Samples of My Freelance Work


1. This banner ad got a whopping 7% CTR on sites in Germany (in translation). Why? It tells a story out-of-work Germans can identify with in what was formerly a country noted for stable employment.




2. This was an email/website, multi-part trivia quiz that got great results for Voice Mobility, a company in the telephony space. It also won a Gold Lotus for best email campaign.



3. These kangaroo panels, in a rotating animation, went over big in Australia. Note the use of Aussie slang: "bludger" (a mooch) and "vegging" (no explanation needed). Did the same with a whole series of ads featuring moose (alas, no samples) that did really well in Germany and Scandinavia -- where, apparently, moose fascinate them. A weight-loss ad had two moose. One says: "Why don't I see any fat moose?" "Wolves," the other replies.




4. This is the envelope from a campaign for HSBC. Got great results, and a Gold RSVP award.



5. This was a two-part teaser program for Voice Mobility (VMI). Its job was to stick a great big foot in the door with top telephony execs who weren't taking calls from VMI sales. It worked!



6. The following two banner ads got great response rates in Australia and Europe (3% – 4% CTR). The “Fat Guy” was especially successful in Sweden: “Looking for a weight-control plan that really works?” The “Arse” ad appealed to Aussies, who have a cruder sense of humour than you could use in North America.






7. This is another ad that goes against type (see the conventional ads shown below it). It worked very well in England, where they like this sort of humour -- note the "Englishy" diction. You have to speak your audience's language.



8. More conventional stuff -- works OK in North America, but I never did discover what would really crank up the CTRs the way I was able to in Oz, Europe and the UK. Are North Americans too bland?





9. The Swedes loved this one. Went well in the rest of Europe, and in Brazil. Was considered too "saucy" for North America. Ho hum.



10. This is the lift-letter from a fund raising package for Central City Mission. Note that it tells a story -- one of the most compelling ways of reaching an audience. There were two teaser lines as the letter unfolded. "What's this nice, clean hotel doing right across the street from the city's most notorious drug corner?" ... "Providing safe, friendly living for people with nowhere else to stay." Click on the picture for a bigger image, then click again for a readable image.