February 26, 2025 • 43 mins
A good marketing campaign can help a brand charge forward. Chris sits down with Michelle Fischer, Group Creative Director at Battery. As a full-service creative and media advertising agency, Battery has worked with a who’s who of clients, and you’ve seen their work with The LA Clippers, Netflix, and PUBG. Michelle walks us through Battery's unique storytelling approach to branding while touching on a childhood favorite of Chris’s, the (Mighty) Anaheim Ducks. So strap in if you’re looking for a way to get cinematic with your advertising (or want a quick lesson in “farmcore“).
Show Highlights
- (0:00) Intro
- (1:38) Michelle's career background
- (4:04) Why Michelle chose to become a Creative Director over copywriting
- (6:04) Getting led to Battery
- (10:02) Who does Battery work with
- (11:34) The meaning behind Battery's name
- (14:26) Breaking down Battery's model
- (17:39) Working with the Anaheim Ducks on a rebrand
- (21:29) Infusing hometown pride into the Anaheim Ducks rebrand
- (23:42) Launch your podcast with HumblePod!
- (24:22) Handling the rebranding campaign
- (27:32) Helping Land O'Lakes reclaim "farm core"
- (31:54) What's important to Michelle in the marketing world right now
- (33:35) What Michelle thinks the future of advertising looks like
- (35:53) What brand does Michelle admire the most right now?
- (41:55) Where you can find more from Michelle and Battery
About Michelle Fischer
Michelle Fischer is an LA-based Creative Director and Writer. She strives to create work that's unexpected, emotional, and culturally relevant.
She has 17+ years of experience in crafting stories, building brands, designing interactive experiences, winning business, and leading projects for world's top companies such as Google, Hulu, 72andSunny, Deutsch, Venables Bell & Partners, AKQA, Y&R, and Duncan Channon.
When she’s not working, Michelle is still learning—whether it’s trying to raise a little human, nerding out on podcasts, traveling out of her comfort zone, or attempting the Marie Kondo method.
Links
- Battery: https://www.batteryagency.com/
- Michelle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-fischer-5683804/
Start a podcast with HumblePod!
https://www.humblepod.com/our-services/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
We are located in Hollywood, and we have such deep roots in
LA, and we have such an affinity for LA brands, but Hollywood
storytelling is really about seeing advertising as entertainment.
Like something that you don't want to skip,
something that feels interesting, different.
Hopefully makes you feel something.
(00:20):
Welcome to We Built This Brand, the podcast where we talk to the
creators and collaborators behind brands and provide you with
practical insights that you can use in growing your own business.
Today, we're talking with Michelle Nam Fischer, Group Creative Director
at Battery, a full service creative and media advertising agency who has
worked with brands like Netflix, Land O'Lakes, and the Anaheim Ducks.
(00:42):
As a child of the 90s, I was really excited for this conversation.
The Mighty Ducks were a big part of my childhood, and inspired me to learn
to ice skate, roller blade, and develop many, many, many scraped knees.
So, when I heard her agency was in charge of their
recent rebrand, I knew we'd have a lot to talk about.
If you're a kid of the 90s and you love the movie,
(01:03):
I think you'll find their process fascinating.
We also got to talk about their recent Land
O'Lakes campaign, which was a lot of fun as well.
That said I won't hold us back from this interview any longer.
Here's my conversation with Michelle Nam Fischer of Battery.
All right, Michelle, welcome to the show.
(01:24):
Excited to be here.
Thank you for having me.
Absolutely.
Excited to be talking to you today.
I'm talking about your journey, I'm talking about the agency
you work for, Battery, and just diving into that a little more.
So where I always like to start these interviews off is just learning a little
bit more about how you got to where you are today as a creative director.
(01:45):
That's always a, um, any leadership position I feel like is a mysterious
journey from, like, starting wherever you started to where you are at now.
So give us a little bit of that, that story, if you will.
Yeah.
I mean, talking about mysterious.
It all kind of started in college.
I was majoring in psychology and communication, and I know I,
(02:05):
I knew that I wanted to study people's motivations,
kind of interesting, um, and persuasion, all of that.
And I just remember one day in my dorm room, I was listening
to, uh, the "Real Men of Genius" campaign, the radio campaign.
And I was like, these are so funny.
(02:26):
These are so like, how, how, how do people do this?
Like, do they get paid for it?
I was so curious about it.
And after that, for college, I was just
trying to get in the door of advertising.
I started at a entertainment media company in Venice
and, um, it wasn't quite what I was thinking it would be.
So I, uh, had a friend who recommended VCU BrandCenter and I applied.
(02:51):
I quit my job and, uh, I got in luckily because
I didn't know if I was going to get it or not.
And then since then, I started my first copywriting job in Chicago
and got like kind of a really great background there with all the
kind of fundamentals, cut my teeth on radio and things like that.
And then went to San Francisco and did a lot of
(03:11):
digital stuff and then, um, headed down to LA.
You know, quite a few years at 72andSunny, worked on Target a
good amount of years, and then freelance at different places.
So coming up through that world, being a writer, doing all that, I love
that it started for you with the "Real Men of Genius" because that was,
that was actually an early creative project that we had, um, at my company.
(03:34):
We had a client say, "I've got this dumb idea for a parody song of 'Real Men
of Genius.' Could, could you do that for me?" And I was like, Yeah, sure.
So I ended up, I ended up cutting like a whole "Real Men of Genius"
campaign, like song and doing, doing the narrative and the vocals myself.
That's fun.
Yeah.
(03:54):
Yeah.
I'll, I'll, I'll share it with you and the, and the audience after this is over.
It was, it was quite ridiculous.
It still exists on the internet by some miracle, but, but that's great.
So, um, so then, so then you went to, you said The AdCenter,
you went there and you've, you've moved up since then.
So, um, why did you want to move into being
a creative director versus copywriting?
(04:16):
You know, it's interesting.
I think that when you're going through like the going
through an advertising agency, you start to see, you know,
just natural progression of experience and everything.
And I know people who actually don't want that role.
Um, they love to stay in the craft of copywriting, which is great,
(04:36):
um, but what I loved about creative directing was you get to see the
brand at a higher level, and you get to shape the look, the voice,
uh, the tone, um, of that brand and help kind of, um, guide it.
Which I love, uh, that piece of it.
(04:57):
And then also solving kind of larger business
and organizational challenges that a brand has.
I also love working with just the team of, you know, different
creative strategists, brand people, and kind of getting them
together and kind of seeing what people kind of create on their own.
And it's, it's, it's, it's pretty great.
(05:20):
Yeah.
It's kind of magical to see.
You're like, "Oh, I would have never gone there."
I would have never gone there, um, with my mind and
to see you to go there, they just kind of, it's really
exciting to just kind of witness too and then guide it.
Yeah.
There's something that's really fun about the creative process.
Yeah.
It is, it's like organized chaos, you know, like you just,
it's kind of meanders and you never know where it comes from.
(05:43):
And then all of a sudden you have it and it's just, it's
such an amazing feeling when you get, when you do get it.
For sure.
And working with a talented team, of course, helps as well.
Building that, growing that, of course, is always a challenge.
So yeah, that's, that's really cool.
Organized chaos comes from somewhere, right?
So what led you to Battery?
(06:06):
How did you get involved there?
You know, it's so interesting.
Um, after my last full time gig after Battery.
I mean, I'm sorry, um, before Battery, I freelanced at a few
different places, and, you know, I was kind of convinced that I was
(06:26):
like, "I'm going to do this freelance thing for a very long time."
It was honestly like a great balance for me because I was a newfound mom.
And then I talked to Phil, who's co founder of Battery.
He's the chief creative officer.
He chatted with me when I was at my last full time position
and we just kept on talking and he was like, "Come on
over and check it out," you know, "see it for yourself."
(06:49):
And I went there because I, the work was very interesting.
I thought that the brands were great, but I thought the way that they
approached and did the work that they did was very interesting, disruptive.
But what made me kind of go full time over there was how they worked.
And I would say, you know, the people there.
(07:12):
At the time, we're very, very experienced and had a lot of years,
and everyone knew what worked and what didn't work in various
places that they've been at and brought that collective knowledge.
We talked through what works, what doesn't, you know,
we're progress over process kind of removing all the
(07:33):
processes that don't work for us, that don't serve the work.
So that's, that's part of it.
And then the thing that kind of the unlock for me in my years
at Battery was this idea of being a "Force Multiplier," and
when I first heard that, I was like, what does that mean?
I have no idea, but it's kind of identifying what your, what your
(07:58):
superpower is and where you can make the most impact and then
surrounding yourself with people who can do it better than you.
I don't know if that makes sense.
For example, when I was a senior creative from concept briefing,
concepting to execution, I would, uh, look at every single cast
(08:22):
member, uh, in an audition and write down why I don't like them.
Why I like them.
You know, do massive explorations on look and feel of all these things.
And, you know, we were talking about, like, this, we have crafts
people to do this for us who know, know it better than us.
(08:45):
You know, I mean, we, we know what we like, we know what moves
us, but there are directors, there are editors, there are, you
know, all kinds of musicians that can really, they're artists and
they're creative and they're problem solvers in their own right.
So bringing, bringing them in and really empowering
them to, to do what they are, were meant to do.
(09:08):
So that kind of was a huge unlock for me that I didn't have to do everything.
It was this kind of, there's so much better people around you that
can do it and you focus on what, where you make the most impact.
Yeah, I think that that makes a lot of sense to me.
As you build anything, like if you limit yourself to you being
(09:31):
the hero, then typically you're not going to get very far.
The organizations and the people that I've worked with that
say, I'm going to be the star and it's only going to be me.
Unless they have a valid reason for it typically doesn't work out too well.
And I think that, um, that humility that you bring to it saying,
"Hey, there are people that are better than, better than this, than
me. I'm going to rely on them to help me and grow." I think that
(09:54):
that's, um, that's a great attitude towards everything and definitely.
Um, a good illustration of being a force muscle supplier.
So, so tell me a little bit about Battery.
I mean, you've, you've already told me a little bit just through
what you shared, but, um, what kind of clients do you work with
and what type of content and things do you all normally produce?
A lot of our clients, I mean, they kind of span, but I would say
(10:17):
throughout the years, we've had a lot of entertainment clients, um,
like Netflix, Hulu, and we have had, uh, quite a few sports brands.
We had Clippers, Angel City FC, and now Anaheim Ducks.
And we also have CPG Brands, Land O'Lakes, Grand Coromino, and Finance.
We, we do RBC and a couple other, um, financial
(10:42):
institutions that we've worked in the past.
And then also gaming, that's a big one, but I kind of lump, kind of like
put that under the umbrella of like entertainment, you know, sports, gaming,
entertainment platforms all of that is, I feel like under entertainment.
Oh yeah.
I'm a big nerd.
So
big fan of that and...
(11:02):
We can nerd out.
Yeah.
Can definitely nerd out.
I'm sure you've worked with some brands that actually
from looking at your website, I know you've worked
with brands that I'm like, Oh my gosh, that's so cool.
Yeah.
I've been very lucky and I know people say that,
but it just, it's, it's, it's interesting, you know.
There's so many creative people out there, and sometimes it's just
the right time, right place, and being ready for those moments.
(11:24):
Being prepared with it, and of course, it sounds like
you're bringing a good team to the equation as well, so,
all of that's gonna, all that's gonna build on itself.
That's great.
So names are intrinsic to branding.
Why the name Battery?
Well, do you want to hear the, do you want to
hear the legend or you want to hear the reality?
Oh, I'll take both.
I love, I love these kind of stories.
(11:46):
Okay.
Well, this was obviously, um, before my time, but, um, the legend is
that it's, I mean, it's from, it was inspired by Metallica's song.
Oh, nice.
And it was actually presumed by earlier Japanese
clients that Battery had back in the day.
And they're like, "Oh, it's from that Metallica song,
right?" And then they just never affirmed or denied that.
(12:11):
Um, but actually, uh, that song and Metallica is
very, like, sewn in and into the fabric of Battery.
If you walk through the, our office, we've got so many cues of
Metallica drums, you know, just all kinds of, uh, paraphernalia and,
(12:36):
um, cues to the Metallica because of course our, Phil is a huge fan.
Um, but then the reality of it is, um, it was a nickname of Anson.
So be who was the other co-founder of Battery, um, and the CEO.
It was his nickname when he was a kid.
And if you ever meet him, he, you can see why, cause he is so energetic.
(12:58):
Yeah.
My, my initial assumption was something to do with energy and excitement.
So the latter, the latter definitely makes sense.
It's so funny because to this day, well, actually until
2 days ago, when I, I was like, why are we named Battery?
I always just assumed, you know, it's just like, you like power
(13:18):
something, you know, like, and that's the origin story of Battery.
And it's fascinating.
My, my, my favorite company name is, um, Mitel, which is a telephone company.
You may have heard of them, but the original name comes
from two guys named Mike and Terry, and they had a lawn
mowing business before they started selling phones.
So it was Mike and Terry's Lawn Mowing.
That's really interesting.
(13:39):
You know, I, we've done so many, and I don't know if you
have done this too, Chris, like just naming exercises.
Oh yes.
And it's such a subjective thing, and we even had like origins of
other names, like Starbucks, you know, like, and where that came from.
And it's really interesting how names kind of just pop up and
(14:00):
become something of its own and has its own story and evolution.
And I've also seen those naming sessions turn into counseling sessions
because you people have opinions and people have ideas and you're like, "Oh,
I didn't realize we needed to go this deep to find the answer." But that,
that certainly, certainly is something I'm very versed in and experienced in.
So it's always fun, especially when they've got a great backstory to them.
(14:24):
So that's really cool.
So the model for Battery is noted as being tried and true brand
rigor, infused with Hollywood storytelling based on a tech mentality.
You know, as a creative director, what does
that mean to you and the clients you work with?
You know, I know it's, it's layered, um, but the way that I see it is,
(14:45):
you know, there's a group of us who have come from different walks of
experience and we bring that experience from big brands, you know, and
bring that kind of rigor, um, and the, and the, the, the best practices
of each experience and brand that we've been on and bring that to Battery.
(15:06):
Hollywood storytelling, you know, it was born because we're, we are
located in Hollywood and we have such deep roots in LA and we have such an
affinity for LA brands, but this Hollywood storytelling is really about.
It's just seeing advertising as entertainment,
like something that you don't want to skip.
Something that feels interesting, different, hopefully makes you feel something.
(15:31):
And it makes a lot of sense with all the brands that we do have.
Yeah, for sure.
In entertainment.
And what about that tech mentality?
Where does that, where does that play into this?
That's really about just iterating and collaborating, you
know, doing that, like sharing work often and quickly.
(15:51):
And we, we rarely, rarely show anything
that's fully done, packaged up, here it is.
Um, we show it in early stages.
We really like to work with our partners, our client
partners going through what's working, what's not.
We're not really precious about anything at all.
We really try to listen before speaking and
(16:14):
just iterate, iterate a lot of prototyping.
Yeah, iterative processes are the best, especially when you get the
client on board with it and they understand what the process is.
Um, nothing worse than going to a client with a final
product or something labeled "final" because you know
it's going to come back labeled "final-01," "-02,"
(16:35):
and so on.
"-03." Yeah.
"Option 6B," you know.
I've actually made it a principle at our company that we, we don't
label anything "final." Until it's actually complete and in the can.
Right, right.
And, you know, because culture is moving so quickly, you plan
(16:55):
something out fully a year ahead, um, especially for big brands.
They do need that planning ahead of time.
But to have everything packaged up with such a long lead time, it
just doesn't work because it becomes, you know, culture's so femoral.
Things move so fast these days that, you
(17:15):
know, you could talk about it within weeks.
It's, it's, you know, stale or old or, you
know, all those things, especially in social.
Yeah.
It's, it's hard to stay on top of that culture.
It does seem like it changes quite a bit with trends and all that.
You think you're going to do something fun, and then, a year later, it
might be something completely different that you're targeting towards.
(17:38):
So let's talk a little bit about some of the brands you've worked with.
One of those is the Anaheim Ducks.
And as a, as a kid of the '90s, I grew up watching the Mighty Ducks.
So I saw that on your client list.
It was like, we have to talk about the Ducks.
Yes.
So tell me more about that campaign and,
(17:58):
and how you got, how you worked with them.
Of course, and I'm so glad you mentioned that
you're, uh, you're familiar with The Mighty Ducks.
I mean, that's, you know, it's a, it's a SoCal team, but what's really
unique about this NHL team is that it started in Disney, and it started
(18:19):
as a movie, and it turned into a real team and a lot of the nation
and globally actually, um, there's a lot of Ducks fans globally.
They were brought up on this movie and there's such
a strong connection with them, uh, with Disney.
And with that actually came with its own kinds of perception of it being
(18:39):
this kind of, you know, kid friendly, non-aggressive and hockey team.
And, uh, they really changed, I think they kind of shed that perception
a bit once they, uh, won the Stanley Cup in 2007, and, you know, there
was also too, there was a, um, uh, like a handful of years, they were,
(19:02):
were they like made it to the Western Conference, like Championships.
And, you know, there were a very notable name in its own right in the NHL.
But, uh, in recent years, you know, they've, I think it like
up until 2018, they were like really, really competitive.
(19:23):
And then they came to us at a really interesting time for them.
They were on the onset of rebranding themselves.
I don't know if you follow hockey or not, but I didn't
actually, um, I got just really geeking into it.
So the Ducks, they were going through a rebrand with the logo, and
(19:44):
they were creating this amazing kind of mixed use space around it
with entertainment, restaurants, you know, um, that kind of thing.
And then, um, they were also in a rebuild period.
So they have a really young team that is, you know,
they're, they're coaching and, uh, and developing.
(20:07):
They really want to reinvigorate fandom, the
fans, and get people into the arena on a center.
And it's really challenging when you have
a team that's rebuilding and the players.
And that was the challenge with them.
It was to get these fans excited for all the foundational things
(20:28):
that they're, that they're making like with the in-game experience.
That new complex I was telling you about, and then
the rebrand, which so many fans like completely loved.
They returned back to that like mask duck face versus the web.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, it's so iconic too, you know, also
like has the heritage from the movies as well.
(20:51):
Yeah.
It's a, it's a good throwback.
And then, um, I noticed the color, the color
selection for this rebrand was heavy on orange.
As opposed to the, the purple and green that maybe we're more familiar with.
Um, so what, what led to that color change?
I'm sure that was probably a much more lengthy
discussion than most people would assume.
Fans were very much in love with their purple and teal,
(21:13):
but one of the things that the organization really want to
lean into is their, uh, loyalty and love for Orange County.
And Orange County is known for the oranges.
Like, their history is in, like, orange groves, so they really leaned into
that color, and they knew there was going to be a lot of kind of pushback from
fans, but they went, they boldly and, you know, with pride went with orange.
(21:37):
Yeah.
It's definitely a good call.
Um, so, so what has been the response then?
You said you were anticipating some pushback, but how has it been received?
Oh, well, you know what?
Um, maybe I can kind of take a step back about
what like Battery was kind of a partner to do here.
So, they had these kind of pieces in place, but with the
(21:59):
big task of invigorating reinvigorating the fans and the
players being kind of subject to change all the time.
Like, we couldn't lean into the players and the team.
So the, the challenge to us was how do we
bring back pride fandom to our fan base?
(22:21):
And we're like, you know, Orange County is where it's at.
Like, I'm actually from Orange County.
I grew up there.
I spent some, I spent my weekends in Compton, but lived in Orange County.
And with that, then I know that like the people, the residents of
Orange County, they're such a, such a diverse, um, population of
(22:43):
people and, but then people from the outside don't really know that.
You know, Orange County is often kind of labeled with, uh, you
know, kind of like dated stereotypes of like "The Real Housewives
of Orange County," "Laguna Beach" when that was a thing.
Beautiful beaches, very cush lifestyle, one note type of people,
(23:05):
and Orange County is very, very, very different from that.
And we want to lean into that and kind of fight off stereotypes
and bring this kind of more edgy, gritty persona to, to the Ducks.
So we had this platform line called "Your Entry to Orange Country."
And that, that, that was our brand platform to kind of set off bringing
(23:28):
back fandom, not just core fans, but people from Orange County who
could relate to this and say, yes, we are, or we are Orange County.
There's a lot of things to be proud of there.
So then mm-hmm . So were you, so then I guess you all were part of the digital.
(23:49):
piece of that.
Um, what other pieces of that campaign were you all handling?
Well, it was kind of a bit of a rebrand, um,
in focusing the communications around the fans.
So we did digital.
We've done, we just came out with like a tourism campaign,
(24:09):
which is this kind of nice twist of "Come visit Orange Country,"
which is this kind of like darker A like grittier version
of, um, what you would see as an Orange County, uh, personas.
We have like ads at the Orange County airport that have like
a twist on a tourism campaign, but everything's kind of dark.
(24:33):
We've done film, we're doing a bunch of social phones for them.
Um, it's an arena and, um, yeah, we're just
finding different ways of bringing that to life.
That's exciting.
I noticed when I watched the, um, the video for "Welcome to Orange Country,"
it was very much what you said, the darker, the grittier, the more intense.
It definitely had an air of excitement about this new brand
(24:56):
and being the Anaheim Ducks, and I'll be honest with you, like,
it's the first time I realized, because this is my, again,
my memory is the Mighty Ducks, the movie, which does not take
place from what I recall in California, at least the first one.
And so my brain is set on like, "Oh. Oh, they're in
Anaheim, California. Oh!" And now it all makes sense.
(25:18):
I feel like for the first time I actually had a place if
that makes sense as a as an outsider a sense of place for
where the Ducks are and their community around the Ducks.
So I think it by that measure, my own measure, it was, it was
successful in establishing those things you're trying to establish.
That's really great to hear.
(25:39):
I love that you got a sense of place, um, from the work
because there's, there's a ducks fans all around the world.
And as we've also been thinking about too, like, what is "Orange Country?"
Is it just, um, just Orange County or is Orange Country around the world?
And we've kind of figured out it's around the world.
(26:00):
It's wherever a Ducks fan is.
That's really neat.
Um, that'll be phase two of the campaign, right?
Orange Country all over the world.
It's already, it's already out a little bit in social, which is great.
Yeah.
We're like highlighting people from like
Sweden and, you know, all different places.
So.
Well, cool.
Well, I've, like I said, I loved it.
Um, thought it was really cool.
(26:21):
I was curious.
I noticed in the video that I watched, which I think was
the one on your, um, on your page with the case study for
it, but the, the, the video had them giving a guy a tattoo.
Was he actually getting a new ducks tattoo for the shoot?
No, no, no.
It was, you know.
Sometimes you get a dedicated fan.
Although we have had that idea.
(26:43):
We've had that idea.
We're like, show us how loyal of a Orange Country fan you are.
Um, but it's to highlight local, um, residents of Orange Country.
As far as other brands that you all have
worked with, you mentioned Land O'Lakes.
And I know, um, I think very recently you have
released a campaign around reclaiming farmcore.
(27:05):
And first of all, can you please tell me what farmcore is?
Because in my head, I know of this, I just found,
discover this DJ named DJ Horse Girl, and that's the only
reference to farmcore that I know is what she talks about.
And I'm like, I don't know that that's it.
So please tell me what it is.
Oh, uh, well, farmcore, um, is, uh, it's both a, uh, fashion style and a
(27:34):
lifestyle aesthetic that is trend that has been trending for a bit now.
It references, um, a farm-inspired lifestyle.
And that also includes, um, work wear.
So stuff that farmers wear on the farm.
You see that out on the streets and, um, street wear on the runway.
There was this, like, one thing that just posted up on in style.
(27:57):
Of um, barn jackets coming back in style that the core piece of it
is really interesting because that's been a part of social where it's
like "norm core," "cottage core," "farm," it's like anything core.
But it's really like referencing that look and that lifestyle a simpler time too
(28:17):
What was the focus of this campaign and what was your role in it?
So Land O'Lakes This year really wanted to highlight the impact that
farmer owners make, because Land O 'Lakes is actually a farmer owned co-op.
It's not owned by like, you know, faceless, like, big corporation.
It's actually owned by 1,000 plus farmer owners, and they
make real impact in their communities and the nation at large.
(28:42):
And we were willing to highlight those stories.
Now, the challenging thing in the world that we live in with social,
um, is that and just like, um, advertising media is that you have to
kind of capture someone's attention, um, and really get them to listen.
And what we kind of notice and listened in, in culture is
(29:04):
this kind of, uh, uprising of farmcore and farm living.
I mean, you, you see it in, gosh, um, like Beyonce came out with a country
album, you know, TV shows, all of that kind of like nodding to farm life.
So, um, and then we also saw it on the streets.
(29:25):
So.
We were thinking, okay, how do we share these stories in
a way that people will list, like, will pay attention to?
And we talked, and then we noticed there's this great connection between our
farmer owners and the clothes that they wear and that being out on the streets.
So, what we did was we stitched each individual story of impact on an
(29:48):
actual piece of clothing, one of our farmers wore and showcase them in
a fashion show in during Paris fashion week, but in Paris, Wisconsin.
So
I love that.
You know, I, I live, I live in East Tennessee, so for me, like, the
farmcore thing, I'm like, "That's just my neighbors." Like, I mean,
(30:10):
I'm not that far, I'm not that far removed from, from civilization.
We are, I am in downtown of my city right now, but, um, here in
Knoxville, but, um, but yeah, I definitely, it's an interesting
trend to see happening pop stars like, um, like Beyonce and, um,
oh gosh, Post Malone, I think did an album, and even Yung Gravy.
(30:34):
If you know who that is, I think he did it more as a joke than anything.
Um, his whole comedy persona is kind of that, but, but yeah,
it's just, it's an interesting, it's an interesting perspective.
And I love the idea of bringing, using that to bring
attention to the, um, these, these individuals and these
people that are part of that, that story of Land O'Lakes.
(30:54):
So, that's really neat.
Right.
I, I, the, the message that we try to get across with each piece
of, um, work that we brought out was, you know, farmcore's not
just, um, an aesthetic, it's a way of life for these farmer owners.
So, um, it's not just a fashion trend to them.
They do it day-in, day-out in those clothes.
(31:16):
Always curious to know, you know, getting towards the end, but I always
want to know like from you working in the creative world, especially
out in Hollywood and LA and, um, in California in general, like,
um, you know, what is top of mind for you in the industry right now?
Like what things are going on that you all are factoring into new projects and,
um, you know, maybe some of these bigger client projects that you're working on.
(31:40):
You know, it's really interesting.
Um, and it's not a surprise, um, but more and more of our partners
and our clients, uh, are looking for not traditional advertising.
You know, um, they're looking at it through the lens of, um, You know,
how people are consuming media these days, and it's awfully social.
(32:05):
You know, a lot of it is social.
A lot of it is experiential.
And, um, that's really exciting.
I think that in all of us, it's not just Gen Z or Generation Alpha.
When they look in social and it looks like an ad, you skip it right away.
It's only when it feels really native and authentic if people pay attention.
(32:27):
Um, so that's, that's where I feel like, um, we're all headed and
our brands are wanting and more experiences rather than selling.
And I think, I think it sounds like from the case studies you have here
and that we've talked about today, I mean, that very much shows through,
and, you know, giving people an experience or doing something that has
(32:50):
a tangible piece of the campaign that you can take home with you, you
know, and that people want to engage with, that definitely makes sense.
Um, what do you think the future of the business looks like in the next one to
five years for, for Battery, for maybe just the advertising world in general?
I mean, I think that was, that's kind of where we're headed.
Um, for me personally, um, we're, we're always trying
(33:13):
to find new ways of really compelling and engaging the,
the, the consumer, um, and bringing value to their life.
And I think that, um, it's interesting.
I always struggle between being disruptive
(33:34):
and being additive, if that makes sense.
Um, are we helping them, um, do something better or
are we bringing kind of like contrasting thought?
Um, which also I think has a place as well.
So, I always kind of think through what, what is the best
(33:54):
kind of method for a brand and how does it serve that brand?
And it's different for different brands like
Anaheim Ducks is different from Land O'Lakes.
Yeah, I think that again makes a lot of sense and yeah, I mean, there's
definitely definitely seeing that contrast to because there's the experiential
side of things I'm seeing now and then I see brands like Nutter Butter that
(34:16):
are doing these just insane out there campaigns that Interrupts your pattern
of thought, maybe even your TikTok flow as you're, you know, swiping away
in the night and just leaves you with a disturbing image of peanut butter.
I know some of them are not suitable before you go to bed.
(34:36):
I'm so glad you brought up Nutter Butter though, because that also
has been, you know, a topic of conversation within our teams, and,
you know, it's always about ,like, what feels right for the brand.
But I will say they're very, they've gotten notice for sure.
If we're all talking about it.
Yeah, they're, um, they're advertising campaign has definitely
(34:57):
haunted my, my, like, it's like my childhood coming back to haunt me.
Cause I remember Nutter Butters being big when I was a kid, and
then I hadn't thought about him in years until this campaign.
And I'm like, "Well.
Success.
They did it.
It's disturbing, but they did it."
Anyways.
Um, okay.
Well, last question.
I always like to ask before we go is what
(35:18):
brand do you admire the most right now?
Oh, gosh, there's so many.
I like to take cues from different brands, but the first one is a bit obscure,
uh, but I, I love their approach and it's called the Rochambeau Club, and
(35:38):
they're only online, uh, and most of their marketing is just on, uh, social,
but they have kind of created this world, and
I love this example as a world building brand.
They've created a completely fictional, I think it's like the Swiss
(35:59):
Alps country club, racquetball club, exclusive club, and they give
you a peek into what that lifestyle is like just in their social.
And all of it is, at least to my understanding is all fictional.
It's all made up, but they've created such a unique world,
(36:22):
just virtually, um, which I think is so interesting.
Another brand that does that is Vacation Inc, which is a sunblock
brand that, um, has basically taken you into a time machine back to
the '80s and '90s of what beaches and the life looked like back then.
(36:42):
Um, so that's one brand that I think is, we learned a lot of lessons from, and
then the second one is, I love, um, what McDonald's is doing with WcDonald's.
Uh, which is, uh,
a made up, I'm all talking about made up things,
so it's a, um, it's a anime, uh, inspired brand.
McDonald's restaurant, you know, tapping into the anime culture, and
(37:04):
it already existing in anime culture, and they just brought it to life.
Yeah, I need to dig more into that campaign because I saw some of it.
And at first I was like, "What is this?" And then realized,
oh, this is geared towards Japanese art and things like that.
So yeah, as a nerd, that fascinates me.
So I need to, I need to go check that out more.
Those are great.
Those are great.
(37:24):
And Rochambeau, so they don't, so what are they, so what,
tell me a little bit more about this Rochambeau Club.
So it's not real.
Like, is there, is there anything behind it?
Like, what do you, do you pay for something?
I think they sell, I think they sell, uh, rosé.
They sell different wines.
Yeah.
And they make their house rosé and wines
(37:45):
available to the public at very exclusive times.
It's really just world building in the virtual world and creating a lifestyle.
They have like fake collaborations with different brands.
They have, you know, photos of people on the racquetball court,
but naked and like, it's just kind of wild kind of world that
(38:07):
they've built and created and a voice to look in a voice.
Mm hmm.
You had to apply for membership.
Apparently they're partnering with Tennis
Club International, and man, this is great.
Sorry, I just I've looked them up because I'm like, I'm very fascinated by this.
I went to Switzerland last year for the first time, and it was fantastic.
(38:28):
And so when you said the Alps, I was like, "Ooh, I got to check this out."
Yeah, it's like when you see it, you're like,
I don't know what this is, but I want it.
They've got their menu.
As their wines.
Okay.
Yeah, I'm loving this.
I'm digging this.
This is great.
I find world building fascinating, and I love it And
(38:48):
that's taking a cue from entertainment as well, you know.
Yeah, because like movies will always have these other things that go outside
of the movie, um, to engage the, the audience in some new and interesting way.
When I'm, this is a throwback to college, but like when Halo 2, I think it
was when Halo 2 came out, they came out with the "I Love Bees" campaign.
(39:11):
I don't know if you're familiar with that.
"I Love Bees." That was the name of the campaign.
If you've not, if you've not seen it, you should check it out.
It's a alternate reality game that they came up with, and the end result was
you ended up in Chicago playing and testing their first ever online play Halo.
(39:31):
And that was the big deal.
So like you, you follow this whole storyline, there were actors involved.
It like puts you in a movie to be a part of the game
and to follow this whole mystery that they created
this whole breadcrumb trail of mysteries and questions.
So yeah, it was fascinating.
And I had a roommate that almost went up there.
He was like, "Oh, I'm going to go do it." I was like, "Okay, good luck.
(39:53):
Have fun skipping class."
See, those are the experiences that are so
interesting to me because they're so immersive.
They really make, you know, have you dive deep into that world.
And.
Yeah, if you like these folks, you would probably really like poolside.fm.
Very much in that '90s theme, like their
website, if it's still, I hope it's still up.
(40:15):
I really, this is one I don't know what they
do outside of just a brand to sell apparel.
I think is all they do.
Yeah.
If you just go to, it's poolsuite.net.
They've got a whole thing.
Yeah.
poolside.fm, poolsuite.net.
Yeah.
You'll love it.
Oh my gosh.
I love just how the site loads.
(40:36):
And they've got a web music player.
You can change the backgrounds.
It, yeah, the nostalgia is real with this one.
I think you'll love it.
This is so great.
This is so great.
I love this.
Very lo-fi.
That's a great way to put it.
It's so lo-fi.
It's very much their vibe.
And they've got social media and all that, and I just kind of discovered them
on a whim, and I like having ambient music in the background when I work.
(40:58):
So this was what I'll go to from time to time.
So yeah.
Oh, that's so cool.
Can't wait to explore it.
Yeah.
I thought the world building aspect is so great.
I think that, um, that's what we're also trying to do for, uh, Orange Country
because it is a country after all many things you can do in a country.
Yeah.
Well, Michelle, it's been great having you on today.
(41:20):
Really enjoyed our time.
Um, where can people connect with you and how can they connect with Battery?
Uh, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, um, or, uh,
you can go to Battery's website at batteryagency.com.
Awesome.
All right.
Well, Michelle, thank you for coming on.
Oh, thank you so much for having me.
This was so fun.
(41:41):
Thank you.
Thanks for checking out this episode of We Built This Brand.
Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe on your player of choice.
You can also keep up with the podcast at our website at webuiltthisbrand.com.
If you liked this episode, please give the podcast a five star review and make
sure to tell all your friends about it so we can continue to build this brand.
We are located in Hollywood, and we have such deep roots in
LA, and we have such an affinity for LA brands, but Hollywood
storytelling is really about seeing advertising as entertainment.
Like something that you don't want to skip,
something that feels interesting, different.
Hopefully makes you feel something.
(00:20):
Welcome to We Built This Brand, the podcast where we talk to the
creators and collaborators behind brands and provide you with
practical insights that you can use in growing your own business.
Today, we're talking with Michelle Nam Fischer, Group Creative Director
at Battery, a full service creative and media advertising agency who has
worked with brands like Netflix, Land O'Lakes, and the Anaheim Ducks.
(00:42):
As a child of the 90s, I was really excited for this conversation.
The Mighty Ducks were a big part of my childhood, and inspired me to learn
to ice skate, roller blade, and develop many, many, many scraped knees.
So, when I heard her agency was in charge of their
recent rebrand, I knew we'd have a lot to talk about.
If you're a kid of the 90s and you love the movie,
(01:03):
I think you'll find their process fascinating.
We also got to talk about their recent Land
O'Lakes campaign, which was a lot of fun as well.
That said I won't hold us back from this interview any longer.
Here's my conversation with Michelle Nam Fischer of Battery.
All right, Michelle, welcome to the show.
(01:24):
Excited to be here.
Thank you for having me.
Absolutely.
Excited to be talking to you today.
I'm talking about your journey, I'm talking about the agency
you work for, Battery, and just diving into that a little more.
So where I always like to start these interviews off is just learning a little
bit more about how you got to where you are today as a creative director.
(01:45):
That's always a, um, any leadership position I feel like is a mysterious
journey from, like, starting wherever you started to where you are at now.
So give us a little bit of that, that story, if you will.
Yeah.
I mean, talking about mysterious.
It all kind of started in college.
I was majoring in psychology and communication, and I know I,
(02:05):
I knew that I wanted to study people's motivations,
kind of interesting, um, and persuasion, all of that.
And I just remember one day in my dorm room, I was listening
to, uh, the "Real Men of Genius" campaign, the radio campaign.
And I was like, these are so funny.
(02:26):
These are so like, how, how, how do people do this?
Like, do they get paid for it?
I was so curious about it.
And after that, for college, I was just
trying to get in the door of advertising.
I started at a entertainment media company in Venice
and, um, it wasn't quite what I was thinking it would be.
So I, uh, had a friend who recommended VCU BrandCenter and I applied.
(02:51):
I quit my job and, uh, I got in luckily because
I didn't know if I was going to get it or not.
And then since then, I started my first copywriting job in Chicago
and got like kind of a really great background there with all the
kind of fundamentals, cut my teeth on radio and things like that.
And then went to San Francisco and did a lot of
(03:11):
digital stuff and then, um, headed down to LA.
You know, quite a few years at 72andSunny, worked on Target a
good amount of years, and then freelance at different places.
So coming up through that world, being a writer, doing all that, I love
that it started for you with the "Real Men of Genius" because that was,
that was actually an early creative project that we had, um, at my company.
(03:34):
We had a client say, "I've got this dumb idea for a parody song of 'Real Men
of Genius.' Could, could you do that for me?" And I was like, Yeah, sure.
So I ended up, I ended up cutting like a whole "Real Men of Genius"
campaign, like song and doing, doing the narrative and the vocals myself.
That's fun.
Yeah.
(03:54):
Yeah.
I'll, I'll, I'll share it with you and the, and the audience after this is over.
It was, it was quite ridiculous.
It still exists on the internet by some miracle, but, but that's great.
So, um, so then, so then you went to, you said The AdCenter,
you went there and you've, you've moved up since then.
So, um, why did you want to move into being
a creative director versus copywriting?
(04:16):
You know, it's interesting.
I think that when you're going through like the going
through an advertising agency, you start to see, you know,
just natural progression of experience and everything.
And I know people who actually don't want that role.
Um, they love to stay in the craft of copywriting, which is great,
(04:36):
um, but what I loved about creative directing was you get to see the
brand at a higher level, and you get to shape the look, the voice,
uh, the tone, um, of that brand and help kind of, um, guide it.
Which I love, uh, that piece of it.
(04:57):
And then also solving kind of larger business
and organizational challenges that a brand has.
I also love working with just the team of, you know, different
creative strategists, brand people, and kind of getting them
together and kind of seeing what people kind of create on their own.
And it's, it's, it's, it's pretty great.
(05:20):
Yeah.
It's kind of magical to see.
You're like, "Oh, I would have never gone there."
I would have never gone there, um, with my mind and
to see you to go there, they just kind of, it's really
exciting to just kind of witness too and then guide it.
Yeah.
There's something that's really fun about the creative process.
Yeah.
It is, it's like organized chaos, you know, like you just,
it's kind of meanders and you never know where it comes from.
(05:43):
And then all of a sudden you have it and it's just, it's
such an amazing feeling when you get, when you do get it.
For sure.
And working with a talented team, of course, helps as well.
Building that, growing that, of course, is always a challenge.
So yeah, that's, that's really cool.
Organized chaos comes from somewhere, right?
So what led you to Battery?
(06:06):
How did you get involved there?
You know, it's so interesting.
Um, after my last full time gig after Battery.
I mean, I'm sorry, um, before Battery, I freelanced at a few
different places, and, you know, I was kind of convinced that I was
(06:26):
like, "I'm going to do this freelance thing for a very long time."
It was honestly like a great balance for me because I was a newfound mom.
And then I talked to Phil, who's co founder of Battery.
He's the chief creative officer.
He chatted with me when I was at my last full time position
and we just kept on talking and he was like, "Come on
over and check it out," you know, "see it for yourself."
(06:49):
And I went there because I, the work was very interesting.
I thought that the brands were great, but I thought the way that they
approached and did the work that they did was very interesting, disruptive.
But what made me kind of go full time over there was how they worked.
And I would say, you know, the people there.
(07:12):
At the time, we're very, very experienced and had a lot of years,
and everyone knew what worked and what didn't work in various
places that they've been at and brought that collective knowledge.
We talked through what works, what doesn't, you know,
we're progress over process kind of removing all the
(07:33):
processes that don't work for us, that don't serve the work.
So that's, that's part of it.
And then the thing that kind of the unlock for me in my years
at Battery was this idea of being a "Force Multiplier," and
when I first heard that, I was like, what does that mean?
I have no idea, but it's kind of identifying what your, what your
(07:58):
superpower is and where you can make the most impact and then
surrounding yourself with people who can do it better than you.
I don't know if that makes sense.
For example, when I was a senior creative from concept briefing,
concepting to execution, I would, uh, look at every single cast
(08:22):
member, uh, in an audition and write down why I don't like them.
Why I like them.
You know, do massive explorations on look and feel of all these things.
And, you know, we were talking about, like, this, we have crafts
people to do this for us who know, know it better than us.
(08:45):
You know, I mean, we, we know what we like, we know what moves
us, but there are directors, there are editors, there are, you
know, all kinds of musicians that can really, they're artists and
they're creative and they're problem solvers in their own right.
So bringing, bringing them in and really empowering
them to, to do what they are, were meant to do.
(09:08):
So that kind of was a huge unlock for me that I didn't have to do everything.
It was this kind of, there's so much better people around you that
can do it and you focus on what, where you make the most impact.
Yeah, I think that that makes a lot of sense to me.
As you build anything, like if you limit yourself to you being
(09:31):
the hero, then typically you're not going to get very far.
The organizations and the people that I've worked with that
say, I'm going to be the star and it's only going to be me.
Unless they have a valid reason for it typically doesn't work out too well.
And I think that, um, that humility that you bring to it saying,
"Hey, there are people that are better than, better than this, than
me. I'm going to rely on them to help me and grow." I think that
(09:54):
that's, um, that's a great attitude towards everything and definitely.
Um, a good illustration of being a force muscle supplier.
So, so tell me a little bit about Battery.
I mean, you've, you've already told me a little bit just through
what you shared, but, um, what kind of clients do you work with
and what type of content and things do you all normally produce?
A lot of our clients, I mean, they kind of span, but I would say
(10:17):
throughout the years, we've had a lot of entertainment clients, um,
like Netflix, Hulu, and we have had, uh, quite a few sports brands.
We had Clippers, Angel City FC, and now Anaheim Ducks.
And we also have CPG Brands, Land O'Lakes, Grand Coromino, and Finance.
We, we do RBC and a couple other, um, financial
(10:42):
institutions that we've worked in the past.
And then also gaming, that's a big one, but I kind of lump, kind of like
put that under the umbrella of like entertainment, you know, sports, gaming,
entertainment platforms all of that is, I feel like under entertainment.
Oh yeah.
I'm a big nerd.
So
big fan of that and...
(11:02):
We can nerd out.
Yeah.
Can definitely nerd out.
I'm sure you've worked with some brands that actually
from looking at your website, I know you've worked
with brands that I'm like, Oh my gosh, that's so cool.
Yeah.
I've been very lucky and I know people say that,
but it just, it's, it's, it's interesting, you know.
There's so many creative people out there, and sometimes it's just
the right time, right place, and being ready for those moments.
(11:24):
Being prepared with it, and of course, it sounds like
you're bringing a good team to the equation as well, so,
all of that's gonna, all that's gonna build on itself.
That's great.
So names are intrinsic to branding.
Why the name Battery?
Well, do you want to hear the, do you want to
hear the legend or you want to hear the reality?
Oh, I'll take both.
I love, I love these kind of stories.
(11:46):
Okay.
Well, this was obviously, um, before my time, but, um, the legend is
that it's, I mean, it's from, it was inspired by Metallica's song.
Oh, nice.
And it was actually presumed by earlier Japanese
clients that Battery had back in the day.
And they're like, "Oh, it's from that Metallica song,
right?" And then they just never affirmed or denied that.
(12:11):
Um, but actually, uh, that song and Metallica is
very, like, sewn in and into the fabric of Battery.
If you walk through the, our office, we've got so many cues of
Metallica drums, you know, just all kinds of, uh, paraphernalia and,
(12:36):
um, cues to the Metallica because of course our, Phil is a huge fan.
Um, but then the reality of it is, um, it was a nickname of Anson.
So be who was the other co-founder of Battery, um, and the CEO.
It was his nickname when he was a kid.
And if you ever meet him, he, you can see why, cause he is so energetic.
(12:58):
Yeah.
My, my initial assumption was something to do with energy and excitement.
So the latter, the latter definitely makes sense.
It's so funny because to this day, well, actually until
2 days ago, when I, I was like, why are we named Battery?
I always just assumed, you know, it's just like, you like power
(13:18):
something, you know, like, and that's the origin story of Battery.
And it's fascinating.
My, my, my favorite company name is, um, Mitel, which is a telephone company.
You may have heard of them, but the original name comes
from two guys named Mike and Terry, and they had a lawn
mowing business before they started selling phones.
So it was Mike and Terry's Lawn Mowing.
That's really interesting.
(13:39):
You know, I, we've done so many, and I don't know if you
have done this too, Chris, like just naming exercises.
Oh yes.
And it's such a subjective thing, and we even had like origins of
other names, like Starbucks, you know, like, and where that came from.
And it's really interesting how names kind of just pop up and
(14:00):
become something of its own and has its own story and evolution.
And I've also seen those naming sessions turn into counseling sessions
because you people have opinions and people have ideas and you're like, "Oh,
I didn't realize we needed to go this deep to find the answer." But that,
that certainly, certainly is something I'm very versed in and experienced in.
So it's always fun, especially when they've got a great backstory to them.
(14:24):
So that's really cool.
So the model for Battery is noted as being tried and true brand
rigor, infused with Hollywood storytelling based on a tech mentality.
You know, as a creative director, what does
that mean to you and the clients you work with?
You know, I know it's, it's layered, um, but the way that I see it is,
(14:45):
you know, there's a group of us who have come from different walks of
experience and we bring that experience from big brands, you know, and
bring that kind of rigor, um, and the, and the, the, the best practices
of each experience and brand that we've been on and bring that to Battery.
(15:06):
Hollywood storytelling, you know, it was born because we're, we are
located in Hollywood and we have such deep roots in LA and we have such an
affinity for LA brands, but this Hollywood storytelling is really about.
It's just seeing advertising as entertainment,
like something that you don't want to skip.
Something that feels interesting, different, hopefully makes you feel something.
(15:31):
And it makes a lot of sense with all the brands that we do have.
Yeah, for sure.
In entertainment.
And what about that tech mentality?
Where does that, where does that play into this?
That's really about just iterating and collaborating, you
know, doing that, like sharing work often and quickly.
(15:51):
And we, we rarely, rarely show anything
that's fully done, packaged up, here it is.
Um, we show it in early stages.
We really like to work with our partners, our client
partners going through what's working, what's not.
We're not really precious about anything at all.
We really try to listen before speaking and
(16:14):
just iterate, iterate a lot of prototyping.
Yeah, iterative processes are the best, especially when you get the
client on board with it and they understand what the process is.
Um, nothing worse than going to a client with a final
product or something labeled "final" because you know
it's going to come back labeled "final-01," "-02,"
(16:35):
and so on.
"-03." Yeah.
"Option 6B," you know.
I've actually made it a principle at our company that we, we don't
label anything "final." Until it's actually complete and in the can.
Right, right.
And, you know, because culture is moving so quickly, you plan
(16:55):
something out fully a year ahead, um, especially for big brands.
They do need that planning ahead of time.
But to have everything packaged up with such a long lead time, it
just doesn't work because it becomes, you know, culture's so femoral.
Things move so fast these days that, you
(17:15):
know, you could talk about it within weeks.
It's, it's, you know, stale or old or, you
know, all those things, especially in social.
Yeah.
It's, it's hard to stay on top of that culture.
It does seem like it changes quite a bit with trends and all that.
You think you're going to do something fun, and then, a year later, it
might be something completely different that you're targeting towards.
(17:38):
So let's talk a little bit about some of the brands you've worked with.
One of those is the Anaheim Ducks.
And as a, as a kid of the '90s, I grew up watching the Mighty Ducks.
So I saw that on your client list.
It was like, we have to talk about the Ducks.
Yes.
So tell me more about that campaign and,
(17:58):
and how you got, how you worked with them.
Of course, and I'm so glad you mentioned that
you're, uh, you're familiar with The Mighty Ducks.
I mean, that's, you know, it's a, it's a SoCal team, but what's really
unique about this NHL team is that it started in Disney, and it started
(18:19):
as a movie, and it turned into a real team and a lot of the nation
and globally actually, um, there's a lot of Ducks fans globally.
They were brought up on this movie and there's such
a strong connection with them, uh, with Disney.
And with that actually came with its own kinds of perception of it being
(18:39):
this kind of, you know, kid friendly, non-aggressive and hockey team.
And, uh, they really changed, I think they kind of shed that perception
a bit once they, uh, won the Stanley Cup in 2007, and, you know, there
was also too, there was a, um, uh, like a handful of years, they were,
(19:02):
were they like made it to the Western Conference, like Championships.
And, you know, there were a very notable name in its own right in the NHL.
But, uh, in recent years, you know, they've, I think it like
up until 2018, they were like really, really competitive.
(19:23):
And then they came to us at a really interesting time for them.
They were on the onset of rebranding themselves.
I don't know if you follow hockey or not, but I didn't
actually, um, I got just really geeking into it.
So the Ducks, they were going through a rebrand with the logo, and
(19:44):
they were creating this amazing kind of mixed use space around it
with entertainment, restaurants, you know, um, that kind of thing.
And then, um, they were also in a rebuild period.
So they have a really young team that is, you know,
they're, they're coaching and, uh, and developing.
(20:07):
They really want to reinvigorate fandom, the
fans, and get people into the arena on a center.
And it's really challenging when you have
a team that's rebuilding and the players.
And that was the challenge with them.
It was to get these fans excited for all the foundational things
(20:28):
that they're, that they're making like with the in-game experience.
That new complex I was telling you about, and then
the rebrand, which so many fans like completely loved.
They returned back to that like mask duck face versus the web.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, it's so iconic too, you know, also
like has the heritage from the movies as well.
(20:51):
Yeah.
It's a, it's a good throwback.
And then, um, I noticed the color, the color
selection for this rebrand was heavy on orange.
As opposed to the, the purple and green that maybe we're more familiar with.
Um, so what, what led to that color change?
I'm sure that was probably a much more lengthy
discussion than most people would assume.
Fans were very much in love with their purple and teal,
(21:13):
but one of the things that the organization really want to
lean into is their, uh, loyalty and love for Orange County.
And Orange County is known for the oranges.
Like, their history is in, like, orange groves, so they really leaned into
that color, and they knew there was going to be a lot of kind of pushback from
fans, but they went, they boldly and, you know, with pride went with orange.
(21:37):
Yeah.
It's definitely a good call.
Um, so, so what has been the response then?
You said you were anticipating some pushback, but how has it been received?
Oh, well, you know what?
Um, maybe I can kind of take a step back about
what like Battery was kind of a partner to do here.
So, they had these kind of pieces in place, but with the
(21:59):
big task of invigorating reinvigorating the fans and the
players being kind of subject to change all the time.
Like, we couldn't lean into the players and the team.
So the, the challenge to us was how do we
bring back pride fandom to our fan base?
(22:21):
And we're like, you know, Orange County is where it's at.
Like, I'm actually from Orange County.
I grew up there.
I spent some, I spent my weekends in Compton, but lived in Orange County.
And with that, then I know that like the people, the residents of
Orange County, they're such a, such a diverse, um, population of
(22:43):
people and, but then people from the outside don't really know that.
You know, Orange County is often kind of labeled with, uh, you
know, kind of like dated stereotypes of like "The Real Housewives
of Orange County," "Laguna Beach" when that was a thing.
Beautiful beaches, very cush lifestyle, one note type of people,
(23:05):
and Orange County is very, very, very different from that.
And we want to lean into that and kind of fight off stereotypes
and bring this kind of more edgy, gritty persona to, to the Ducks.
So we had this platform line called "Your Entry to Orange Country."
And that, that, that was our brand platform to kind of set off bringing
(23:28):
back fandom, not just core fans, but people from Orange County who
could relate to this and say, yes, we are, or we are Orange County.
There's a lot of things to be proud of there.
So then mm-hmm . So were you, so then I guess you all were part of the digital.
(23:49):
piece of that.
Um, what other pieces of that campaign were you all handling?
Well, it was kind of a bit of a rebrand, um,
in focusing the communications around the fans.
So we did digital.
We've done, we just came out with like a tourism campaign,
(24:09):
which is this kind of nice twist of "Come visit Orange Country,"
which is this kind of like darker A like grittier version
of, um, what you would see as an Orange County, uh, personas.
We have like ads at the Orange County airport that have like
a twist on a tourism campaign, but everything's kind of dark.
(24:33):
We've done film, we're doing a bunch of social phones for them.
Um, it's an arena and, um, yeah, we're just
finding different ways of bringing that to life.
That's exciting.
I noticed when I watched the, um, the video for "Welcome to Orange Country,"
it was very much what you said, the darker, the grittier, the more intense.
It definitely had an air of excitement about this new brand
(24:56):
and being the Anaheim Ducks, and I'll be honest with you, like,
it's the first time I realized, because this is my, again,
my memory is the Mighty Ducks, the movie, which does not take
place from what I recall in California, at least the first one.
And so my brain is set on like, "Oh. Oh, they're in
Anaheim, California. Oh!" And now it all makes sense.
(25:18):
I feel like for the first time I actually had a place if
that makes sense as a as an outsider a sense of place for
where the Ducks are and their community around the Ducks.
So I think it by that measure, my own measure, it was, it was
successful in establishing those things you're trying to establish.
That's really great to hear.
(25:39):
I love that you got a sense of place, um, from the work
because there's, there's a ducks fans all around the world.
And as we've also been thinking about too, like, what is "Orange Country?"
Is it just, um, just Orange County or is Orange Country around the world?
And we've kind of figured out it's around the world.
(26:00):
It's wherever a Ducks fan is.
That's really neat.
Um, that'll be phase two of the campaign, right?
Orange Country all over the world.
It's already, it's already out a little bit in social, which is great.
Yeah.
We're like highlighting people from like
Sweden and, you know, all different places.
So.
Well, cool.
Well, I've, like I said, I loved it.
Um, thought it was really cool.
(26:21):
I was curious.
I noticed in the video that I watched, which I think was
the one on your, um, on your page with the case study for
it, but the, the, the video had them giving a guy a tattoo.
Was he actually getting a new ducks tattoo for the shoot?
No, no, no.
It was, you know.
Sometimes you get a dedicated fan.
Although we have had that idea.
(26:43):
We've had that idea.
We're like, show us how loyal of a Orange Country fan you are.
Um, but it's to highlight local, um, residents of Orange Country.
As far as other brands that you all have
worked with, you mentioned Land O'Lakes.
And I know, um, I think very recently you have
released a campaign around reclaiming farmcore.
(27:05):
And first of all, can you please tell me what farmcore is?
Because in my head, I know of this, I just found,
discover this DJ named DJ Horse Girl, and that's the only
reference to farmcore that I know is what she talks about.
And I'm like, I don't know that that's it.
So please tell me what it is.
Oh, uh, well, farmcore, um, is, uh, it's both a, uh, fashion style and a
(27:34):
lifestyle aesthetic that is trend that has been trending for a bit now.
It references, um, a farm-inspired lifestyle.
And that also includes, um, work wear.
So stuff that farmers wear on the farm.
You see that out on the streets and, um, street wear on the runway.
There was this, like, one thing that just posted up on in style.
(27:57):
Of um, barn jackets coming back in style that the core piece of it
is really interesting because that's been a part of social where it's
like "norm core," "cottage core," "farm," it's like anything core.
But it's really like referencing that look and that lifestyle a simpler time too
(28:17):
What was the focus of this campaign and what was your role in it?
So Land O'Lakes This year really wanted to highlight the impact that
farmer owners make, because Land O 'Lakes is actually a farmer owned co-op.
It's not owned by like, you know, faceless, like, big corporation.
It's actually owned by 1,000 plus farmer owners, and they
make real impact in their communities and the nation at large.
(28:42):
And we were willing to highlight those stories.
Now, the challenging thing in the world that we live in with social,
um, is that and just like, um, advertising media is that you have to
kind of capture someone's attention, um, and really get them to listen.
And what we kind of notice and listened in, in culture is
(29:04):
this kind of, uh, uprising of farmcore and farm living.
I mean, you, you see it in, gosh, um, like Beyonce came out with a country
album, you know, TV shows, all of that kind of like nodding to farm life.
So, um, and then we also saw it on the streets.
(29:25):
So.
We were thinking, okay, how do we share these stories in
a way that people will list, like, will pay attention to?
And we talked, and then we noticed there's this great connection between our
farmer owners and the clothes that they wear and that being out on the streets.
So, what we did was we stitched each individual story of impact on an
(29:48):
actual piece of clothing, one of our farmers wore and showcase them in
a fashion show in during Paris fashion week, but in Paris, Wisconsin.
So
I love that.
You know, I, I live, I live in East Tennessee, so for me, like, the
farmcore thing, I'm like, "That's just my neighbors." Like, I mean,
(30:10):
I'm not that far, I'm not that far removed from, from civilization.
We are, I am in downtown of my city right now, but, um, here in
Knoxville, but, um, but yeah, I definitely, it's an interesting
trend to see happening pop stars like, um, like Beyonce and, um,
oh gosh, Post Malone, I think did an album, and even Yung Gravy.
(30:34):
If you know who that is, I think he did it more as a joke than anything.
Um, his whole comedy persona is kind of that, but, but yeah,
it's just, it's an interesting, it's an interesting perspective.
And I love the idea of bringing, using that to bring
attention to the, um, these, these individuals and these
people that are part of that, that story of Land O'Lakes.
(30:54):
So, that's really neat.
Right.
I, I, the, the message that we try to get across with each piece
of, um, work that we brought out was, you know, farmcore's not
just, um, an aesthetic, it's a way of life for these farmer owners.
So, um, it's not just a fashion trend to them.
They do it day-in, day-out in those clothes.
(31:16):
Always curious to know, you know, getting towards the end, but I always
want to know like from you working in the creative world, especially
out in Hollywood and LA and, um, in California in general, like,
um, you know, what is top of mind for you in the industry right now?
Like what things are going on that you all are factoring into new projects and,
um, you know, maybe some of these bigger client projects that you're working on.
(31:40):
You know, it's really interesting.
Um, and it's not a surprise, um, but more and more of our partners
and our clients, uh, are looking for not traditional advertising.
You know, um, they're looking at it through the lens of, um, You know,
how people are consuming media these days, and it's awfully social.
(32:05):
You know, a lot of it is social.
A lot of it is experiential.
And, um, that's really exciting.
I think that in all of us, it's not just Gen Z or Generation Alpha.
When they look in social and it looks like an ad, you skip it right away.
It's only when it feels really native and authentic if people pay attention.
(32:27):
Um, so that's, that's where I feel like, um, we're all headed and
our brands are wanting and more experiences rather than selling.
And I think, I think it sounds like from the case studies you have here
and that we've talked about today, I mean, that very much shows through,
and, you know, giving people an experience or doing something that has
(32:50):
a tangible piece of the campaign that you can take home with you, you
know, and that people want to engage with, that definitely makes sense.
Um, what do you think the future of the business looks like in the next one to
five years for, for Battery, for maybe just the advertising world in general?
I mean, I think that was, that's kind of where we're headed.
Um, for me personally, um, we're, we're always trying
(33:13):
to find new ways of really compelling and engaging the,
the, the consumer, um, and bringing value to their life.
And I think that, um, it's interesting.
I always struggle between being disruptive
(33:34):
and being additive, if that makes sense.
Um, are we helping them, um, do something better or
are we bringing kind of like contrasting thought?
Um, which also I think has a place as well.
So, I always kind of think through what, what is the best
(33:54):
kind of method for a brand and how does it serve that brand?
And it's different for different brands like
Anaheim Ducks is different from Land O'Lakes.
Yeah, I think that again makes a lot of sense and yeah, I mean, there's
definitely definitely seeing that contrast to because there's the experiential
side of things I'm seeing now and then I see brands like Nutter Butter that
(34:16):
are doing these just insane out there campaigns that Interrupts your pattern
of thought, maybe even your TikTok flow as you're, you know, swiping away
in the night and just leaves you with a disturbing image of peanut butter.
I know some of them are not suitable before you go to bed.
(34:36):
I'm so glad you brought up Nutter Butter though, because that also
has been, you know, a topic of conversation within our teams, and,
you know, it's always about ,like, what feels right for the brand.
But I will say they're very, they've gotten notice for sure.
If we're all talking about it.
Yeah, they're, um, they're advertising campaign has definitely
(34:57):
haunted my, my, like, it's like my childhood coming back to haunt me.
Cause I remember Nutter Butters being big when I was a kid, and
then I hadn't thought about him in years until this campaign.
And I'm like, "Well.
Success.
They did it.
It's disturbing, but they did it."
Anyways.
Um, okay.
Well, last question.
I always like to ask before we go is what
(35:18):
brand do you admire the most right now?
Oh, gosh, there's so many.
I like to take cues from different brands, but the first one is a bit obscure,
uh, but I, I love their approach and it's called the Rochambeau Club, and
(35:38):
they're only online, uh, and most of their marketing is just on, uh, social,
but they have kind of created this world, and
I love this example as a world building brand.
They've created a completely fictional, I think it's like the Swiss
(35:59):
Alps country club, racquetball club, exclusive club, and they give
you a peek into what that lifestyle is like just in their social.
And all of it is, at least to my understanding is all fictional.
It's all made up, but they've created such a unique world,
(36:22):
just virtually, um, which I think is so interesting.
Another brand that does that is Vacation Inc, which is a sunblock
brand that, um, has basically taken you into a time machine back to
the '80s and '90s of what beaches and the life looked like back then.
(36:42):
Um, so that's one brand that I think is, we learned a lot of lessons from, and
then the second one is, I love, um, what McDonald's is doing with WcDonald's.
Uh, which is, uh,
a made up, I'm all talking about made up things,
so it's a, um, it's a anime, uh, inspired brand.
McDonald's restaurant, you know, tapping into the anime culture, and
(37:04):
it already existing in anime culture, and they just brought it to life.
Yeah, I need to dig more into that campaign because I saw some of it.
And at first I was like, "What is this?" And then realized,
oh, this is geared towards Japanese art and things like that.
So yeah, as a nerd, that fascinates me.
So I need to, I need to go check that out more.
Those are great.
Those are great.
(37:24):
And Rochambeau, so they don't, so what are they, so what,
tell me a little bit more about this Rochambeau Club.
So it's not real.
Like, is there, is there anything behind it?
Like, what do you, do you pay for something?
I think they sell, I think they sell, uh, rosé.
They sell different wines.
Yeah.
And they make their house rosé and wines
(37:45):
available to the public at very exclusive times.
It's really just world building in the virtual world and creating a lifestyle.
They have like fake collaborations with different brands.
They have, you know, photos of people on the racquetball court,
but naked and like, it's just kind of wild kind of world that
(38:07):
they've built and created and a voice to look in a voice.
Mm hmm.
You had to apply for membership.
Apparently they're partnering with Tennis
Club International, and man, this is great.
Sorry, I just I've looked them up because I'm like, I'm very fascinated by this.
I went to Switzerland last year for the first time, and it was fantastic.
(38:28):
And so when you said the Alps, I was like, "Ooh, I got to check this out."
Yeah, it's like when you see it, you're like,
I don't know what this is, but I want it.
They've got their menu.
As their wines.
Okay.
Yeah, I'm loving this.
I'm digging this.
This is great.
I find world building fascinating, and I love it And
(38:48):
that's taking a cue from entertainment as well, you know.
Yeah, because like movies will always have these other things that go outside
of the movie, um, to engage the, the audience in some new and interesting way.
When I'm, this is a throwback to college, but like when Halo 2, I think it
was when Halo 2 came out, they came out with the "I Love Bees" campaign.
(39:11):
I don't know if you're familiar with that.
"I Love Bees." That was the name of the campaign.
If you've not, if you've not seen it, you should check it out.
It's a alternate reality game that they came up with, and the end result was
you ended up in Chicago playing and testing their first ever online play Halo.
(39:31):
And that was the big deal.
So like you, you follow this whole storyline, there were actors involved.
It like puts you in a movie to be a part of the game
and to follow this whole mystery that they created
this whole breadcrumb trail of mysteries and questions.
So yeah, it was fascinating.
And I had a roommate that almost went up there.
He was like, "Oh, I'm going to go do it." I was like, "Okay, good luck.
(39:53):
Have fun skipping class."
See, those are the experiences that are so
interesting to me because they're so immersive.
They really make, you know, have you dive deep into that world.
And.
Yeah, if you like these folks, you would probably really like poolside.fm.
Very much in that '90s theme, like their
website, if it's still, I hope it's still up.
(40:15):
I really, this is one I don't know what they
do outside of just a brand to sell apparel.
I think is all they do.
Yeah.
If you just go to, it's poolsuite.net.
They've got a whole thing.
Yeah.
poolside.fm, poolsuite.net.
Yeah.
You'll love it.
Oh my gosh.
I love just how the site loads.
(40:36):
And they've got a web music player.
You can change the backgrounds.
It, yeah, the nostalgia is real with this one.
I think you'll love it.
This is so great.
This is so great.
I love this.
Very lo-fi.
That's a great way to put it.
It's so lo-fi.
It's very much their vibe.
And they've got social media and all that, and I just kind of discovered them
on a whim, and I like having ambient music in the background when I work.
(40:58):
So this was what I'll go to from time to time.
So yeah.
Oh, that's so cool.
Can't wait to explore it.
Yeah.
I thought the world building aspect is so great.
I think that, um, that's what we're also trying to do for, uh, Orange Country
because it is a country after all many things you can do in a country.
Yeah.
Well, Michelle, it's been great having you on today.
(41:20):
Really enjoyed our time.
Um, where can people connect with you and how can they connect with Battery?
Uh, you can connect with me on LinkedIn, um, or, uh,
you can go to Battery's website at batteryagency.com.
Awesome.
All right.
Well, Michelle, thank you for coming on.
Oh, thank you so much for having me.
This was so fun.
(41:41):
Thank you.
Thanks for checking out this episode of We Built This Brand.
Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe on your player of choice.
You can also keep up with the podcast at our website at webuiltthisbrand.com.
If you liked this episode, please give the podcast a five star review and make
sure to tell all your friends about it so we can continue to build this brand.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com