During my time at Essence, I had the privilege of working with Google, our largest client, as their agency of record for digital media. As part of the Essence Creative Team, I contributed to several high-impact campaigns for the Google Home product suite, including Google Home Mini, Google Home Max, Google Home Hub, and Google Assistant.
One standout campaign featured dynamic programmatic banners that we developed and executed from concept to completion. What made this initiative particularly compelling was our use of data-driven content: we leveraged real-time signals such as weather, location, and user interests to deliver personalized and highly relevant messaging. The campaign’s success enabled us to scale it globally, producing localized versions for markets ranging from Australia to Japan. To maintain consistency and ensure best practices, we created a comprehensive playbook, allowing teams worldwide to implement the strategy effectively within their regions.
Building on the campaign’s success, we strategically aligned the creative with major cultural and seasonal moments such as Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Winter Olympics to keep the messaging timely and engaging. These strategic adaptations allowed us to further enhance engagement by aligning Google’s messaging with cultural moments and entertainment that resonated deeply with target audiences.
The framework we developed proved highly scalable and adaptable, allowing us to seamlessly integrate high-profile brand partnerships with companies like Disney and Netflix—further amplifying both reach and cultural relevance.
Building on the established framework, we took Netflix’s “Lost In Space” adventure on Google Home and got creative with it. We built an agency-first campaign where the ads didn’t just sell, they played along. Each spot picked up where the last left off, shaped entirely by the choices you made. Fix the ship or search for fuel? The story and the media followed your lead. It wasn’t just advertising. It was an adventure.
I also helped produce Essence’s first-ever YouTube homepage takeover for Google Home—one of the most high-profile and coveted ad placements available. A YouTube homepage takeover secures exclusive ad space on the platform’s homepage for an entire day, reaching a massive audience at scale (around 30 million impressions). To maximize relevance and engagement, we developed dynamic creative assets tailored for both day and night. This approach not only ensured the content felt timely throughout the day but also allowed us to showcase a wider range of Google Assistant prompts—such as morning routines and commute support during the day, and relaxation or entertainment features in the evening.