BUzzfeed
Before BuzzFeed, I planned on getting a very depressing PhD in Cold War dissident history. Instead, I spent four years immersed in cat GIFs, Kardashians, and memes.
At BuzzFeed, I worked with passionate, brilliant people who wanted to make ads, news, and editorial in a fresh and better way. It taught me that seemingly trivial stuff like a dog feeling guilty for eating its owner’s lipstick or a piece of sad-looking taxidermy connects people and makes them feel less alone. It’s made a big impact on how I approach creative.
Most of my time was devoted to branded content (with clients like Sony, NBC, Taco Bell, Experian, Google, and Apple), but I wrote for the editorial side too. My work gained millions of views, achieved trending status, and shared well above benchmark.
Branded Content Examples:
Sony Pictures
+ Bitmoji
Summary: To get people excited about the release of “The Night Before,” I asked Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt horribly cringey questions on camera. They answered in Bitmoji and it was a hoot.
Objective: To promote both Bitmoji and the upcoming movie, “The Night Before,” through emphasizing the cast’s edginess in a co-branded post.
My Role: Writer, GIF maker, interviewer, producer.
Taco Bell
Summary: This piece leveraged Taco Bell-obsessed social posts to explore the hallowed history of Taco Bell. My pitch helped win back Taco Bell’s business so we could partner with them for the first time in years.
Objective: To excite millennials about the launch of the Quesalupa (without revealing its name) by showcasing other fan-fave past launches.
My Role: Writing, strategy, pitching.
Tito's + BuzzFeed
Summary: I made five weird vodka infusions at home and fed them to my unsuspecting coworkers. Surprisingly, some people were into the mushrooms.¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Objective: To show that Tito’s can fit individual tastes and identities.
My role: Photography, GIF making, writing, strategy.
Editorial Content Examples:
Food Reporting
Summary: In this piece, I asked 21 of LA’s top bartenders to share their insider tips on top-notch hangover cures. The post was trending onsite for a week and garnered half a million views.
My role: Researcher, writer, photographer, producer.
Quiz Making
Summary: I made this humorous quiz to help readers discover their inner savage grandma through expressing their tea party preferences. Take it with your pinky raised, please.
My role: Researcher, writer, builder.
Luxury Travel
Summary: This aspirational editorial travel post meant to inspire wanderlust in Gilmore Girls fans looking to enjoy New England.
My role: Researcher, writer, photographer/curator.