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Backstage Pass Stories

Ever wonder what a day in the life of a fabulous makeup artist to the stars is like? Experticity takes you behind the scenes with Lori Taylor Davis, Smashbox’s Global Lead Pro Artist, as she gets ready for a photo shoot at Smashbox Studios in L.A.

To do this piece, we did a long interview with Lori about her typical day, and other things like why she is so passionate about makeup, how she got started, and what her influences are. 

By following Lori around, we were able to have her introduce each Smashbox product and give personal tips along the way. It was a great way to mix Experticity branded content with Smashbox branded content. For the products, we used “Get the Look” sections that were set apart from the story (you can see images above).

One thing I also really loved about this piece is the overall flow. Many times, an image remained onscreen as we scrolled through different text overlays which made it feel super cohesive.

smashbox experticitybranded getthelook backstagepass dayinthelife experticitystudios story character insidertips

Sep 23, 2016

Follow-up on the WHAT’S IN YOUR BAG seasonal story style!

We asked Lori Taylor Davis, Smashbox’s Global Lead Pro Artist, what was in her makeup bag for Fall 2016. She gave us quotes and insider insights on each product and why she is loving them for this season. 

whatsinyourbag smashbox storystyles seasonal

Sep 23, 2016
Adventures With Real ExpertsFor Timberland Pro’s new Story, we decided to take a different approach. Get out of the office, get out into the world, and talk to some people who use Timberland Pro workboots every day on the job. These boots are bred...

Adventures With Real Experts

For Timberland Pro’s new Story, we decided to take a different approach. Get out of the office, get out into the world, and talk to some people who use Timberland Pro workboots every day on the job. 

These boots are bred for the most extreme conditions, and the interwebs are full of boot-selfies at construction sites all over the US. So, I headed out to talk with Bryan, a construction worker with nearly 30 years experience, about why he’s so passionate about his job, the dangers he faces everyday, and most importantly, his feet. 

Of course, it was obligatory that he benchpress me to celebrate our new friendship. 

Some fun facts:

  • Construction is the most dangerous job in the US, 1 in 5 worker deaths last year were in construction. 
  • Bryan usually spends about 10-12 hours on his feet a day. A lot of this is on hard surfaces like concrete. It starts to hurt around hour 4.
  • In the Utah winters, you have to MUST have real waterproof – and insulated – boots. If your feet get into the cycle of getting wet and drying, they can start to crack which means a lot of pain, possible loss of mobility & days on the job. 
  • In the end, the danger and the pain is all worth it because of the pride and sense accomplishment you feel looking at a big building and saying, ‘Hey, I was a part of that.’ As Bryan put it, “It ain’t like you’re on an assembly line putting one single piece on something. You get to see it from start to finish and turn over a beautiful project to the owner.”

PS. We pitched this to Timberland yesterday with the shiny new design deck and they loved it. They literally said, “It’s great! I love how you captured the voice of the consumer.” 

Consumer = Expert?

realexperts insiderinsight articlestyle onepagescrolling construction interview timberlandpro

Aug 17, 2016
Article-style Stories! We pioneered the first article-style piece in Expert Voice for Vida Tequila. This scrolling 2-module build uses first-person Expert Voice to talk about Lisa Barlow, Vida Tequila, and the harvest of the agave plant in the...

Article-style Stories!

We pioneered the first article-style piece in Expert Voice for Vida Tequila. This scrolling 2-module build uses first-person Expert Voice to talk about Lisa Barlow, Vida Tequila, and the harvest of the agave plant in the highlands of Mexico.

Benefits of article-style pieces:

- Can be done with little to no assets from Client;

- Can be made quickly;

- We can geek out with a deep dive, without feeling like we are reading an advertisement;

- Engaging text in Expert Voice;

- One page scrolling feels natural

Check it out here:

https://www.experticity.com/learn?moduleId=12348&courseId=6999&campaignId=2659#page/2

vidatequila article article-style onepagescroll Expertvoice quick

Aug 12, 2016

What’s in Your Bag?

For the final module/story in the new Smashbox update, I want to do a What’s in Your Bag? story type. This last module usually features the ‘Seasonal Newness,”  but we are going to flip the script a bit using Lori Taylor, Smashbox’s Lead Makeup Artist. 

It will be called What’s in Your Bag, Lori?, and from getting an inside look at her bag, we will learn about the 5 hottest products for Fall. 

In the photos above, you can see a What’s in Your Bag? example from the website The Verge and also see the scripted version for Smashbox in our new design deck. 

whatsinyourbag smashbox storytype designdeck beauty

Aug 05, 2016
What’s in your bag, Charlotte Tilbury?

fashionmagazine.com

What’s in your bag, Charlotte Tilbury?

What do you do when you’re offered a peek into the purse of the world’s most famous makeup artist? You expect a lot of products (and beauty secrets!). We caught up with Charlotte Tilbury when she was in town last month and spent an hour in her hotel bathroom playing with beauty products (hey, someone’s gotta

What’s in Your Bag?

Several mags, including Fashion Magazine (above) and The Verge have an ongoing series featuring a look inside someone’s bag. I want to use this as a Story in the new Smashbox update, asking Lori Taylor, Lead Makeup Artist, What’s in Her Bag? 

The answer will be the 5 must-have new products for Fall. We can include a shot of each (more UGC or doc style, instead of product image) and get a quick quote about them. I think the scrolling + explanation style of The Verge’s version would be a good template. 

whatsinyourbag ideas inspiration template theverge smashbox

Aug 03, 2016
Inside the All-Female Bakery Helping London’s Homeless Women

munchies.vice.com

Inside the All-Female Bakery Helping London’s Homeless Women

Luminary bakery trains disadvantaged women, many of whom were sleeping rough and had turned to prostitution, in baking and food hygiene.

Another great variation of the article I posted below. The photos are a bit better quality, and the piece focuses a bit more on the bigger story rather than just one character. 

Here I really love the voice of the narrator - personal, but not too much so – and the photos have a great uniform color and feel to them. She also captures the characters of the women well, it feels very authentic. 

Aug 03, 2016
How a Life in Prison Inspired One Man’s Passion to Cook

munchies.vice.com

How a Life in Prison Inspired One Man’s Passion to Cook

After spending 31 years of his life behind bars, Kevin Williams has found a passion for cooking at LA Kitchen, a self-sustaining social enterprise that "demonstrates the power of food versus the mere use of food.”

“Doing harm to others used to be my life as a gang member, and now LA kitchen is my gang.”

A simple but good Backstage Pass type piece about LA Kitchen, a business that trains and puts to work underserved populations, like ex-convicts. The main character, Kevin, is great - you learn a lot about the place & program through his personal story.

Also, the photos are simple and could have been shot by anyone (aka, amateurs photogs with a camera or cell phone). The text is about 1200 words, but stays readable (it could also easily be cut down).

What I learned: Find a good character, and they will always carry the reader through. 

Aug 03, 2016

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