Blogterview
Well this is a bit exciting. Today I bring you a blogterview with my fav copy writer. She was part of the team that brought you one of the most awarded campaigns of all time "Best job in the World" (Tourism QLD). She's been described to me as having one of the most creative 'lady brains' in the business (by one of the most creative, Creative Directors). She's lived the writer in NYC dream and let me sleep on her couch for a week. She taught me the power of the coffee cup and 10am alcoholism. She inspired me to take the leap into the creative department. She's always in heels. She delights in unicorns, kittens and fine wine. She can pole dance like no other and pool table dance just as well. She's witty, and oh so smart. Best of all she's about to touch down back in her home town (Brisbane)... (drum roll) she's the one the only Merrin McCormick.
Name?:
Merrin McCormick aka Miss Merrin or Mez.
What's your day job?:
I’m Associate Creative Director at Campfire in New York. We do projects for TV, films, games, books and brands. Our campaigns cross the physical, social and digital realms, sometimes that means making ads, sometimes not.
What did you wanna be when you grew up?:
When I was really little, I wanted to be a horticulturalist or an actress. I started writing stories before I could technically ‘write’ (with help from my older brothers) and decided I wanted to be an author.
If you where a super hero what would your super hero name be?:
‘The procrastinator’ or ‘The over-analyser’…hmmm, that sounds pretty neurotic. Could I just be Wonder Woman? I’ve always liked her red boots and invisible jet.
What inspires you on a day to day basis?:
The people I work with. I love being surrounded by sharp, creative people with different strengths and passions. I’m also inspired by conversations I eavesdrop on, ridiculous stories in the news, and pictures of cute animals I find on BuzzFeed. Those little critters help get me through long days when my mind is fried.
Tell me a bit about your professional journey - how'd you get here?:
At uni I studied Advertising and Media Studies, then I went back and completed a Grad Dip in Creative Writing. I was really fascinated by the different ways people consumed and used media in their lives, so I toyed with the idea of being a professional academic. If I got in the ad industry, I
knew that I wanted to be a copywriter. It took me a while to commit myself and pursue it. But, once I’d decided on advertising I got the opportunity to work at an agency (as a receptionist/executive assistant).
From the start, I tried to learn as much as I could about the business and generally prove myself. I ended up working as a production co-ordinator, traffic manager and account executive before I finally charmed my way into the creative department (that process took about 9 months). I owe a lot to my Creative Directors for teaching me so much and giving me so many opportunities when I was starting out. And I’ve learned important lessons from every creative partnership I’ve been in.
After I reached a level of success in the industry, I wanted to move overseas and try to adapt to a new market. I came to New York and found Campfire. I was attracted to their storytelling pedigree and the integrity of their work. I thought I’d be stretched and challenged and learn new things, and I haven’t been disappointed.
If you had one piece of advice for aspiring creatives, what would it be?:
It’s a piece of advice from Sesame Street: “Sing, sing a song. Make it simple to last your whole life long. Don’t worry that it’s not good enough for anyone else to hear. Sing, sing a song.”
I apply this advice to my personal projects: don’t worry about the outcome too much, just enjoy being inspired and making things. The most important thing is to make stuff.
I’m a major procrastinator and that comes from a place of anxiety and asking myself stupid questions like: What if I’m wasting my time? What if people don’t ‘get it’? What if I’m disappointed by the outcome? Blah, blah, blah.
I’m always going to want to be better than I am, so I say ‘fuck it’. Enjoy creating stuff. Don’t just turn up to parties and tell people you’re creative…talk less, do more. The more I create, the better I feel – I’m sure that’s true for all creative people.
The second lesson to be learned from that song is: if you don’t know the words, sing ‘la la la la la’ really loud and people won’t notice that you’re not quite sure what you’re doing.
What's been the most challenging part of your job?:
Sometimes I have to live with a piece of work that just doesn’t meet my expectations. The process of going through client feedback, budgetary realities and time limitations can distort a concept. Things rarely turn out exactly as I’d planned. Every time there’s a set back I try to turn it into an opportunity to make things better. (But, I still swear a lot…and do a lot of face-palming.)
What's your fav part of your job & fav piece of work you've done?
I love the creative process, I love researching a subject, immersing myself in a problem and getting a little bit lost. Whenever I start feeling frustrated I know I’m getting close to an idea. I’ve learned to really enjoy the ‘not knowing’ almost as much as I enjoy finding an answer. And it just feels like magic when you’re working with someone in a similar state of mind – you can’t go wrong.
My current fave piece is a campaign we did for Season One of American Horror Story. It was an extremely challenging project from start to finish, but I learned a lot. I wanted to create an experience that would build the mythology of American Horror Story and give horror fans the opportunity to have a richer viewing experience. AHS is basically a weird, twisted haunted house story, so we invented horrific events that happened over the house’s history and made artifacts that would help fans piece together the history in the lead up to the show’s premiere. We sent out physical artifacts to fans who then ‘uploaded’ them to the digital house (http://www.youregoingtodieinthere.com/). So as fans received their piece of the puzzle they were revealing something for everyone to see and speculate about.
I loved experimenting with lots of different ways to tell stories (and I got to make a bondage snuff video set in the 80s). It was gratifying to see fans of the show discover the experience months after we launched, they’re still saying some really nice things in the Twitterverse.
What's your current facebook status?:
I vastly overestimated the amount of stuff that would fit in my suitcases - what I need is a Mary Poppins bag!
I’m about to relocate back to Australia, but first I’m doing a little travel around Europe, so a Mary Poppins bag would come in really handy…and one of her flying umbrellas would’ve cut down on my travel costs, too.
If you could have dinner with anyone (alive of dead) who would it be?:
Oscar Wilde. We’d go to a crowded restaurant, eavesdrop on conversations and have some world-class banter. (I’m a sucker for good banter.)