Baby food sensation, Little Spoon spent a decade as a DTC brand, building a massive following through customer-first thinking and killer—unconventional—brand partnerships... think Graza, Rachel Antonoff and Dusen Dusen. But this year, it did the biggest single brand food launch Target has ever seen: 23 products across six different aisles. Caryn Wasser has led marketing for all of it and has thoughts about what brand moments to seize vs ignore, and how to make the leap from pure ecomm to retail sensation.LINKSCaryn Wasser on LinkedIn Little Spoon Target Launch Little Spoon x Meet Cutes NYC Little Spoon Taylor and Trave memes Little Spoon + Sauz Little Spoon + Graza Little Spoon + Dusen Dusen Little Spoon + Rachel Antonoff Little Spoon + Grillo's Pickles Skin Deep + Little SpoonCAVA Dunkin Liquid Death Ryan Air
When it comes to advertising, what is the far edge of edgy? How much risk is too risky? Niclas Bornling thinks maybe we're playing it too safe, and letting the algorithms dumb down creativity. In this episode, he talks about his days at Salomon and the campaign that almost cost the brand its biggest retailer. We look back at the heyday of print advertising in ski and snowboarding and consider what we can bring to our marketing and brand campaigns today.LINKSNiclas Bornling on LinkedIn Fact check: 3,000 injuries a year by beach umbrella. One death. Ingemar Stenmark The New Canadian Air Force Intersport Jean-Luc Diard Salomon S-core surfboard Scott Mellin, Chief Brand Officer, Salomon
Austin Hodges was running NBA partnerships at adidas when he got tapped to make what might sound like a surprising leap: lead global marketing at a baby brand. Since then he brought the adidas sports partnership playbook to life at Nuna—and Nuna's sub brands, Tavo and Hedgren—totally changing the game in marketing to parents. This episode is a masterclass in sports partnerships. It's also an incredible lesson in leadership—Austin spells out his distinct approach that has rocketed him from a single brand CMO to global oversight of three verticals for three brands.
Remember that shiver of excitement that comes with opening a fresh box of 64-count crayons? That's what Crayola CMO Victoria Lozano has been capturing for more than 15 years. In this episode we dive deep into the world of location-based brand experiences, creating original brand IP and how to keep a campaign fresh when it runs over multiple years. She even gives the secret to getting a competitive brand management role without an MBA.LINKSVictoria Lozano on Linkedin Campaign for Creativity Crayola Creativity Week Creative Acts of ColorCrayola Experience Pablo animated series
Charlie Grinnell was one of the creative brains behind the viral Red Bull Raw 100 video series. In this episode he talks about the birth of Raw 100 and why it worked. He also goes deep into how to build a social calendar and budget that give you flexibility to jump on cultural moments, his process for inventing a viral content category, strategies for how to allocate your social ad spend, and his theory of how to work with the social algorithms right now.LINKSCharlie on Linkedin Rightmetric Aritzia ArcteryxInvoke Media Redbull Raw 100 Brandon Seminuk & Rupert Walker's Raw 100 Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
Katie Wilson believes in trial and error, but she had no idea that her days of consumer research in the vitamin aisle at Walmart would unlock a viral TikTok strategy and 2,000% growth. In this episode she talks about how she cracked the code, how she evolves her TikTok strategy to keep up with algorithm, and why she's newly a believer in brand building that doesn't show an immediate ROI.LINKSBelliWelli Tiktok BelliWelli Instagram Fiber Fest David Cod Dillon Francis
Jen Gurecki is downright famous (infamous?) in the outdoor industry. She's outspoken, unabashed and not afraid to center women/their businesses/their pleasure. But more importantly, she runs the only women-owned and operated ski and snowboard manufacturer in the world—a business she grew by sharing her personal journey and using her incredible voice. It makes her brand a perfect fit for Substack. In this conversation, we discuss the ingredients for a successful Substack and how to run a sale that doesn't damage your brand.LINKSJen's Go Fund Me - Donate to Cancer Messed with the Wrong BishCoalition Snow Lady Parts Substack Redefining Radical Substack Jen on Instagram Ergo Offers Magical Make an Offer Jeanine Pesce Amanda Goad The Portable Feminist Reader, ed Roxanne Gay Letters from an American - Heather Cox Richardson's Substack Airplane Mode - Liz Plank's Substack Cody Cook Parrot
Meet the fixer who will build your perfect marketing team. Brianna Showell spent 20 years at Nike—starting with the mysterious coveted role as an EKIN, moving on to product line management before roles as Global Brand Director for Innovation and for Nike Kids, then finally as VP of Marketing for Nike Swim.It set her up for VP Marketing roles at two timeless California brands, Prana and Reef. In this episode, she talks about the single non-negotiable for high-impact creative: hiring world-class teams.We talk about the one quality every marketing leader needs, the first hire a CMO should make, and at what point you need to switch from hiring generalists to specialists. It's a masterclass on building your marketing team whether you're starting from ground zero, or cleaning up an existing team.LINKSNike EKIN program LNDR Liquid Death x Mary Ruth's - Killing Clowns Campaign Liquid Death - Kegs for Pregs Campaign SSENSE Reef Reef on IG Reef Fanning Campaign
How do you get massive results on a tiny budget? Gillian Damborg cracked the code with a viral social campaign for period care brand Aisle. She had one shot and to save the business and sell 20,000 pairs of underwear. With a budget of CAD $30,000 the brand had a return of nearly CAD $1.1 million. In this episode, she spells out the formula for the video series that made it happen.Watch this episode on YouTubeEpisode Links:Save the Period Aisle landing page Save the Period Aisle video Megan Lee: Save my boomer mom's Light Shop Brood Care - Gill's business Kelly & Kelly - podcast production agency Lauren Bercovitch - Director Amanda's Crystal Baller 2025 Predictions Willet linen bedding Blume beverages Christine Day From our sponsorMonday Creative Monday on Instagram Amanda Lee Smith on LinkedIn
When he was a VP at Dick's Sporting Goods, Ryan Eckel asked a simple question: what if we replaced just one 60-second TV spot with an anthemic full-length documentary? The result was a pair of films that hit film festivals, won awards and put Dick's in a new tier of brand equity. In this episode we hear how he did it, and follow Ryan's journey from speechwriter to head of marketing at Puma. We find out why he went from one of retail's biggest names to a scrappy running startup, and why he's now cast his lot with an Italian brand you might only remember if you grew up in the '90s.EPISODE LINKSRyan Eckel on LinkedinWe Could Be King (full film) Keepers of the Game (full film) Dick's Sporting Goods Sports Matter / DSG Foundation Diadora Tracksmith Puma Connor SchellJudd EhrlichFrom our sponsor:Monday Magazine Monday Creative on Instagram Amanda Lee Smith on LinkedIn
In some circles, Ty Haney needs no introduction. She became an icon for millennial women when she launched her activewear brand, Outdoor Voices, as a sparky 23-year-old. She quickly became a DTC powerhouse and saw huge success raising capital and turning Outdoor Voices (or OV as it was widely known) into the coveted uniform for active living.Ty left OV in 2020 (not the story we're telling here, but a fascinating one to read up on), took a beat, and went on to start two new projects: a better-for-you energy drink called Joggy and a brand loyalty platform called TYB—short for Try Your Best.In this conversation, we talk a lot about loyalty, TYB and how Ty used community to grow Outdoor Voices into a cult brand with more than 10,000 engaged ambassadors. But there's a secret lesson to cult-brand building in this episode too. Listen closely. We think you'll learn a lot.Episode linksOutdoor Voices and the Exercise Dress TYB Joggy plant-based energy drink Ty on Instagram From our sponsor:Monday Magazine Monday Creative on Instagram Amanda Lee Smith on LinkedIn
How much did Kendall Jenner really get paid for Aritzia’s Super Puff campaign? That’s one of many secrets divulged in this expansive episode with Shawna Olsten. Shawna led marketing creative at Aritzia when the brand went big on the Super Puff. She pulls no punches as she shares the highs and lows of that star-studded campaign. She also tells us how to get the most out of user-generated content (UGC) and how Aritzia has managed to perfect the brand retail experience. My Best Campaign is brought to you by Monday Creative. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, and stay tuned for when a new episode drops. Mentioned linksSAXX Underwear Quiksilver Native ShoesKit and Ace Guy Ritchie’s short films for BMW with Clive Owen Watch Shawna at Pecha Kucha Vancouver vol. 28 Super Puff sticker series by Rhek The infamous Off-White shoes Elmo and Roger for On Running On Running’s Cloudsurfer 2 social content Jacquemus
No brand has fans like Nike has fans. In this episode, the architect behind their global membership program, Katie Dreke, gives us a look behind the curtain of their omnichannel loyalty program and how it evolved out of a stand alone performance training app. We talk about how Nike created an indispensable feedback loop with their most devoted customers and Katie shares the one tiny hack that unlocked an extra $2 million in revenue for Nike Japan. We went deep in this one and Katie really pulled back the curtain on what worked, what didn't and how she managed to get a massive, global matrixed organization on the same page about loyalty and membership. Katie Dreke has had a global career in agencies and brands—from IDEO, Weiden + Kennedy and Droga 5 to adidas and Nike, with stints in Tokyo, Sydney and Amsterdam. Today she is the founder of DRKE in Portland, where she bridges brand, systems-thinking, digital transformation and story-craft to design emotionally meaningful, and financially powerful, products and experiences for human beings and planet Earth. LINKSNike Membership via Nike app Read about Wexley School for Girls
How to Revive a Brand: The Story of UGG’s Global ComebackUGG boots were massive when they launched in North America. They came onto the scene with huge Y2K energy and gradually seemed to fade into midwest suburban obscurity. But today they’re back in a big way, largely due to the leadership of Nicks Ericsson. In his 11 years with UGG—in global roles focused on brand, product marketing, and purpose and sustainability—he helped double the brand’s revenue, making it a significant part of the Deckers portfolio.In this episode, he tells us how they brought UGG back into the cultural conversation, explains the “UGG Eclipse,” and spells out the ingredients of a great celebrity brand collaboration. Then he shares what drew him to his latest role at Keen Footwear, how their sustainability mission plays out, and how to drive purpose at global public companies vs private owner-led companies.My Best Campaign is brought to you by Monday Creative. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, and follow us on your fave podcast app. It helps us grow.
We’re mixing it up! In this episode Amanda shares her annual Crystal Baller—her roundup of emerging cultural, marketing and product trends that will shape the market for outdoor, active and wellness brands. She’s got 9 trends she’ll be watching for in 2025, and tips for how your brand can respond to the cultural moment. Read the original Crystal Baller article, and past editions here. My Best Campaign is brought to you by Monday Creative. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, and stay tuned for when a new episode drops.
EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA) has an audacious goal of reaching one billion soccer fans with their games and digital properties—and Nicholas Lammie is leading the charge for the brand. He also led the brand through a monumental relaunch when EA and FIFA dissolved their partnership after 30 years. He shares how they did it, launching around the world with 200 partners—including David Beckham, ManCity and Real Madrid—simultaneously. He also shares how he scored his first job at EA, and how he gathered 17 of football’s greatest in one studio for a single photoshoot. My Best Campaign is brought to you by Monday Creative. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, and stay tuned for when a new episode drops.
Content was the secret to Rapha’s huge rise in the cycling world, and Luke O’Shea has the story of how a small global team made 21 films around the world in just a year. As the head of Marketing and Sales for Asia Pacific he oversaw many of them, and he shares how they built consistency across continents, while keeping the films locally relevant. We talk about secrets to working in founder-led companies, and the arc of Luke’s 20-year career that spans his early days at Asics to his current photography projects with Sydney FC and endurance sports. Watch the films Follow Luke on Instagram Find Luke on Linkedin My Best Campaign is brought to you by Monday Creative. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, and stay tuned for when a new episode drops.
Meow Wolf is a surrealist fever dream—a large-scale psychedelic wonderland with five locations. And Didi Bethurum is at the helm of the creative team that keeps selling out openings in cities like Las Vegas, Houston and Denver. Sometimes that means taking big creative risks, like a teaser billboard campaign that doesn’t even name the brand. Didi walks us through the steps that made Meow Wolf’s Denver launch a landmark success. My Best Campaign is brought to you by Monday Creative. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, and stay tuned for when a new episode drops.
Braden Hoeppner has been a driving force behind major brand success stories—FYidoctors, Herschel Supply, Saxx underwear and Clearly—but in this episode we’re learning from a brand that (initially) failed. Working at Kit and Ace was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—a brand fully and liberally funded by the family behind lululemon. Braden and the K+A team were tasked with growing a billion-dollar brand in three years. Spoiler: it didn’t happen. But having limitless resources meant trying things that had never been done: building a custom ecomm site that could scale globally, opening 60 stores in 5 countries in one year, and a road trip in a giant copper Airstream. Braden tells the story and practical learnings about brand storytelling, performance marketing, holding things loosely, and the major marketing inflection points shaping our work. My Best Campaign is brought to you by Monday Creative. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, and stay tuned for when a new episode drops.
Women’s apparel brand Athleta has totally flipped the model of athlete sponsorship on its head—breaking all the usual rules. Their roster includes true icons: Simone Biles, Alicia Keys and Allyson Felix. Seasoned marketer Michelle Lazar helped bring these partnerships to life across the brand’s many touchpoints, and she shares with us how they happened, what made them work, and the lucky breaks that turned into major cultural moments. Find Michelle on Linkedin and heck out her latest project Community Academy. My Best Campaign is brought to you by Monday Creative. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn, and stay tuned for when a new episode drops.