The Work That Made Me: Adaobi Ugoagu
Adaobi Ugoagu is a long-time social expert turned multi-faceted creative strategist with a passion for shaping social narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. With a history of developing viral campaigns for iconic brands like Chipotle, Converse, and Disney, she brings a unique blend of cultural insight and social expertise.
Currently an associate creative director on the social-first team at GALE, she leads the social and campaign work for 'Gonna Need Milk' and 'Every Woman鈥檚 Marathon', while also supporting brands like Fogo de Ch茫o in elevating their presence through culturally relevant strategies.
天美棋牌> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me鈥
Adaobi> ' was the video that sparked creativity in me at a young age. I spent hours trying to perfect her choreography, including her iconic backbend. In general, I spent hours watching all kinds of music videos and practicing the choreography.
天美棋牌> The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry鈥
Adaobi> The golden age of YouTube (aka the early 2010s) made me (unknowingly) want to get into the industry. My obsession with watching music videos was replaced by hours of watching beauty and fashion YouTubers vlogging their everyday lives.
Being influenced by them, I had a short stint as a fashion blogger (which is still the name of my Instagram handle: ), which, at the time, I didn鈥檛 realise was my training ground for learning social media and marketing.
天美棋牌> The creative work that I keep revisiting鈥
Adaobi> The Arctic Monkeys鈥 third studio album, 'Humbug', is a masterpiece that I revisit in all seasons of life, from back when I was an angsty teen in high school to now: a secretly angsty but responsible adult who pays her bills on time.
Alex Turner鈥檚 lyrical prowess and the poignant sounds of that album were not a fan favourite when it was released, but I love it because it feels like a diary entry and less of a manufactured hit.
天美棋牌> My first professional project鈥
Adaobi> . Chipotle was launching their new loyalty program and it was my first year working at an agency.
We gave away $250K on Venmo to folks who were the first to sign up for Chipotle鈥檚 new rewards program. All I remember was pitching the idea and then spending hours on calls trying to figure out the mechanics of a brand making payouts to everyday Venmo users since it hadn鈥檛 really been done before.
That project unlocked a different kind of creative thinking for me.
天美棋牌> The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*鈥
Adaobi> Thankfully, I have never created anything that makes me feel like this! Even if I did, I took most 鈥渇ailed鈥 projects as a learning opportunity for me to grow. I am of the opinion that even the worst projects have elements that can be carried over and transformed into something better.
天美棋牌> The piece of work that still makes me jealous鈥
Adaobi> This example is more recent, but the collab is the smartest, simplest and most seamless piece of work I have seen in a while.
First of all, Jungle is absolutely everything. Second of all, when the Linen Moves comes up on screen, I am filled with absolute regret that I was not on set that day.
This is an excellent example of branded entertainment鈥搒omething GAP nails over and over again鈥揳nd the focus of all our work at GALE.
天美棋牌> The creative project that changed my career鈥
Adaobi> . At the time, I was running creative brainstorming sessions for Chipotle鈥檚 social media. My job was to gather insights that could be leveraged into hilarious meme content and I stumbled on the insight that the food behind the counter at Chipotle resembled an eyeshadow palette at an aerial view.
Before I knew it, I was in a DTLA hotel conference room pitching a new makeup line to the e.l.f folks, including their CMO. That collab was such an instant smash that folks were reselling the kit on eBay for double the price.
It also made me realise the absolute necessity of marketing campaigns being grounded in real insights that generated organic community and excitement from consumers鈥搘hich is at the root of my domain at GALE, social-first marketing.
天美棋牌> The work that I鈥檓 proudest of鈥
Adaobi> In early 2020, right before lockdown, I imagined and produced a short photo series called ',' in which I explored what it meant to be black and to be in a state of peace. I read the piece and was inspired to depict my version of what blackness in a soft, ethereal and restful state looked like.
To this day, I revisit those images and find comfort in the message itself.
天美棋牌> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe鈥
Adaobi> The only projects that made me cringe were the ones where I had to be featured in social content. There are a few Chipotle TikTok videos that I hope never see the light of day. But to give you an idea of my involvement, that nearly had my vocal cords replaced.
天美棋牌> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most鈥
Adaobi> This is currently in the works鈥ore to come soon :)
