Lauren Alice McCurry
Think about the last time someone asked you to describe yourself. Where do you begin? What words start to form in your mind? How do you draw a comparison? The journey toward that destination is dense and fraught with recycled thoughts and interpolation. Conveying identity through words is a careful practice that creative brand strategist and copywriter, Lauren Alice McCurry, knows intimately. Her canvas: exploration, interpretation, and inspiration; her frame: insight, cognition, empathy, and discipline. Finding the right words takes time, which makes arriving there worth the wait.
Let’s talk about Ballet—Season: what is it and how did the name originate?
Ballet—Season is a culmination of all the things I find entertaining—with money-making mechanics. Brands, words, design, people, products, trends... it's endlessly interesting and universally shifting. Ballet—Season (the name) was born from contemplating seasonality; events that occur in season-specific time blocks, and why.
You created an ongoing series called Good—Brands where you interview creatives and take their pulse on the brands that they think are, well, “good brands.” What sparked the idea for you to start this dialogue?
Firstly, because I am obsessed with people's favourite things. I am always asking people their favourite film, ice cream flavour, music genre, etc. I really love the semiotics of 'favourite things'—personal desire and taste distilled into a single word or entity. I also like brands, and wanted to offer my audience a space to explore what ones they thought were good, especially people who aren't usually asked for their opinion.
From all of the interviews you have done thus far, have there been any moments of enlightenment for how you perceive a good brand? What have you learned from the perspective of your peers?
B—S readers love Paloma Wool! I think this means that creativity and projecting a unique brand DNA is important to them, and I love that. My friend describes PW as a brand 'having a play' the other day and I dig this summary, as this is always my intention with B—S.
Has there been any unique similarities between you and someone you interviewed? Has the process brought you any pleasant discoveries or brands you’ve come to love?
I always feel very aligned with each interviewee, which could be a great CTA to start interviewing outside of my bubble!
Image via Paloma Wool
Image via Milo Baughman
Inclusiveness and transparency have become more and more important key aspects of a brand’s identity. What have you found, from your interviews, to be a unanimous consensus of what makes a good brand?
Everyone really values brands that give a shit about the environment and see this as a major shift in the future of brand. I believe that if you care about the planet, you care about people.
Speaking of brands, we’d love to chat about your work as a creative brand strategist and copywriter. In the endless sea of D2C brands there continues to be so much creative overlap in design and identity trends. When presented with a new project, how do you challenge yourself to tell a new or unique story while staying true to the brand’s identity?
I always start by seeking inspiration outside of the brand's category. I read a lot and find many of my creative cues and concepts come from books or articles. I also always imagine the brand or product in the POS setting and what elements would ensure it falls into the right hands and homes.
Most visual and graphic designers will start their creative direction with a mood board or collage. As a writer, what does your creative brainstorm look like? Does it start with a tag line or does it also begin down a visual path?
My creative process is heavily informed by music. I make each and every new client a playlist and listen to it as I work. Some days I can cover over 6 different projects and brand voices, so this helps me launch and shift my mindset as required. The tagline is usually the destination at the end of the tunnel—it can take a lot of work to make a few words sing.
Tell us about some of the brands you have worked with. Without playing favorites, which have been your more memorable projects?
A very fabulous mixed bag, from real estate startups in NYC, skincare brands in Taiwan, fashion e-comm platforms from Ghana, and creative studios in Australia. My favourite is ADJOAA, an e-com platform launching later this year that I worked on with my friend Olivia of Studio Chenchen.
With most passions, continuing to hone your craft is a key part of becoming a more skilled and empathetic creative. How can you see yourself becoming a better writer? What steps do you currently take, or hope to take, to get there?
Actively decolonizing my language and acknowledging my privilege / white gaze is work that will never be done. I believe everyone writes better when more people feel included by reading it.
“My creative process is heavily informed by music. I make each and every new client a playlist and listen to it as I work.”
How important is collaboration to you? Do you think all projects benefit from a collaborative effort?
Collaboration is very important when you're working on someone else's dream, particularly if it's their first time launching a brand. Naturally, I am a very private and independent creative that prefers solitude, so I've had to work on this approach for many years to find a balance that works for everyone.
Name 3 songs or artists you're listening to at the moment.
A little bit about your background, what lead you to become a brand strategist and copywriter?
I truly tumbled into it. I studied publishing and intended to become a literary agent, which essentially positions authors as brands. I started copywriting during an internship and just followed my nose (?) from there.
When it comes to writing for leisure, are you more of a laptop/technology or a pen and paper person?
Always on the laptop – romance is dead around here. My handwriting is awful and I am obsessed with Notion and storing all of my thoughts there.
What is something you're really passionate about?
Mental health + all women being able to afford curiosity.
