Sonny Squirrel
A family-owned RV park had something most businesses would give anything for: a staff who genuinely cared. But their public presence didn’t reflect it well. The warmth guests experienced during their stay was largely shared by referrals. They were a hidden gem.
Sonny Squirrel was built from what I uncovered. A character whose personality matched the park’s real culture, not an idealized version of it. Eight years later, he’s still the central brand anchor, still doing what a better ad never could.
Authentic Voice Email Series
During Covid, a local home services company faced the same problem every small business did: staying connected to customers when the world is uncertain and nobody wants to be sold to. As it turned out, people spending more time at home were paying closer attention to what needed care around the house.
The answer was a weekly email series written entirely in the owner's authentic voice. Honest, personal, grounded in what customers were actually going through. No pushy promotions, no urgency tactics, just a real person showing up in their inbox every Wednesday. The result was a 51% open rate. More than double the industry average at that time.
Neurotic Ned
Auto insurance is one of the hardest categories to communicate in. Compliance rules are strict, the topic makes people anxious, and almost every competitor sounds the same. A regional agency in Alaska needed a way to break through without breaking the rules.
Ned was built to voice the anxieties that Anchorage-area locals likely felt about car insurance. A talking car who said out loud what drivers were already thinking and feeling. Fear-based subject matter made human. Fully compliant. Impossible to ignore.
