Profile shots by Shea Salisbury • Ballet Season Screens by Play On Play
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How did you get your start as a copywriter and brand strategist?
Since I was little, I've loved reading magazines and writing letters. I enjoyed English in high school and studied media, philosophy, and publishing at university. I never had a clear idea of what I wanted my career to be until I watched Mad Men in my early 20s and discovered that "copywriter" was a job title. Much love to Peggy Olson. I interned at a fashion label during university, writing blogs, product descriptions, and press copy. At the time, I thought I wanted to be a literary agent but found copywriting came more naturally, so I continued. After completing my degrees, I landed a job as a copywriter at a creative agency, where brand strategy was a significant part of the role. The skills I gleaned from my degree—how to market a book and an author—also proved applicable to brands.
Tell us about your agency project, Ballet Season.
In 2020, I moved to NYC. Due to a brief visa trip back home to Melbourne coinciding with the onset of the global pandemic, I couldn’t return for over two years. During that time, I sat at my kitchen table and built a creative studio from scratch called Ballet Season. It’s an amalgamation of everything I enjoy doing creatively and love about the industry. After spending my career helping to build others' dreams, I wanted to see if I could build my own. It worked, and in 2022, I returned to NYC and brought my business with me. Ballet Season is and will always be a dynamic, personal project—supporting brands and founders in finding their voice while fulfilling my creative ambitions. Currently, we offer creative direction, brand building, content strategy, and copywriting. I have pipedreams to expand into publishing, styling, and retail. TBC!
What’s your favorite part about the New York creative community?
New Yorkers talk straight, move fast, and work hard. After a handful of non-consecutive years living here, I feel like I’m just learning to keep up. I find it refreshing that so many creatives I meet aren’t afraid to state their strengths and be their own cheerleader. If they’re good at something and they want something, they’ll say so and do it. There is also a real sense of open-handedness. Last year, I created a digital office space for copywriters called Club Copy, and am constantly touched by our community's generous, collaborative nature. Job opportunities, career advice, emotional solidarity—it’s all offered in a bountiful, non-transactional way. Very heartwarming.
What influences your writing process?
Because I am privileged to work for myself, my evolving experiences, values, and interests shape everything I do. If I see a film I like, or read a news article I don’t—those ideas will show up in my work. When collaborating with clients on their brand, I listen to their needs and interpret how their dream audience would best receive their offering. I empathize with them and consider their psyche deeply—what they like to watch, drink, read, or play. When writing my newsletter, Silvery, or working on a personal project, I always aim to create an experience I myself want to interact with. I like to be my own primary audience.
Which brands are inspiring you right now?
I love shopping in person—stepping into immersive retail experiences that tell a label’s story in a thoughtful, tactile way. So, I’m inspired by brands that prioritize curating these experiences for their customers.
And across the sea:
Follow along:
@laurenalicemccurry
@ballet_season
Ballet Season
Silvery
Club Copy
