Why Sharing an Authentic Story Is the Best Approach to Campaigns

Jillian Harris is an ACD/art director at Quigley, the largest WBENC-certified female-owned full-service advertising agency in the country. Jillian has created campaigns for a wide array of industries, from automotive to healthcare to travel. At Quigley, she works on JPMorgan Chase, developing creative campaigns for the Marriott co-brand credit card business. Her passion for advertising and her ability to create memorable work has been recognised and respected throughout the industry.

The one piece of wisdom that’s always stayed with me throughout my career is understanding the power of storytelling. Of course, as a creative, I use it in my work, but it is also compelling in presentations. Storytelling is not just about creating made-up stories but also tapping into and sharing the truths and stories from your life. I have been so lucky in my career to work with extraordinary creative directors. They have been the best mentors that an art director can have. I’ve worked for a couple of creative directors that pushed the value of telling a story when you are presenting. Storytelling works exceptionally well if you can tie the thinking you did in your campaign to your own story.

For example, I was a senior art director at Campbell Ewald for about a year and a half. I was heading into one of my first substantial new business pitches for the California Association of Realtors. I presented some ideas to my Creative Director, Debbie Karnowsky, and none clicked. Still, as we talked, I told my story of buying my first house here in Southern California. I had just gotten the keys and was sitting in my empty bedroom when my mom called. She was excited about my big day and said, “Congratulations, you now own a little piece of California.” You can’t say that about any state, but there is definitely that dream vibe about California and owning your own home here.

Debbie immediately told my copywriter partner and me to develop my story into a campaign for the new business pitch. We did. Then, Debbie asked me to be the one to present our campaign to this whole panel of clients and tell that same story. Well, telling that story always makes me tear up, and the presentation was no exception. Some of the clients got teary-eyed as well. I knew at that moment that this beautiful, emotional connection we all had with their home-buying business in California, this human truth that was the big idea of our campaign, was going to win us the account. And it did.

I first realized how important storytelling could be early on, but it wasn’t because I was good at that point. I used to be pretty shy growing up. In the ninth grade, we had to present a report in front of the class—in Spanish! Well, I was so nervous that I could hardly speak. I vowed that I would never feel that way again. So, I started forcing myself to speak publicly and taking public speaking classes every year. I started speaking to my whole class at college and even took a presentation boot camp in Los Angeles.

When I got to Quigley, our ECD, Sariah Dorbin, was leading presentation workshops, and I took those. She had some fantastic tips, like using “power poses” to overcome nerves and build confidence. Stand with your arms up or your hands on your hips before you present. It works! You also have to keep practicing and rehearsing until you feel comfortable. Sariah helped craft my presentations and encouraged me to rehearse with my partner. Recently, I had to speak at a fundraiser in front of a thousand people. I used a story and Sariah’s tips. For me, it’s a significant part of my journey to have come from being such a shy kid growing up to presenting in front of big groups, telling my stories, selling my campaigns, and communicating better in this industry.

Another good example that led me to be a stronger storyteller was from a big pitch I worked on for the Creative Director Tom Cordner. I worked with him at Team One and then later at Traffic. We were pitching two campaigns to Toyota Financial Services. Tom wanted to pitch the first campaign and then have me pitch the second. He wanted me to present my campaign and share a personal story. When it was my turn to present, I shared with the clients that my first car was a Toyota, and I was so attached to it that when I sold it, I cried. We won that account too!

I respect and admire many of the creative directors I’ve worked with and learned so much from them. If you are reading this article, you know who you are, from NYC (a big shoutout to Ted and Helayne, my first CDs) to Dallas to LA. One thing, in particular, stands out from an interview I had right out of college. I was initially a design major and interviewed at an ad agency in Texas. The guy who interviewed me told me that I had a design portfolio and I should start getting Communications Arts Advertising Annuals so I would know the difference.

Thanks to that unknown guy at an obscure agency—who set me on my career path. A special thank-you to Debbie Karnowsky, Tom Cordner, and Sariah Dorbin for being creative directors that I loved/love working with and respect and for all their presentation tips. You have all helped my career enormously!

I’ve repeatedly used my own story to create ideas, which has proven to me the power of storytelling throughout my career. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our client asked us to create a campaign for the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card to keep the joy of travel alive, even while we were locked down at home. As we were thinking of ideas, I thought, OK, we’re using Zoom a lot. I was also probably watching "Dancing with the Stars" or "So You Think You Can Dance" on TV while working on concepts because I love watching dance shows. I thought, why not combine the two—throw a dance party on Zoom showcasing dances from different parts of the world? Our Quigley team pitched the idea, then partnered with Daybreaker to create a virtual, global dance party featuring Hula, Salsa, and Bollywood style. It was a huge hit. So, if I can leave everyone with one thought, it is to lean into your best stories. They can help make your career.