Jo Wallace

These are just some of the brands I’ve worked with over the course of my 20 year career, creating everything from TVCs and posters, to content films, social campaigns, experiential activations and product ideas.

Celebrate Your Hair, Your Way #MyHairAMiModo.

This social-first, pitch-winning work for Dove tackles the fact that 9 out of 10 women feel pressured to style their hair according to societal expectations.

For Latina women specifically, decades of media messages and intergenerational standards has discouraged them from owning their natural hair.

Our idea saw us partner with Li Saumet, lead singer of the band Bomba Estéreo, to re-record the band’s iconic song “Soy Yo” (I am me).

But with a new verse, speaking directly to hair self-expression, encouraging all generations to celebrate the unique hair that makes them, them.

The massive campaign kicked off at one of the biggest nights in music – the Latin Billboard Awards with a TV spot featuring Li Saumet behind-the-scenes as she revamps the iconic song. But that was just the start, we also:

• Shot a new video, featuring not only Li Saumet but also Sarai Gonzalez - who featured in the OG ‘Soy Yo’ music video as a young girl - and is now a grown woman who advocates for mental wellness.

• Launched a TikTok challenge which saw Latinas everywhere join the #MyHairAMiModo conversation by sharing their hair story to the reimagined ‘So Yo’ tune.

• Hosted a transformative, deep impact masterclass tailored to hair stylists with actionable tools to address hair stereotypes and spread hair positivity at their own salons and in their communities.

• Took over the red carpet at the Latin Grammy Awards with global superstar, Nathy Peluso, championing hair self-expression.

The Impact:

Instant ‘Ad of the day’ The Drum

+241M total impressions

+25.6M views of #myhairamimodo on TikTok

7.6% engagement rate on TikTok

100% positive sentiment

30 earned stories in top Latina publications

Model making is a fiddly business, requiring serious dexterity, steady hands and hours of concentration.

If anyone needs a break, a passionate, tongue-sticking-out, model-maker does.

We alluded to this with a poster we created, incorporating a KitKat into a model making kit.

It went down well.

Then we thought: why not do it for real?

So, we called Airfix, infamous creators of the best scale models in the UK...

Campaign swiftly decreed it ‘Ad of the day’.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES:

2020 - FAB, gold. OOH

2020 - FAB, gold. Direct

2020 - FAB, silver. Integrated

2020 - Caples, bronze

2019 - Campaign, Ad of the Day

2019 - Drum, Ad of the month

With an ambition to build experiences beyond the four walls of Walmart and bring positivity to the surrounding communities, we launched Walmart Free Skate.

A BTX (back to school) roller disco-inspired experience series, themed around inclusivity, community, individuality and FUN for students, parents, and school staff—as they headed into a new school year.

With the help of relevant influencers, we rolled out the swag-filled experience across the US:

- 5 roller disco experiences in Charlotte, North Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Dallas, Texas; and Kansas City, Missouri.

- 1 final show-stopping event in Atlanta with a live performance from WILLOW (Smith). Reaching over 3 million viewers across the world via live-stream.

Attendees across the live events expressed overwhelming gratitude - seeing Walmart as being in touch with communities.

“My kids asked why a big store would care about them and do something like this. I said ‘Because you are the future. And we all have to care about the future’.” - Parent, ATL

“Pretty cool that Walmart is doing this for us. It feels like they see me as me.” - Student, ATL

“My heart is so warm & full - this was the best event I’ve ever been to.” - Parent in ATL

“This means a lot to our kids, some of them don’t even come to school with a calculator or notebooks and who knows… this giftcard may make the difference for them.” - Teacher, ATL

Domestic violence surges during the World Cup. 26% when England play. 38% if they lose.

This campaign was originally created proactively just before the 2018 World Cup but re-ran for the 2021 Euros after a media company offered to re-run it in OOH for free.

For both tournaments, with incidents set to spike, it was vital we increased awareness around the issue and - importantly - let victims know help was available from the National Centre for Domestic Violence in the form of a free protective injunction, which are often life-saving.

As a not-for-profit, the NCDV have no budget. We knew we couldn't compete against other brands’ spend when it came to leveraging the tournaments. Creativity was our only currency. So we subverted fan-culture and hijacked the most emotive symbol there is. The England national flag.

When it came to the World Cup we also reimagined flags for Japan, Belgium, France, Switzerland and Germany too as statistics show domestic abuse incidents don’t just rise on home turf, they rise across the world. We released the relevant flags before the teams played their emotionally charged ‘knock-out’ matches.

This local campaign made global news across more than 100 platforms across the world. It was cited as London’s ‘most talked about World Cup Campaign.’ And was adopted by the Police and National Health Services.

RESULTS:
1250%+ increase in social awareness.
19.6% increase in calls for help.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES:
2019 - Cannes Lion, gold. Entertainment for Sport
2019 - Cannes Lion, shortlist. Glass
2019 - Cannes Lion, shortlist. PR
2018 - Campaign UK’s Top 10 of 2018
2018 - Epica Awards, gold
2018 - Kinsale Shark Awards, bronze
2018 - Campaign, featured
2018 - The Drum, featured
2018 - Ad Age editors pick
2018 - Lurzer’s Archive, featured

Statistics show that two in five women have experienced sexual harassment at gigs and festivals.

But all too often the onus has been put on women to keep themselves safe.

This campaign, launched August 2021, invites men to make the White Ribbon promise and help change behaviours so that festivals and gigs become safer spaces for women by powerfully subverting the tropes of festival and gig posters.

We partnered with The O2, as the world’s most popular music, entertainment and leisure venue, to run the campaign through digital OOH, The O2’s social channels and CRM data base.

We also partnered with the renowned nightclub, Fabric, creating bespoke, on-brand assets enabling them to authentically carry the campaign message within their club, their social channels and promotional materials. At the same time the campaign appeared in a nationwide DOOH campaign across JCDecaux sites, delivering over 4 million impressions.

A social arm of the campaign encourage male performers/artists to make the White Ribbon Promise and share with their followers.

The campaign launched in August just ahead of the return of big festivals like Reading and Leeds and was created pro bono, with no budget.

AWARDS / ACCOLADES so far…

2022 - SHORTLISTED, The One Show

2022 - BRONZE, Creative Circle Awards

2022 - BRONZE, Kinsale Awards

2022 - HIGHLY COMMENDED, The Drum Design Awards

2022 - HIGHLY COMMENDED, The Drum Social Purpose Awards

2021 - TOP 10 OOH OF 2021, Campaign

2021 - AD OF THE DAY, Campaign

2021 - AD OF THE DAY, The Drum

2021 - PICKED UP AND DISCUSSED BY CATHY NEWWAN, Times Radio

Having led the pitch-winning work to secure Sage as a new client the next challenge was to get that very same work on air in just one month.

‘Boss It’ taps in to a game-changing insight that small business owners the world over want to feel in control of their destiny.

In execution the work oozes confidence and a knowing, playful attitude whilst celebrating the many and varied bosses that exist in the modern world.

Following the launch of the TVC, posters (which featured real business owners) radio ads, bus-sides, revamped website and digital banners, we further smashed any perception that Sage is out-dated or desktop-bound with a TikTok #BossIt2021 Challenge. We asked small and medium sized business owners to tell us how they were Bossing It in 2021 despite the pandemic for a chance to win like a boss (a £5k home workspace makeover).

The TikTok #BossIt2021 Challenge:

• Generated the creation of 1.3 million challenge videos

• Trended higher than the Super Bowl… on the weekend of the Super Bowl.

• Clocked up a huge 8.2 billion impressions

The entire Boss It campaign:

• Resulted in a 223% increase in sales YoY (directly attributable to the campaign)

• Resulted in the most sales Sage had ever recorded on Black Friday & Cyber Monday

• Won 3 x Gold at the B2B Awards 2021

• Plus the Grand Prix

While the lockdown and working from home helped halt the spread of coronavirus, it put domestic abuse victims’ lives at greater risk.

Reports of domestic abuse soared by 49% during lockdown according to Crimestoppers figures reported in the news.

This campaign was a proactive piece of work with zero budget behind it but generated earned media across news platforms from The Independent, to LBC Radio, to Stylist. We turned is around fast, with the work going live just three weeks after I first wrote the chilling line: Abusers always work from home.

The campaign led to a 25% increase in calls to the NCDV.

AWARDS & ACCOLADES SO FAR

2021 - Gold, The British Arrows

2021 - Gold, Clear Channel OOH Awards

2021 - 2 x Epica Awards (Silver & Bronze)

2021 - Gold, Drum Social Purpose Awards

2021 - Shortlisted, The One Show

2021 - Silver, The Caples Awards

2021 - 2 x Creative Circle Awards (Best Tactical Film / Best Creative Campaign for Positive Change)

2021 - Shortlisted, Campaign Big Awards, result pending

2020 - Campaign of the Year 2020

2020 - Top 20 of 2020, Shots & The APA

2020 - Pick of the day, David Reviews

Following on from the success of the ‘There’s a Good Girl’ exhibition, I launched a regular non-profit event called Good Girls Eat Dinner.

Good Girls Eat Dinner has one simple mission: to serve up inspiring female role models across the creative industries. And to do so in a setting that doesn’t feel remotely like a conference. Every two months I invite four inspirational women to speak between the courses of a meal at venues such as Concrete (Shoreditch), The Design Museum, Shoreditch House, The Club at The Ivy, and Searcys at the top of The Gherkin. Feedback has been phenomenal and the 50-100 tickets always sell out fast.

Good Girls Eat Dinner has over 7,000 instagram followers and over 1,500 twitter followers. It’s been featured in Elle magazine, Courier magazine, The Independent and The Observer.

It's the most interesting dinner party you'll ever go to. And in 2023 I launched a ‘take out’ version, AKA a podcast! Listen here.

Speakers so far include:
Alison Jackson, Artist & BAFTA winning filmmaker.
Lisa Smosarski, Editor in Chief, Stylist magazine.
Amanda Foster, Hollywood Stunt Woman.
Sajeela Kershi, Stand Up comedian
Cathy Newman, Journalist & Ch4 News Presenter.
Jaspreet Kaur AKA Behind The Netra, Spoken Word artist & History teacher
Emma Gannon, Writer & podcast host Ctrl, Alt Delete.
Helen Pankhurst, Women's Rights Activist and Writer.
Freddie Harrel, Fashion blogger.
Grace Dent, Broadcaster & Restaurant critic, The Guardian.
Emma Sexton, Women's Badass Hour.
Sereena Abbassi, Worldwide Head of Culture & Inclusion, M&C Saatchi.
The Masons, Photography duo.
Laura Jordan Bambach, Creative Partner, Mr President.
Trinny Woodall, TV Presenter.
Kathryn Ferguson, Director.

And many, many more.

Whilst at Saatchi & Saatchi I was invited to give a talk about being a female creative director by Viva Women. My audience would have been largely female and already convinced that women can be creative. l decided that, rather than preach to the converted, it was time to reach a wider audience; those who would never attend such a talk. I wanted to celebrate and showcase the wide array of epic female creativity in a way that captured everyone’s attention.

Together with a crack team, I created and co-curated ‘There’s a Good Girl’, the first all-women exhibition. And it got a lot more attention than a talk ever would have, including a double page spread in The Independent, a mention in The Sunday Times Style magazine, coverage across all industry press (Campaign, Creative Review, Shots, etc), and live interviews on Soho Radio and BBC London radio.

Twenty ground-breaking female creatives and artists exhibited at the private view, including Alison Jackson, Hattie Stewart, Sara Pope and Pam Glew.

Following the private view at Saatchi & Saatchi the exhibition moved to a space in Soho where it was open to the public for two months.

We even created special pants and sold them along with the limited edition posters (doodle-bombed and signed by Hattie Stewart) to raise money for Plan UK.

Following the vote to ‘Brexit’ hate crime doubled against migrants in the UK. I was horrified by these statistics and wanted to highlight the positive impact of migration for British Culture and the creative industries. To prompt more positive conversations.

So in 2016 I curated a second exhibition called ‘There’s a Good Immigrant’. It celebrated and showcased artists who were migrants themselves, 2nd generation migrants, or whose work encourages reflections on migration.

Contributors included Bob & Roberta Smith, Dave Buonaguidi (who also created the poster), Inua Ellams, and Jaspreet Sanghai. An animated, virtual reality piece by Aardman was also on display, allowing people to experience a harrowing migrant journey, based on real BBC news stories.

Campaign published a thought piece I wrote about the importance of migration for creativity. It’s Nice That, The Drum, and Shots also all ran pieces about the exhibition. The day after the private view I was interviewed on Monocle Radio along with Sara Shamsavari, one of the exhibiting artists.

The exhibition joined and further promoted the debate around the importance of diversity in advertising and beyond. It also raised £2.5k for the arts charity Iniva (Institute of International Visual Arts), a visual arts organisation dedicated to developing an artistic programme to challenge conventional notions of diversity and difference.

How do Aero get those delicious, uplifting bubbles into every bar? With the Aero Bubblophone, of course.

Capturing the bubbles in camera, was a complex and challenging craft. This beautifully simple ad actually required 2 months of testing, 7 viscosity corrections, 10 precisely timed mechanical actions, 177 sequenced valves and 12 orchestra members to create 1 catchy track.

We served up a suite of social assets alongside the Bubblophone TV and cinema commercials. A whole bunch of experiential ideas were also developed which should bubble to the surface soon.

I wrote and directed this short film. It was shot on a Super 8 camera for the Straight 8 film competition. The film had to be entirely edited in camera (blind). The sound track then had to be supplied separately - with the hope it would synch to the film.

'Soundlab' was one of the 15 best films, selected to screen at the Straight 8 festival in Cannes. It went on to be feature in the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival in London.

80% of domestic abuse incidents are never reported.

Meaning the true scale of the issue is effectively covered up.

This proactive, integrated campaign for the NCDV (National Centre for Domestic Violence) launched with a physical poster stunt on 25th November 2021; the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. JC Decaux supported the campaign, delivering 10 million impressions across static and digital poster sites.

The integrated campaign also spans social executions - with cover up elements always relevant to the medium. In physical sites, t’s the first time flyposters have been used to cover up the billboard behind intentionally.

The campaign purposefully features 2 women and 1 man as, statistically, 2 in 3 domestic abuse incidents affect women.

‘The Big Cover Up’ campaign aims to dramatically visualise how the full picture of domestic abuse is literally 80% greater than society is even aware of.

I wrote, directed and oversaw the edit of this film in just 48 hours (agh!) as part of the Smoke & Mirrors 48 hour film competition. The brief was 'War & Peace'.

'Make Piece' landed 2nd place, beating thousands of entries and subsequently screened at several international film festivals. Meaning I got to go and watch it in New York and LA - making those sleepless 48 hours all worth it.

One from the archive, just to show how I love to approach projects with a greater ambition than the brief requires.

Against a brief to communicate that Nivea products give you skin confidence I came up with an entire activation platform: Care to Dare. Ie. when you care for your skin, you’ll have the confidence to be more daring in life.

First, for New Years eve, I convinced Nivea to dare the nation to get kissing and, in doing so, become more relevant to young consumers. As part of this 360 #daretokiss activation, we gave away 40,000 pots of Nivea lip butter and brave 'kissers' were featured on large public screens located along the River Thames and in Trafalgar Square, live on New Year’s Eve.

It was a huge success.

Nivea then challenged me to up the ante for a summer activation. I created and led a huge activation, rallying women to Dare to Dip. Every woman who signed up to the dare was sent a Nivea 'Dip Kit’, to ensure they were ready to bare all for summer.

Six days after launching the dare on facebook almost 24,000 women had signed up. After three weeks, almost 100,000 had taken the pledge to Dare to Dip.

250 of those women got to take the dare to the next level - a public dip in Covent Garden in a bespoke, heated pool, alongside Aquabatique, the troupe of synchronised swimmers from Britain's Got Talent. Each participant could then share their post dip picture to their social media, wrapped in a Nivea towel.

Following the activation in Covent Garden, Nivea 'Dip Skips' went on tour across Europe, powered by tweets. It was the most successful activation across Europe that Nivea had ever dared to do.

I conceived the idea and creatively led the entire campaign, across all agencies and teams (experiential, digital, PR design, etc.). I also wrote and directed the launch TVC.