State Farm


        The brand wants to be known as a “good neighbor,” but what gives them the street credit? The authenticity of this claim hinges on their Neighborhood of Good platform.   



SF x Panic! at the Disco


Opportunity:
State Farm wanted more people to be aware of and use NeighborhoodofGood.com, a platform that makes it easy for people to volunteer. They also wanted to reinforce the brand perception that State Farm is active in communities. 

Concept:
Most people want to give back, but when it comes down to it, only 1 in 4 follow through. More would volunteer if only they believed that they could make a difference. So, we created a heartfelt story series that followed a few philanthropic artists who demonstrated how and why people should get involved. 


Execution:
We created exclusive stories about the artists, through long and short form content, radio, banners, web, streaming and TV.  The results for Panic well exceeded our benchmark for site visits and volunteer commitments. The campaign also received praise and features in numerous press outlets.  



For Panic!, the story was centered on Brendon and his passion for mentorship, which dated back to his early years.

As we learned more about him and his audience, a mini-documentary approach emerged, so we developed a number of narrative devices (such as a logline and treatments) to keep the story on track through production.


We made a lot of shorter pieces for State Farm and Panic social channels which led to immensely positive fan reactions; OMGs and tears and the creation of memes using our core content.

As a writer, it was both a privilege and a challenge to help orchestrate a series of “unscripted” content that also had to perform for marketing channels.

We had to plan the story comprehensively, but also allow for flexibility and be prepared to notice new themes as they arise.

One of my favorite parts was being able to interview the talent and dig into their story to bring out the most engaging and meaningful nuggets.  


Episodes 2, 3 and 4:



Episode 4 was especially impactful because the story came full circle. 
We helped Brendon create a music recording studio for children in his hometown. And, we surprised him with a special visit from his own highschool mentor, the same person who convinced him to stick with music!




SF x Lauren Alaina


After Panic!, we had the opportunity to work with Lauren Alaina and tell her story.
Through a year of content creation that took place in studio, at festivals and on the road, we encouraged thousands of people to donate time and money to volunteer efforts. 




Agency: TMA
CD: Brandon Stuart
ACD: Zane Cassidy
Sr. AD: Christina Contreras
CW: Brynn Cahalan  
AD: Eli Ching


Production:
Live Nation Content Studio

Mark

Hi, I’m Zane


I help brands develop their strategy and express it through creative concepts, content and copy.

I take my work seriously. But I don’t take myself too seriously. 

Want to see some cool new stuff? 


Cool New Stuff (Portfolio)

Copywriting

Verbal Identity

Brand Strategy


Before freelance, I spent 10 years at agencies and in-house. Working on household names. 

Nowadays, I partner with startups and small to mid-sized brands.  

Together, we create cool new stuff.

🏆 Award-winning verbal and visual identities. Like my work on Arch Anchor and Mosaic, done in partnership with comrades at Dean & Co.

🐣 New brand campaigns and performance marketing assets. That question category norms and drive engagement. Like my work with UCLA and Guava Family.

👔 Partner with CEOs at brands like Nexbelt and Unique Vintage. Helping them craft a distinct brand voice and a consistent story. Attracting new customers and investors.

You can learn more about these projects right here. Go. Browse! 

Then say hi


Clients
“Zane's ability to jump in and quickly create impactful, immediately usable work is every creative director's dream. Specifically how he helped us take dissonant insights and turn them into a solid, strategy-lead manifesto and multiple brand video scripts for performance marketing.” Reed Schmidt, Creative Director, Guava

“We hired Zane to help us reposition the brand with a new verbal identity and personality. He has a very thorough strategy process which really got to the essence of who we are as a brand. The collaboration and communication along the way was excellent. He truly exceeded expectations.” Gregg Hemphill, CEO, Nexbelt

“His ability to tie creative thinking to consumer insights, trends/culture, and our marketing objectives was unmatched by any creative I have ever worked with. It was always clear where an idea started and how he got to the final product.” Gina Colonette, Senior Social Media Manager, Philips 


Values
Positivity: It’s possible to be an effective pro and have fun at work. I try (my best) to murder my ego, uplift others and enjoy uncertainty. 

Curiosity.
The act of learning and unlearning is like sunshine for the mind. Curiosity keeps me aware, humble and open to new ideas.

Adaptability. I’m gonna let Lau Tzu take this one, “A tree that cannot bend will crack in the wind. The stiff will be broken; the soft will prevail.”

Belief-iocity. You can call me Ted Lasso because I believe in belief and that the customer notices said belief. Trickle down belief-onomics.



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