Creative Marketing: Shannon Murphy On Why Creativity Connects Us with the World

Shannon Murphy is a creative director at Minneapolis-based advertising and branding agency MONO, where she develops integrated brand campaigns. Shannon has worked for clients such as Bumble, HGTV by Sherwin Williams, SKYY Vodka, Yes Way Rosé, Leinenkkugel’s, and Adyen. She was inspired to be in advertising after she was in a local Got Milk? Ad at the age of six and has been chasing the high ever since.

LBB> What does creativity mean to your agency?

Shannon> At MONO, our ethos is 'Simple Always Wins.' We believe that for a message to break through, it must be simple. But getting to the simple idea is where the creativity happens. You have to be curious, experimental, and responsible. You have to be experimental and open to finding new ways in. And lastly, you must be responsible for ensuring the idea makes sense to the client, the brief, and the audience. 

LBB> And more broadly, what does creativity mean to you - outside of work, outside of the sphere of advertising and marketing?

Shannon> Creativity is really how I connect with the world and the people around me. To me, creativity is nothing short of everything. It may sound trite, but when I think about it, all the things I love most in the world stem from creativity – funny people, good music, unique design, and inventive food. Creativity is embracing your unique way of viewing the world around you and expressing yourself in a way only you can.

LBB> What was the moment or experience in your career that really helped ferment the importance of creativity in marketing?

Shannon> When I started in advertising, I was working on social media campaigns that leveraged long-established brand voices and looks. I was marketing but honestly not aspiring to make anything revolutionary. Then I watched an experienced creative team pitch some brilliant ideas to a new client; they made up songs, created characters, and designed art and animations in a matter of days. They were able to take a business problem and solve it in creative ways that had the power to sell products and affect culture. It was like seeing a Mad Men episode in real life. I was hooked, and it inspired me to make the move from strategy to art direction. It reminded me that you have to let your creative freak flag fly if you want to create work that’s fulfilling and impacts people. 

LBB> What have you learned is the key to nurturing fruitful relationships with your creative partners?

Shannon> Care about them as a person and get comfortable being goofy as hell. In other words, bring your childhood self and your adult self. Your childhood self is willing to do whatever it takes to make the other person laugh or keep them entertained with no inhibitions – while your adult self cares deeply about the output and respectfully pays attention to the brief. It’s a weird and vulnerable place to be sharing your half-baked ideas with someone. You have to have a low barrier for what’s good enough to share and a high bar for what makes the cut. Find someone you’re comfortable being yourself around and have mad respect for. I’ve been lucky to have some of the best writers in the biz as partners, and they’ve become some of my best friends. 

LBB> Which creative campaigns from other brands (past or present) have inspired you most in your career and why?

Shannon> The campaign that I reference often is NYT: The Truth is Essential. The spots are iconic, and the integrated work is perfectly executed with style and substance. It’s simple, timeless, honest, and sophisticated – it’s perfect for the brand and feels fresh every time. Another campaign I bring up all the time is 'Tomorrow Is Overrated' by Ringan Ledwidge. I love the visual extravagance and killer tagline that pulls it all together, making it fun to watch from the get-go. I’m also an Ian Pons Jewell stan. This Squarespace campaign, 'Launch It,' has the same visual power. Every frame is engaging, and the way it ends is seamless. 

LBB> Which campaign have you worked on has been the most creatively satisfying and why?

Shannon> The work we did at MONO for Bumble has been, hands down, the highlight of my career. The idea we pitched to the client is almost exactly how it was produced. The 'New Rules of the Game' campaign took sports metaphors and applied them to dating to promote Bumble’s unique safety features. We sold the campaign to clients who respected and trusted us and then found the right partners to make it happen. It feels the most ‘me’ of any work I’ve been able to create. It was cheeky and visually compelling – and it was successful.

LBB> What areas of marketing do you see most exciting potential for creativity?

Shannon> AI is definitely the new frontier and will change the way we create and produce work forever. We’ll be able to do so much more, with a lot of efficiency. In my mind, it’ll be the biggest change in our industry since social media. I think the real opportunity will be how we use it to build human connections. People are anxious, and loneliness is a global epidemic. Not to get too dark, but If we’re trying to build connections with people and brands, we need to be able to use the latest technology to develop relationships with people. Brands can have a role in helping promote connections digitally and through in-person events. At the Cannes Lions Festival this year, EA Sports and Corona nailed building deep connections digitally and IRL: EA Sports + Apple for Ted Lasso and Corona’s Plastic Fishing competition. 

LBB> You must see so many ideas pitched to you - and have had to sell many ideas to the rest of your company. So, what’s the key to selling a great idea?

Shannon> Passion is contagious, so if you love an idea, show it. Explain why it’s smart, and don’t hold back your love for it. Everyone sells and pitches differently, so find the way you express yourself most confidently and roll with that. My presentation style has evolved since the beginning of my career. I used to be overly concentrated on being direct and just sticking to my talking points, but now I embrace my energetic style. I’m a pretty hyper and animated person, so letting that shine through helps share the excitement I have for the ideas with those around me. 

LBB> In your experience, how can marketing teams drive creativity throughout the rest of an organisation?

Shannon> To drive creativity through the agency, you have to be clear about what your creative aspirations are and how you intend to reach them. Everyone at MONO knows we want to do excellent work that inspires everyone else in the industry. We have a shared vision and understanding that it takes the whole agency to help get us there. We have an open Slack channel called #jealous where we share ideas we’re jealous we didn’t make. It’s a nice way to get people to see great ideas and start conversations. I often get inspired by the creativity I see here and put that into my own work. 

LBB> How do you encourage creative excellence among your team?

Shannon> Keep your standards high, celebrate great ideas, and encourage some healthy competition. I think wanting your idea to be the best, whether or not you’re head-to-head against another team or creative, is part of what makes work better. Excellence is creating work that sets a new standard. Having your last success in mind as the thing to beat is important in raising the bar.

LBB> What is one piece of advice you have for new marketers who are still figuring out how to drive impactful creative marketing?

Shannon> Impactful creative marketing comes from driving emotion – whether it’s laughter, shock, sadness, or empathy. Think about work that’s moved you and ask yourself why. Make work that you’d be interested in. If you’re not interested in it, nobody else will be. Like I said, be curious, experimental, and responsible, and you’ll probably land somewhere great.