Nicole Lelacheur, a Senior Copywriter at JOAN, Talks Empathy, Instincts, & Keeping a Foot Firmly Planted Outside Adland
INTERVIEW BY TREY ALSTON / CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Working Not Working Member Nicole LeLacheur is a Senior Copywriter at JOAN Creative with a portfolio full of memorable scripts, manifestos, and new brand identities. Growing up in Lowell, Massachusetts, she discovered an obsession with creativity through writing short stories and penning her own song lyrics. After getting a degree in journalism, she decided to hop into the world of advertising to expound on this love for creativity at Mechanica.
Since then, she’s created spectacular work for PUMA, Grow Norfolk, and a select few other shops and worked on creative for brands like adidas, Puma, and Saucony. And through it all, what keeps her consistently elevating is a realization that many within advertising often forget: not to take themselves too seriously. “It’s so easy to get caught up in this place we call Adland,” she says. “I try to keep at least one foot firmly planted in the world outside of advertising to stay grounded.”
Tell me about your background. What were your interests growing up and what led you to copywriting? What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising?
I grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts, a city just north of Boston. From an early age, my imagination became the thing that kept me busy. I’d sit at our family computer writing short stories and song lyrics, or draw the same picture over and over until it was just right. Creativity was always my outlet of choice.
I wanted to write novels but figured studying media and communications was a safer bet. After getting a journalism degree, I found my path into advertising by way of a small creative shop in Newburyport, MA, founded by a few original Mullen alumni, called Mechanica. It was there I found a life-changing mentor, my creative voice, and a love for coming up with ideas.
If I wasn’t in advertising, I think I would have pursued my minor in Psychology and become a therapist or counselor. I’ve always been drawn to helping people take an objective look at their feelings and work their way through them.
What excites you about being a copywriter?
Writing has always been at the core for me. Finding that string of words that feels so effortless still gives me an adrenaline rush. But I’ve always looked at brands as a vehicle to get a bigger message out to the world; not just sell something. Advertising is one of the few guaranteed ways to get people’s eyes on something for at least a moment, so why not use that for something good?
What kinds of lessons have you learned over the course of your career?
I think what we do is 80% creativity and 20% managing personalities. The creative brain is a delicate one. There are a lot of egos to navigate and vulnerabilities to be mindful of. The best people I’ve worked with can come up with good ideas, sure, but they also have a keen sense of self-awareness in how they present themselves and affect others around them. Kindness and empathy go a long way.
“The creative brain is a delicate one. There are a lot of egos to navigate and vulnerabilities to be mindful of. The best people I’ve worked with can come up with good ideas, sure, but they also have a keen sense of self-awareness in how they present themselves and affect others around them.”
What’s the best advice you’ve received that’s helped you through your career?
My mentor used to say: trust your instincts. Because they’re almost always right. I used to wait around until someone else said the thing I was thinking in order to validate it. Don’t wait to speak on the things you believe in. That goes for both creative decisions and ones that impact people. If you think something could make the idea better, say it. If you think the creative team or casting is too white, say it. If you lead with your intuition and follow it up with something objective to back it up, you can’t go wrong.
What’s one thing that’s helped you get to where you’re at now?
Remembering not to take myself too seriously. It’s so easy to get caught up in this place we call Adland. I try to keep at least one foot firmly planted in the world outside of advertising to stay grounded.
Oh, and showers. If I’m stuck on something that I can’t figure out, it almost always comes to me in the shower!
“I used to wait around until someone else said the thing I was thinking in order to validate it. Don’t wait to speak on the things you believe in. If you think something could make the idea better, say it. If you think the creative team or casting is too white, say it. If you lead with your intuition and follow it up with something objective to back it up, you can’t go wrong.”
What’s your approach to being a creative? How do you generally come up with ideas and copy when it’s necessary?
It’s taken me years to figure out how my brain works. Time is one of the most important things for me when approaching a creative problem. Protecting my time and setting boundaries, so I can give every brief my freshest brain.
I also like to step as far away from an advertising mindset as possible, and ask myself, “What do I think people actually want to see from this brand?” And then deliver it in the most unexpected way possible.
What’s your favorite thing about the advertising industry? What’s your least favorite thing?
By far, my favorite thing is seeing an idea come to life and the camaraderie that comes with it. Working with incredible creative partners like directors, editors, motion designers, and actually seeing the thing you worked so hard at finally take shape? There’s no better feeling.
Without question, my least favorite thing is how one-dimensional this industry is. It’s so white. And it still feels like change is moving at a snail’s pace. I think many of the wrong people are at the top, gatekeeping the creative opportunities. It’s why so much of the work is generally mediocre, and why so many people still feel like outsiders here. The executive level needs a major shake-up.
How do you want the advertising industry to change and evolve? What do you think will help it to do that?
Advertising often feels like a one-trick show. The same creative formulas. Same people circling around to the same agencies. I think we’ve identified the problems time and time again, yet the people with decision-making power have yet to truly prioritize what matters. I think what will help this industry evolve is when people make their long-overdue, personal commitment to change. And more people demanding it of their leaders.
What’s been your favorite project that you’ve worked on?
I’ll always have love for one of the first pitches I worked on. My agency at the time was pitching to keep the business of a long-time sneaker client. We lost the pitch. But it was the first time I felt so ingrained in every aspect of the creative; where my CD gave the team true autonomy to own the work. It felt like hell at the time, but looking back on it, I learned so much about myself.
How has the pandemic impacted your approach to creativity?
Is literally anyone okay right now? Ha. But seriously, the pandemic has been tough on my creative psyche. When lock-down first started, I poured myself into art, painting, drawing—anything to keep me busy. Now I’m just trying to get by and protect what energy I do have. We all need to give ourselves permission to ebb and flow with our creativity, and not feel so pressured if our heads aren’t always in it. We’re all just doing our best.
What’s one thing that you want to accomplish in your career that you haven’t yet?
The answer to that has shifted a bit as I’ve gotten older. I still want to make amazing work, of course. But I care less about that than I do seeing people get their entry into this industry and have the support to succeed. I had a fairly easy come-up into this career and people who spoke up for me, and that’s still not the case for everyone. Be someone else’s champion.