BILL DUNN
BRAND STRATEGY & EDITORIAL
LUXURY REPORT
CLIENT: Redwood
AGENCY: Thinking + Doing
The agency Redwood approached me to create a report on the current state of the luxury industry for their client Mercedes-Benz to inform their creative approach going forward. They wanted a wide-reaching document that explored not just cars, but the entire luxury arena. I adopted a journalistic approach, using my contacts to provide key insights that shaped our report. These included Dazed Media’s Luke Robins, Anoushka Menzies (Bacchus Agency) and Nick Finch, director at Christie’s. The 50-page report comprehensively defined the inclusive and exclusive business of luxury today.
BRAND STRATEGY, CREATIVE DIRECTION, EDITORIAL
WORLD CLASS
CLIENT: World Business Council for Sustainable Development
AGENCY: Salterbaxter
I helped to conceive, write and edit the WBCSD's publication "Vision 2050: Time for Change". The WBCSD aims to unite companies to drive systems change and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the transformation of economic systems including circular economy, climate and energy, and sustainable cities. The job involved interviewing senior leaders to shape the content, then translating their insights into a compelling narrative that drove engagement across the WBCSD's 250+ member countries.
BRAND STRATEGY & EDITORIAL
BROOKLANDS
CLIENT: Brooklands Watch Company
AGENCY: House 337
Working with the agency House 337 we were presented with a challenge. Aerospace engineer Simon Jeffs wanted to launch a new British luxury watch brand, inspired by the historic Brooklands racing circuit in Surrey. The first model was designed by Sir Terence Conran – but in the noisy marketplace of luxury watches, how could we make Brooklands stand out? I developed BWC’s branding and Tone of Voice to tell the story of its motorsport roots authentically and credibly. Working with brand ambassadors such as World Landspeed record holder Andy Green OBE, we blended social-first content, editorial strategy, live display signage and performance advertising – all of which helped BWC to secure funding, grow its brand and drive sales.
BRAND STRATEGY & COPYWRITING
SWEDISH TONE OF VOICE
CLIENT: Volvo
AGENCY: Redwood
I used my editorial skills to develop a new way for Volvo to express their brand in words. They wanted to be seen as a luxury brand but I framed it around Sweden's ethos as a country – how human-centric design changes people's lives for the better. I called it The Swedish Pioneer, as that fitted in with Volvo's history of safety firsts. This was going to be a big change for many in Volvo's worldwide network. So working closely with Volvo at their headquarters in Gothenburg, I led seminars around the world with their staff, agencies and dealers to roll it out and ensure consistency.
BRAND STRATEGY & COPYWRITING
CANNES LIONS
CLIENT: Cannes Lions
AGENCY: Freelance project
As Cannes Lions grew from a single week to a 24/7 content stream, they needed a distinctive Tone of Voice that would set them apart. I conducted interviews with key personnel to discover the real ethos behind the organisation and did a thorough analysis of the brand. From this, I wrote clear principles that would underpin all communication – ones that anyone could follow from new hirings to seasoned staff. I also led by example, writing the first set of communications. Because when it comes to Tone of Voice, people learn from inspiring writing, not a series of grammatical rules in a PowerPoint document.
BRAND STRATEGY & COPYWRITING
LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS
CLIENT: London Review of Books
AGENCY: Atlas
This represents more than a campaign – it's the embodiment of 12 months of collaborative work with a receptive, engaged client on its subscription model, brand and Tone of Voice.
As a magazine that isn't really about book reviews, and spans whatever its polymath editors deem to be interesting, the main problem LRB had was saying what it was about. We solved that not by saying but by showing – which also gave people something to read while waiting for their train.
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BRAND STRATEGY & COPYWRITING
A CUP OF RESPECT
CLIENT: Nescafé
AGENCY: Salterbaxter
I was instrumental in devising and creating Nescafé’s global sustainability initiative aimed at improving the lives of coffee farmers and promoting responsible coffee farming practices.It involved bringing many diverse international initiatives into a single narrative, from empowering women coffee farmers, to ensuring coffee beans are sourced responsibly and using sustainable packaging.
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BRAND STRATEGY, COPYWRITING, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
NISSAN
CLIENT: Nissan
AGENCY: Publicis
Over 29% of us are now happy buying a car entirely online, and auto E-commerce is a rapidly growing phenomenon. I worked with Nissan to define and describe its Nissan at Home customer service plan, taking into account the practicalities of what the brand could offer and then shaping it into a unique package and writing the words behind the offer.
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I also worked with key board members to write their thought leadership articles for LinkedIn. Often this involved starting with the bare bones of an idea and then shaping it into a credible and readable article that sounded authentically in their own words.
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BRAND STRATEGY & COPYWRITING
THE WEEK US ELECTION
CLIENT: The Week
AGENCY: Thinking + Doing
The Week magazine wanted to grow its US audience, conveying its unique blend of perspective and curated journalism. The US Elections were the ideal playing field. However our line for the UK magazine “see both sides” needed to be adapted for an American audience, as most of them had already made their minds up.
Our strategic solution was to reframe the debate, presenting perspective as something that is your fundamental right. This, by inference, turns it into something eminently desirable, making The Week’s USP all the more powerful.
This was the perfect springboard for creating a set of striking graphics and statements for digital, print and social that forged an emotional connection with even the most partisan of US readers.
BRAND STRATEGY, CREATIVE DIRECTION, COPYWRITING
THE i NEWSPAPER
CLIENT: The i Newspaper
AGENCY: Thinking + Doing
The i is the only national newspaper that has never supported a political party. During the 2024 UK elections, its integrity and impartial journalism had never been needed more. Unfortunately – aside from its 4m readers – many people have very little knowledge of what the paper is. There was confusion about whether it’s a cut-down version of The Independent, or maybe just a version of The Metro that you have to pay for. Working with the subscription advisory company Atlas, it was our job to put the record straight with a national campaign.
We developed a series of lines that did two jobs. First, they set out to promote awareness, describing simply and clearly what The i is. Second, they focused on people’s nagging doubts about the news sources they rely on, and how they all have some form of political bias. This had particular resonance during the election.
We created punchy digital, social and OOH creative that captured The i’s essence and framed it around the election: “Are you being informed or influenced?” The bold design and the use of the red i made the brand feel bigger and more famous, generating added intrigue and interest. Time was of the essence before the election, and we delivered the whole process from start to finish in under 3 weeks.
BRAND STRATEGY & COPYWRITING
UNDERSTANDING = OPTIMISM
CLIENT: The Week Junior
AGENCY: Thinking + Doing
The magazine came to us for a New Year campaign. Traditionally, these had revolved around resolutions, fresh starts, and the joys of literacy. But we wanted to go deeper than that, proposing a new upbeat message that underscored what The Week Junior actually does for children – creating optimism through understanding. Against a backdrop of COVID-19 and conflict, our message was that when you understand something, you’re not scared of it any more.
“Understanding your world. Feels great, doesn’t it?” was an integrated campaign for digital, social and page ads that featured happy children bouncing. The power of the campaign came from the levity and brightness of the images while conveying to concerned parents that this was a product that could have a real positive impact on children’s lives.
BRAND STRATEGY & COPYWRITING
HORSE POWER
AGENCY: Freelance
Since 2001 I have been the English language copywriter of record for a well-known Italian car manufacturer. My services include client communications, speechwriting for senior board members, press releases, and all customer-facing communication.
BLOOD NORMAL
BRAND STRATEGY & EDITORIAL
CLIENT: Libresse/Bodyform
AGENCY: AMV BBDO
I'm proud of this international campaign for SCA/Libresse because it was a real team effort. It's a great example of content and advertising working together holistically. AMV BBDO's creative team Caio and Diego made a TVC/cinema film called "Blood" – showing how a little bit of blood doesn't hold women back in sport, so why should period blood hold them back in real life?
But this campaign also needed to be practical and useful, so I teamed with Frame Gyms, Leon restaurants and Georgie Bruinvels, a University College London PhD student who specialises in the menstrual cycle. Together, we devised a series of dance workouts, recipes and a whole website devoted to helping women exercise and feel better during their periods. ​​The project won a Gold Lion at Cannes, a D&AD award and Gold of Golds at the Creative Circle.
