Hi, I’m Michelle Nance, a recent grad of One School, an experiential sponsorship expert and creative writer with a career history filled with adventures.
Right out of college, I moved to NYC from Winston-Salem, NC in the summer of 2010 back when Rihanna’s chart-topper “Only Girl (In The World)” ruled the party scene, I was there.
Early on I dabbled in television work and landed a role in experiential marketing and sponsorships with The ESSENCE Festival in 2013.
I’ve managed accounts, developed strategy and creative ideas for clients, led category and event specific sales efforts across large scale festivals, shows, conferences, tours and special events at ESSENCE Magazine, The New York Times and ViacomCBS.
I’m also a multi-genre songwriter. I’ve written pieces for publications. I co-created an interview series that positively promotes Black love. And I curate playlists for fun to enjoy and share with others. Oh, and I’m a mom to one feisty four-year-old!
TELFAR
GET IN OUR DMs
The Assignment
Create a social first, attention grabbing idea that launches the Telfar x UGG collaboration to a new audience. Specifically targeting people who are too often ignored by the fashion industry.
The Insight
Exclusive product drops often create an environment of competition and a feeling of inaccessibility. So for the Ugg x Telfar collaboration drop we will use one of the most scandalous parts of online culture (the DMs) to inspire inclusiveness, and encourage people to celebrate friends and family all in the name of securing a bag.
The Idea
Followers of both Ugg and Telfar are asked to slide in Telfar’s DMs, not for scandal, but to share stories of inspiration about someone they think deserves to win one of the bags from the collaboration.
On a designated day, the Telfar handle will share these DMs, screenshot style, in the account’s IG stories, surprising lucky winners via DM response and by tagging them in the story post.
Telfar turns the concept of “sliding in the DMs on its head to promote inclusivity on the internet, oh, and its new UGG collaboration.
GET IN OUR DMs
The Execution
Caption Copy: Telfar x UGG want this drop to feel less like a battlefield and more like a warm hug. So we’re inviting you to slide in our DMs (don’t act shy now!) to nominate someone you adore for a chance to secure this bag! Tell me who they are, what they mean to you and don’t forget to share their handle.
EVERYTHING BUT THE
CHICKEN SANDWICH
The Assignment
Create a powerful PR idea that can make the iconic Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich the center of media and conversations...again!
The Insight
Although most people know meals like the Popeye’s chicken sandwich should be considered a treat, who are we kidding? Once you have it you crave it again, and again.
The Idea
Create a seasoning that gives Popeye’s chicken sandwich lovers a way to fulfill that chicken sandwich craving without all the fat, sodium, carbs and guilt!
Popeye’s takes on the challenge of giving customers the satisfaction of the chicken sandwich, without the actual, you know, sandwich.
Everything but the chicken sandwich
With salt, garlic, and cajun spices
EVERYTHING BUT THE
CHICKEN SANDWICH
Popeye’s will create an Everything But The Chicken Sandwich seasoning, giving fans of this superior chicken sandwich the chance to get their fix even when it’s not a treat day.
It’ll include all the flavor, none of the guilt and the ability to make any meal taste like a Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich.
The seasoning can be created in partnership with Trader Joe’s and distributed in limited quantity.
SHOEBOX TIME CAPSULE
The Assignment
Vans tasked us with creating a digital-based experiential program that would appeal to newcomers and long-time devotees to the brand.
The Insight
Some of our most important keepsakes and prized possessions are saved in shoeboxes and when discovered after some time can serve as a time capsule of our lives.
The Idea
Get people talking about the things they’ve kept in shoeboxes. A multi-prong experiential program will highlight notable figures shoebox keepsakes and answer the question to “what does it look like to keep memories tucked away in a shoebox” in the digital age with an online expression of the Vans shoebox.
Vans brings people together around the nostalgic practice of saving memories in shoeboxes.
SHOEBOX TIME CAPSULE
The Execution
Keep New Yorking
The Assignment
Come up with an out of home campaign that introduces America to the dosist range of CBD and cannabis therapy pens.
The Insight
THC and CBD products are still associated with a certain subculture that does not resonate with a lot of people who don’t see themselves as traditional weed smokers. Additionally, CBD is still attached to marijuana and the understanding for use is still blurry. However, legalization is spreading across the country opening up a whole new market.
The Idea
We’ll make good use of the fact that recreational marijuana was recently legalized in New York State creating an NYC localized, OOH campaign. We’ll take characteristics of the city that induce stressful and undesirable situations and make fun of them while positioning dosist as the solution to the problems.
Dosist is here to save New York City dwellers from the things they love to hate the most about the city.
Keep New Yorking with dose controlled cannabis therapy.
The Assignment
Get mainstream casual drinkers who already have one or two favorite brands they choose to drink either at home or out to switch to Uncle Nearest by coming up with a film idea that shows them that there is more to Uncle Nearest than your average whiskey.
The Insight
There are some things in life that we just need to go smoothly and when it does we feel a momentary high for nailing it.
The Idea
Uncle Nearest whiskey claims to be the smoothest, so we’ll create a film around one of the most high pressure situations: the first date, where things start a little rocky but manage to turn out smoothly.
Smooth Under Pressure
Sometimes the smoothest thing in the room is in your glass.
We open on a man, mid-thirties, dressed in a suit, visibly anxious as he stands in front of a restaurant in NYC. He fiddles with his phone, opening a dating app, checking his date’s profile again. When he looks up he finally sees her coming towards him just in time. He smiles, relieved to see how beautiful she is in person.
He goes in for a hug, but she’s poised for a handshake.
He made reservations but something went wrong and they’re seated at the bar instead.
They share an appetizer, they both reach in for the last bit of the dish, they make uneasy eye contact.
They discover that they’re both fans of whiskey and they get into a back and forth about their favorites, he convinces her to try his.
They both take a sip and she smiles and flirts with her eyes and exclaims, “okaaaay, I see you.”
“Yeah, I told you.” He relaxes a bit, the awkward tension melting.
The camera lingers on them as they settle into smoothly flowing conversation. A narrator closes: “Sometimes the only thing guaranteed to be smooth is the whiskey. Leave it to Uncle Nearest.”
As the camera fades out on the couple we close with the uncle Nearest logo flanked by two bottles on either side.
Smooth Under Pressure | The First Date
RIDE ALONG DJ
Spotify prepares users to be the best passenger seat DJ on their next group ride.
The Assignment
To get people thinking about using Spotify in the car.
The Insight
An unwritten rule of riding in cars with friends is that the passengers - most often the one riding shotgun - are the now in charge of the music officially dubbing them with the title of DJ for the duration of the ride.
The Idea
We’re going to create a data driven storytelling campaign centered on Spotify users their music taste and streaming habits to determine what kind of Ride Along DJ they would be. We’ll create a personalized, multi-tile story (socially shareable, of course) that turns their listening data into winning strategies for playing tunes for friends in the car.
RIDE ALONG DJ
One user’s experience might look like. Note: underlining represents where custom data will be input for each user.
(Tile One)
Tag, you’re it and it’s your turn to DJ for the car ride.
What’s kind of mood will you set?
What will you press play on first?
Don’t let the pressure get to you, we’ll help you prepare for the ultimate job of Ride Along DJ.
(Tile Two)
The Go Tos
The easy go-to is your playlists and since you have 34 originals and 15 liked playlists you’ve got plenty to work with.
Your top hit seems to be Living Room Flows pressing play on this could be a quick win.
(Tile Three)
Or You Could Freestyle
Kaytranada, Jay-Z, Lianne La Havas, Anderson.Paak, and Jhene Aiko are your top played artists, let’s shake up this ride with handpicked tunes from your favorites (custom playlist linked).
Pro Tip: ensure your crossfade feature is on for smooth transitions from song to song.
(Tile Four)
Or Let The Music Meet The Moment
Get the vibes just right for your destination. No matter where you’re going or what your mood Spotify can help you pick the tunes.
(Input destination feature will populate suggested playlists, artists and albums for group trips of any kind).
YOUR BUSINESS, YOUR BABY
The Assignment
Squarespace tasked us with developing an integrated campaign that convinces first-time entrepreneurs that Squarespace can help them succeed, even if they don’t have it all figured out yet.
The Insight
When you own a small business, your business is like your baby. And becoming a parent and becoming an entrepreneur both have a commonality: it can be nearly impossible to truly feel ready, you’ve got to jump in just get to it.
The Idea
We’ll create an integrated campaign that will depict what it’s like to prepare for and raise a “business baby” by superimposing the life of an entrepreneur with the life of a new parent. Components will include: film, social media and a digital landing page for user generated content.
Having a brand new business is a lot like having a brand new baby in this Squarespace integrated campaign.
YOUR BUSINESS, YOUR BABY
Film: “Surprise We’re…”
The scene opens in a home, we’re in the living room of a family (Lisa & Matt) with a new baby. They are seated in the living room next to one another on the couch with their baby.
Across from them, on another couch sit their friends ( Tam & Ray) another couple who’ve come over to share good news with them.
Our dialogue begins just after the big news has been shared.
Lisa and Matt: (stammers) Oh!
Matt: That’s amazing!
Lisa: Have you thought about a name?!
Ray and Tam: (talking over one another) Well we were thinking...he wants...she wants…(bursts into laughter, both too excited to get it out).
Matt: And the classes, have you taken the classes?
Ray: We’ll we’re just in the beginning...
Matt: I know, but classes are key.
Lisa: And what about space, are you going to clear the guest bedroom?
Tam: Oh, we’re thinking of setting up in the big closet for the time being.
Lisa and Matt look at one another, Lisa makes a face. Matt fusses with the baby.
Matt: And when are you planning to announce?
Tam: Well we’re planning something super special for social, you know, a reveal shoot.
Ray: But we’ve already gotten started on Squarespace!
VO: That idea could be your new baby, let it grow on Squarespace.
Tam reaches in towards Lisa to hold the baby.
Lisa: Are ya sure?
The screen fades to black with the Squarespace logo.
YOUR BUSINESS, YOUR BABY
Landing Page / Social:
Business Birth Certificates
A Business Birth Certificate generator will be accessible through a landing page.
On it, users will be able to input their site name, business type, font type, template and other unique features to generate a socially shareable Business Birth Certificate so that people can make the big announcement to their networks, officially.
Less Capitalism, More Community
The Assignment
Come up with a launch idea that makes Somewhere Good the first choice platform for people of color.
The Insight
Current popular social media platforms perpetuate the unhealthy state of “grind culture” all rooted in the thing that keeps America running: capitalism.
The Idea
Somewhere Good will create a commercial in the style of a film trailer that will depict the impact of grind culture, it’s perpetuation through social media and position Somewhere Good as the opposition to this toxicity.
Script / Less Capitalism, More Community
In this film trailer we follow our main character who’s tormented by the pressure of social media.
As we open we see her scrolling while laying in bed with her iPhone positioned just in front of her face. She drops it on her face, the infamous “don’t scroll in bed” fumble. She decides to give it up for the night and tucks the phone beneath her pillow. As she falls asleep we venture inside her dream which quickly turns into a nightmare.
A poetic voice over leads us through the scenes as our main character runs from horrifying moments on the Internet’s biggest platforms (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat).
The common thread is that capitalism is the driving force behind these horrifying moments.
VO:
Lost in the weeds of my mind,
I find myself terrified,
My palms sweat,
Breath races
I can’t see their faces but I know they’re all laughing at me
Should I get a BBL? Put my body up on OnlyFans for sale?
Speaking of sale, look another pair of shoes
Don’t need em, you have kicks in the box brand new
No reliable source for news
Black body trauma porn, 1 million views…
Suddenly she wakes up from her nightmare, reches for her phone and logs into Somewhere Good and joins a community she can truly relate to “ The Black Girl’s Therapy Movement”.
The film closes with a black screen reading
NOW PLAYING with a driver to SomewhereGood.com.