a story.
Solution: Remind people of what they’re missing by engaging with the story. Books are more than a blurb. There’s more romance, action, and mystery between the pages of a book than what people can find scrolling social media. A good book can’t be captured in under ten words.
Project: Headlines, tagline
Barnes & Noble will have wrapped books with the short blurb on the front, serving as both a clue to the book inside and a hook for curious shoppers.
LIQUID IV
Problem: People are dehyrated and forgetting to drink water.
Solution: Whether you’re working out, recovering from a hangover, or out on a hot day, there’s a tastier, smarter way of staying extra hydrated.
Project: Headlines, tagline, social media graphic
As a NYC marathon sponsor, LiquidIV will hand out pre-mixed product to runners along the route.
Pair up with Strava for a sponsored challenge, where athletes who complete the challenge are rewarded with a free bag of Liquid IV.
Sponsor a 5k through the Nike Run Club app. People can invite their friends to the challenge, which awards a virtual trophy and coupon.
Jackson Hewitt
Problem: Taxes are notoriously difficult, confusing, and no one wants to do them.
Solution: Jackson Hewitt doesn’t just provide a service, they’re on your side. They speak the language so you don’t have to.
Project: Headlines, tagline
Breakstone’s
Problem: Butter is an oft snubbed grocery list ingredient despite playing a key role in and out of the kitchen.
Solution: Highlight the outcomes that come from preparing homemade meals while elevating Breakstone’s as the magical ingredient behind it all.
Project: Headlines, tagline
Breakstone’s will sponsor the NYTimes cookie week (once a year holiday themed cookie recipes) so that the butter used in their Youtube videos is Breakstone’s, targeting hobbyist bakers.
JBL
Problem: From other people‘s work conversations, subway arguments, TikTok videos, and bad taste in music, there’s a lot you don’t want to hear.
Solution: JBL doesn’t just let you hear what you want to hear. It drowns out everything else.
Project: Headlines, taglin, billboard copy
Vanderbilt
Problem: With so many choices, it can be hard for a college to stand out.
Solution: Highlighting what makes Vanderbilt unique, from their financial aid opportunities to their professors, will give students more information when it comes to applying to college.
Project: Headlines, body copy
Paid Work
Digital content creation for TikTok
Product description
Digital content creation for Instagram
Social media copywriting
ABOUT ME
teacher turned TikTok content creator turned writer
Have you ever been made fun of for your name? Try growing up with the name Candy. I had to endure years of hearing Aaron Carter’s 2000 hit “I Want Candy” sung at me and I swear each consecutive time I heard it, my tongue only got sharper. This early experience gave me a lot of opportunities to craft quick comebacks. It also showed me the power of word associations and early 2000 pop songs. Some things you can’t escape.
Though I grew up dreaming of what life would’ve been like if my parents had just named me Amanda, the name Candy singled me out in a way that changed me. I developed an interest in books– Hamlet, The Crucible, The Odyssey. Like Odysseus, I wanted to go on my own epic journey. I picked the college furthest from home. I studied abroad in London for six months and came back with a British boyfriend and a newfound attitude about flat whites. After graduating, I lived in Korea for two years through the Fulbright program. I’m addicted to the new and different.
It wasn’t until I was teaching high school English that I realized how repetitive life had become. I had probably taught The Great Gatsby for the thirtieth time when I decided to download TikTok, the one thing I’d been resisting since I started teaching Gen Z. Turns out, not only am I pretty good at connecting with Gen Zers, I’m pretty good at making engaging, short form videos. I started getting emails from brands that wanted to work with me, and even negotiated paid ads for multiple brands. Having this new interest while still being a teacher was weird, but it helped me realize I might have outgrown my career and I left my tenured position, much to my supervisor’s chagrin.
Determined to give copywriting a real try, I’ve been working on my portfolio with a mentor and a graphic designer friend, all while continuing to work with brands in the social media space. I’ve learned so many things about writing, creativity, and marketing. The combination of good writing and good marketing creates something you can’t escape. It becomes everywhere, stuck in your mind like an early 2000s pop song.
RESUME