eric f. gould creative portfolio
TRANSCRIPT
ERIC F. GOULDsenior copywriter
(214) 810-0301
Hundreds of products, thousands of facts, millions of thoughts. All boiled down to TEN BIG IDEAS.
Hi there,
You’re looking at my book. Cool. That means you’re interested in my mastery of the English language, strategic insights and creative thinking. Or you’re looking for one of the other Eric Gould’s on the Internet. Of which there are many.
I never intended to go into marketing — it found me. In college I took a few intro advertising classes, but I mainly remember that the professor, who had recently retired from 40 years of agency life, always brought his full-sized poodle to class.
But as a film student, I knew how to tell a story. And as fate would have it, I fell into my first gig writing radio commercials…also known as “30 seconds stories to get you to buy stuff.” That was my introduction to the power of advertising and language, and I knew I had found my calling.
I’ve been in the agency world ever since, helping brands with below-the-line tactics like direct mail, point-of-sale and collateral — with the occasional digital project too. I’ve also moonlighted as a freelancer, writing clear and concise communications for small business and entrepreneurs.
The following projects are some of my favorites. Not for what they say, but how they say it. Whether it’s a 5 word poster or complete campaign, they all tell a story. And if I’ve learned anything throughout my career, it’s that customers don’t want to be told to buy something — they want to be told a story.
Here’s mine.
EG
An open letter…
ERIC F. GOULDsenior copywriter
(214) 810-0301
EXPERIENCESr. Copywriter at Aspen (a division of Epsilon), 2013-present, AT&T U-verse: direct mail, email and bill media for current AT&T customers
- Develops new creative concepts monthly as part of A/B messaging and offer testing
- Launched GigaPower, mobile live TV, the SEC Network and other new features/channels
Sr. Copywriter at TPN, 2010-2013Bank of America: in-branch signage and collateral for over 5,700 branches
- Launched mobile check deposit, live video tellers and other new banking products
- Integrated Merrill Lynch (as Merrill Edge) into the consumer product portfolio
- Assisted on the “Life’s better when we’re connected” rebrand
Agency PR - Ran the agency’s Twitter account- Ghostwriter for the CEO’s external blog
Copywriter at Rapp, 2009-2010HP Technology Services: servers, storage, networking, IT services
- Developed multi-channel B2B direct response campaigns for over 65 HP clients across 9 countries
Bank of America: CRM email and direct mail- Promoted upsell opportunities to existing customers
Copywriter at PowerPact, 2007-2009Sony Consumer Electronics: retail/POS displays, promotions and collateral
- Educated customers on the advantages of HDTV- Launched Blu-ray discs and players at retail- Spearheaded the “Mission for a Million” integrated
promotion for the James Bond film Quantum of Solace
Copywriter at CBS Radio Austin, 2006Wrote commercials at a 4-station cluster
- Accompanied Account Execs on sales calls to pitch creative concepts
- Occasionally directed VO talent and produced spots for broadcast
FreelanceCollateral, web content, marketing strategies and other creative solutions for small businesses and entrepreneurs
VERTICALS- Consumer Electronics- Information Technology- Finance/Banking- Telecommunications
EDUCATION University of Texas at Austin
- BS Cum Laude, 2004- Radio-TV-Film
You may call it junk mail. We call it “targeted direct mail.” As more of us get comfortable cutting the cable cord, how do we get customers to consider U-verse? How do we stand out in a crowded mailbox and not get thrown in the trash? A bit of trickery. A bit of deception. A whole lot of letters.
AT&T U-verse Direct Mail Letter KitDo you go gaga for Game of Thrones? This project tapped into the anticipation of a new season, borrowing the look and tone from the show itself. Plus I got to watch the show. At work. For “research.” With minimal AT&T branding, it definitely jumped out of the mailbox. Dragons sold separately.
AT&T U-verse GigaPower Launch LetterHow do you launch a new Internet product that could be hundreds of times faster than what you have now? With an “exploding letter” that unfolds in dramatic fashion. Colorful and friendly because our data told us that women are the primary household decision makers.
AT&T U-verse Direct Mail LetterIf a letter screams "junk" it'll never be opened. So we were challenged to develop concepts that appeared to be more important than they actually were. This was printed to look like a sturdy file folder, in an oversized envelope marked "time sensitive". Tricked ya, didn't I?
“Banks” and “creative” typically don’t go together, but every once and a while we got the chance to do something clever. The trick was to catch customers off-guard and get them to consider a banking product that they weren’t thinking about before they walked inside the branch. Surprise and delight.
BANK OF AMERICA Branch PostersIf you don’t know that “Sweet Caroline” is sung at Fenway or Sinatra at Yankee Stadium, then you probably have no interest in these credit cards anyway. They’re a little “inside baseball” for the hardcore fans. A nod and a wink to the true believers. Batter up.
BANK OF AMERICA Countertop DisplayWhen I needed money in college, my parents required itemized receipts. Today, mom just needs her smartphone to refill her kid’s bank account. Even at 3 AM. For “books.” This was a big hit in the branches, and employees were sad when this “piece with personality” came down. It even had a supporting role in a TV spot.
Here are some interactive retail projects we did for Sony. Very techy, very fast turnarounds and they had to cut through the clutter at your favorite big-box store. Most were standard speeds-and-feeds types of displays, but on occasion we got to go big. And when we did, we won awards.
SONY Interactive Promotion for “Quantum of Solace”The name’s “Placement, Product Placement.” Bond now uses only Sony gadgets, so you should too. This was a retail and online scavenger hunt where participating shoppers went on their own “spy missions” for the chance to win a million bucks and Sony gear. I came up with the concept, developed the storyline and got to see the movie at a red carpet screening in Hollywood. It wasn’t that good. But this project was, and it won a PROMO Magazine award.
See more at http://www.ericfgould.com/mission-for-a-million.html
SONY Interactive Promotion with Peyton ManningI’m one of the few advertising professionals who’s had the chance to use the reclusive Peyton Manning in a project. Just kidding, he’s everywhere. But back when he had all of his cervical discs, we did this promotion that lasted throughout the football season. Guess his stats each week for the chance to win HDTVs, fantasy-football style. We even recorded him for a Black Friday wakeup call, reminding you to get up early for great deals.
See more at http://www.ericfgould.com/hdna-playbook.html
If you stay awake at night worrying about data centers, then you probably saw some of this B2B work for HP Enterprise Business. We worked at a breakneck speed, churning out entire campaigns in less than a week for servers, storage and software. Our task was to pique the interest of tech pros, CIOs and IT managers, then HP sales reps would follow up to seal the deal. Always be sellin’.
HP ENTERPRISE BUSINESS “Sprawl Monster” Campaign No room to explain IT Sprawl here, but trust me, it’s a big problem. We personified the mess of cables, racks and switches into the SPRAWL MONSTER…which only HP could slay. Print ads, mailers and banner ads directed to the landing page, where you could watch an animated comic book or play our sprawl game. The pro-geeks just ate it up.
See more at http://www.ericfgould.com/sprawl-monster.html
OTHER CLIENTS
AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION Magazine AdYou know what sucks? Diabetes. If you don’t know much about the disease, you may be surprised how ravaging it can be. This print ad urgently encourages readers to contribute to the cause by buying a charm. Bold, impactful, yet simple. Now put down that cupcake.
RADIONo trip through my career would be complete without mentioning radio. It's always been my favorite medium and what got me into this industry in the first place. I’m not going to include scripts here because radio wasn’t meant to be read. If you want to give your ears a little treat, some of my favorite spots are alive and well on my website.
BIOGRAPHY FOR RADIO was a national radio series based on the A&E’s Biography television show. Over 700 episodes aired on hundreds of radio stations in the US and Canada. I was a staff writer and researcher. On my website, you can listen to segments on B.B. King, President James Garfield, Lorne Michaels and Steven Spielberg. A motely crew, indeed.
http://www.ericfgould.com/biography-for-radio.html
At CBS RADIO in Austin, I wrote commercials for clients at a cluster of 4 different stations – top 40, hip hop, oldies and AM talk. And I loved every minute of it.
http://www.ericfgould.com/radio-spots.html
ERIC F. GOULDsenior copywriter
(214) 810-0301
That’s all folks. Ten years, hundreds of projects, thousands of hours…chopped down to 19 pages. I hope you enjoyed the journey and came away with the sense of style, range and bagels I could bring to your organization. If you have any questions or would like to see additional work, please visit my website, pickup the phone or drop me a note.
The end