Michelle Heller
Creative Director, Copy
A devout love and deep respect for the written word led me from a career as a fashion and entertainment writer to my current role as a creative director. I have a natural affinity for natural language — which means I speak in plain English and people trust me. I concept, I pitch, I sell it in, and on the day of execution I make clients cry with happiness. (OK fine, so that only happened once.) I love watching abstract ideas become real-world moments. Clients include FedEx, JW Marriott, MSNBC, Nike, Diageo, Pepsi, Beats, NFL and Verizon.
Verizon
I lead an integrated team of 10+ copywriters across retail, dotcom, social and OLA, developing campaigns around gaming, entertainment, devices, home internet, corporate social responsibility — heck, even credit cards. All under tight deadline, all with razor-sharp attention to detail. (And, when necessary, razor-sharp wit.)
JW Marriott Los Cabos Grand Opening
Cliffside dining. Views from every room. Seventeen different infinity pools. At the JW Marriott Los Cabos resort, it's all about seeing the sea. So at our grand opening, we decided to take our guests on a vision quest. Our event followed the 3 stages of shamanic tradition — The Hunter, The Warrior and The Sage. At each stage guests were immersed in the culinary, cultural and wellness traditions of the indigenous peoples of Baja, Mexico. We had fire dancers, drummers, artists who painted on water, an iridescent geodesic dome, a neon spirit animal now and again, and a surprise finale performance by none other than Betty Who. Sigh, just another day at the beach.
JW Marriott Venice Grand Opening
For the opening of its new luxury resort on a private island in the Venetian lagoon, JW Marriott was looking for a launch event that captured both the long history of Venice and the brand's own sleek, modern style. "Laguna e Vita" did just that. The 3-day event showcased the island's most beautiful features while sharing immersive histories of the lagoon's 5 most fascinating islands. The event got huge press, and Mr Marriott himself said it was the most unique hotel launch he'd ever attended. And he's definitely seen more than a few in his day.
Don Julio AirStream Speakeasy
This is one well-traveled tequila. In my five years on the Don Julio account, I concepted everything from a mobile bar in a tricked-out AirStream, to an immersive "tour" of the Don Julio distillery La Primavera, to a celebrity-soaked party at the Super Bowl, to a Frida Kahlo-inspired artist salon on a yacht off the coast of France. This tequila must be tired.
Smirnoff Ultimate House Party
If you knew me in high school, you'd know this one was right up my alley. In this 6-stop nationwide tour, Smirnoff partnered with Spotify to award "ultimate" house parties to 6 lucky music lovers and their friends — and, oh, a few surprise musical guests like Kelis. The events took place in luxury-home venues and were kitted out with personalized decor for each winner, from stickers for their favorite band to ticket stubs from their favorite concert. And did I mention the fully stocked bathtub?
Tanqueray Ten Launch
Rhapsody in green. For the launch of Tanqueray Ten, we took over the Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park for an art-deco-themed extravaganza complete with live big-band jazz, outstanding cuisine, and world-class tippling. The place was packed with press, who all showed up in their flapper finest. Jay Gatsby would've been proud.
MSNBC Essence Fest
MSNBC was broadcasting live from Essence Fest and wanted a hip and happening footprint around their broadcast stage so fans could get up-close and personal with the news personalities they loved. Our footprint featured a "prayer tree," inspired by a Japanese temple I'd recently visited; people wrote down their hopes for change in their communities, and then hung them on our tree. The feature was the most popular piece in the activation, and garnered so much attention that the next year the client asked us to turn it into a nationwide tour called Growing Hope. Prayers, answered.
FedEx + Me
Big old FedEx was looking to connect with little young businesses, so we designed a program in Austin, Texas — home to some of the most passionate small-business owners in the country. We built an online presence that allowed Austin's young entrepreneurs to swap expertise and learn how to grow their businesses. As the editorial manager, I generated story ideas, developed a publishing schedule, sourced and then harassed a roster of expert writers, and wrote pretty much every inch of copy on the site — even the tagline. The FedEx + Me program resulted in a tight-knit group of active entrepreneurs who are still in touch today, and the client loved the program so much she renewed it for a second year.
House of Walker
House of Walker is a nationwide tour that tells the colorful story of Johnnie Walker for people who know nothing about scotch but want to. For more than 4 years I developed concepts, presentations, environmentals, video scripts and print pieces for the brand. So let's just say that now I know a lot about scotch.
NIKE
Working with this world-class client was a world-class experience. I was able to cut my marketing teeth on everything from college-athletics visual centers to product-launch influencer events to 10Ks under the shadow of Big Ben. I even worked out under a whale.