Darrah Maclean

This was one of those projects where my personal life and professional expertise merged in the very best of ways. Founded by Yoky Matsuoka, Yohana is a personal assistant service for busy parents (especially moms…like me) to help lighten the load of having too much to do. I had the honor of working with an incredible creative team and writing all the launch materials – website, emails, social. I could go on and on about how fun this voice was to work with and how I resonated so much with the brand vision…but sometimes it’s better to read it IRL. Check out my work at yohana.com and on Instagram.

EMAIL MARKETING

For four years and counting, I've been the primary writer for all Williams-Sonoma and Williams-Sonoma Home email marketing – working on 60+ emails a month. In some cases, I'm editing existing site content to work in an email format; in other cases, I'm starting from scratch – shifting creative gears between the two brand voices. 

The Thumbtack app helps you find pros for pretty much anything – be it a dog groomer, DJ, make-up artist or house cleaner. I support their marketing teams on pretty much anything, too – be it re-engagement emails or blog posts or brand guide edits. Whatever they need.

LAUNCH MARKETING
A global initiative of Plan International, Because I am a Girl creates sustainable projects in developing countries to give girls access to the most basic of human rights: clean water, food, healthcare, education, financial security, and protection from violence and exploitation. And I had the incredible opportunity to create their brand voice, write their web copy, develop their “Erase the Fine Print” launch campaign, and come up with some cool copy for the back of their tee. This was one of those dream projects, where I actually feel like I made a difference.

WEB / EMAIL / CATALOG
 

I've written product copy for everything from home goods to baby gear for Serena & Lily, RH Baby & Child, See Jane Run, BabyCenter and more. Here's one sample I wrote for Serena & Lily. Want to read a few more? Just ask.

SOUTH SEAS BAR CART
Have cocktails, will travel. Set atop smooth-rolling brass casters, this entertaining essential also doubles as a fabulous console table. The design is inspired by a mid-century antique and pays homage to the textural beauty of handwoven rattan. A rail on the bottom keeps bottles and barware in place, and sturdy handles on each end make it easy to work the room.

LAUNCH MARKETING
Dedicated to helping kids thrive in a world of media and technology, Common Sense Media empowers parents, teachers and policymakers to harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids' lives. For this project, I was tasked with creating email, landing page and blog copy for Digital Compass, an animated choose-your-own adventure game. Developed with middle schoolers in mind, the game gives kids a chance to step into the shoes of 8 characters as they navigate the twists and turns of daily digital life. Each character teachers a different digital citizenship lesson – Cyberbullying, Self Identity, Internet Safety & Privacy, Digital Footprint and more.

EMAIL MARKETING
Looking to shake up their e-marketing program, REI turned to the creative and strategic geniuses at Responsys (now part of Oracle). Being the lucky girl that I am, I was the sole writer for all things email for a little over 3 years. Being outsiders, it was super important to team with the internal folks at REI to make sure our creative followed in the footsteps of what their own designers and writers were doing on the website and in print. It was epic.

As the Senior Editor for Pottery Barn Kids, I wrote all editorial copy for the web, catalog and email marketing. I also managed a team of freelance writers for all product copy – editing or rewriting as necessary. My biggest point of pride was creating a strong relationship with the merchant teams, because without their partnership, my job would have been an impossible uphill climb. I was also the content editor for the Stylehouse section of the site, responsible for creating an editorial calendar, hiring freelance writers and developing features.

EMAIL MARKETING
At the same time that Tommy Bahama was revamping their website, they wanted to overhaul their e-marketing creative. Following the direction of their web design firm, we re-worked the elements to fit an email format, while also introducing clever content ideas, including recipes from their restaurants and articles about top vacation spots. I could almost taste the Pina Coladas and hear the ocean crash. Almost.

EMAIL MARKETING CONCEPT

MARKETING COLLATERAL
Working on the special projects team within the advertising department, I wrote everything from national magazine ads to billboards to brochures. Working closely with a designer, we’d concept and present our ideas to teams throughout the company. I also wrote all the collateral including invitations, print ads, billboards, brochures, programs and more for Macy’s Passport, an annual fashion show fundraiser to benefit HIV/AIDS research.

PROPERTY DESCRIPTIONS

Mint Locations is the Bay Area's blue-chip location service representing one-of-a-kind environments for film and photo shoots. I wrote property descriptions for 150+ locations, creating an easy-to-scan format that stayed true to the brand voice. Here's a sample:

POSH PONDEROSA
Where the designer darling of San Francisco retreats to reboot his giddy-up.

THE VIBE:  Modern day cowboy – a masterful mashup of the rustic and the refined.

THE DETAILS: Clever uses of reclaimed and repurposed materials abound. The compound includes a main house, guest house and barn – all connected by a wood boardwalk path.

THE SCOOP: Beyond fabulous for video or print shoots – lifestyle, product, editorial.

WEB COPY
Starting a company from the ground up gives you the unique opportunity to mold your identity as a brand. And it gives your creative team a chance to think outside the box. Love it! Working closely with the vision of the owner and founder of Native Structures, the designer and I developed a thoughtful, fresh and beautiful web experience, from the organization of content to the visuals used on every page.

LAUNCH MARKETING
Following the same subscriber model as Birchbox, Citrus Lane monthly boxes are filled with 4-5 fresh finds tailored to a child’s age and stage. As the sole copywriter for launch, I wrote all the web copy, working closely with the CEO and CTO to develop the brand voice. And when they needed extra writers on deck, I also wrote copy for their monthly box articles and pop-up shops.

EMAIL MARKETING: WELCOME SERIES

PACKAGING COPY

Working with CBX in NYC, I wrote a bundle of Myths/Facts for U by Kotex packaging. Targeted to teens and twenty-somethings, the voice needed to be edgy and conversational. It was beyond fun to be so frank and forward about bloating, pimples and PMS.