Blog Articles for Gregory Outdoor Packs (Japan) | May/June 2022

Gregory Packs have a strong blog following whether they're sold in the USA or in Asia. 

The brand's social media makes space not just for product info but cleverly uses its brand ambassadors (outdoor junkies) to push product efficacy and features. The blog simply allows for more to be explained.

Articles with outdoor angles and relevant to brand target market are often shared to provide utility and affiliation with fans and casual users alike. 

I was commissioned to write 3 articles based on 3 topics provided by the client. They would later be translated to Japanese for the East Asian market. Check them out at the links below.

Article 1: Work-Life Balance @ https://bit.ly/3qfZ28J

Article 2: Top 10 Beach Towns Around the World @ https://bit.ly/3MGrWX1

Article 3: Essentials for Everyday Adventures @ https://bit.ly/3N1Klij

LEGO: Making Surfing Safer for Kids | December 2021

Everyone loves LEGO.

Everyone remembers playing with LEGO.

Everyone probably dreams of working on, if not at, LEGO.

So I was honoured to be invited to help write for an online board-game that aimed to educate kids, through play of course, on a few safety tips when surfing and using the internet.

Like every established brand worth its salt, there is a a protocol to writing when you work on a LEGO job. I love learning on the job and it was exciting to see my words become a reality on this job. To top it off, the strategic planner and art director I worked with were friendly and open-minded. This was a really enjoyable experience even if the project was a small fraction of a larger campaign.

For context: https://www.lego.com/en-sg/sustainability/children/digital-child-safety/

For the board-game:  https://www.lego.com/en-sg/sustainability/digital-child-safety/digitally-smart-explorer-easy

St Joseph Institution International Elementary School Lap-A-Thon 2022 & 2023

As the Communications Manager of the school's parent support group (EPSG) who also curates and creates content for the group's Facebook Page, I designed posters to promote the school's Lap-A-Thon in 2022 and 2023. The annual event raises funds for a pre-school in Colombo, Sri Lanka to provide impoverished children living on landfills with free education and access to nutritious meals.

 

Lap-A-Thon 2023 Announcement

Lap-A-Thon 2023 Call for Volunteers (Tactical)

Lap-A-Thon 2022 Announcement

Lap-A-Thon 2022 'What to Expect' Reminder (Tactical)

Lap-A-Thon 2022 Pledge Form

Lap-A-Thon 2022 Fundarising Results & Accountability Report (Post-Evaluation)

Lap-A-Thon 2022 Push for Donations A (Tactical)

Lap-A-Thon 2022 Push for Donations B (Tactical)

Christmas Fair at St Joseph Institution International (2022)

As the Communications Manager for the St Joseph Institution International Elementary School's (SJIIES) Parent Support Group (EPSG), I create as well as curate content for the parent support group's Facebook page as well. This means I design many promotional posters and announcements of school-led or joint EPSG-SJIIES events. 

One of the biggest - if not the biggest - events of the year is the much-anticipated Christmas Fair. Below are the collaterals in a campaign of posters designed and disseminated in a timely fashion on the Facebook page, the school's Parent Portal as well as the Class Representative WhatsApp chat group comprised of parent volunteers who keep their class parents informed of any school or class events and needs. 

Teaser

Print #1 Food & Treats

Print #2 Games and Rides

Print #3 Christmas Bazaar

Tactical #1 Call for Decor Items Contributions

Tactical #2 Call for More Decor Team Volunteers

Tactical #3 Call for Fair Day Volunteers

Tactical #4 Call for Baked Goods Contributions

Tactical #5: Decor Team Volunteers (Main)

Tactical #6: Final Call for Volunteers & Contributions

Entry Ticket

Raffles Coupon

POS F&B Menu

POS Baked Goods Menu

POS Food Pricing

POS Food Pricing

POS Food Pricing

POS Food Pricing

POS Food Pricing

POS Food Pricing

POS Food Pricing

POS Food Pricing

Fair Day QR Code for Last-Minute Ticket Purchases

Fair Day QR Code for F&B Purchases

January 2022 | Headlines for Gregory Backpacks' 45th Anniversary (Updated)

Writing head lines always sounds easy. But for writers, it’s a task more challenging than penning articles. Here's why: on top of charm, wit and the sprinkling of other ingredients that make words pop and stick, there are usually technical factors that apply and circumstances to consider in the real world.

For the 45th anniversary work I recently did for Gregory -- Samsonite's outdoor adventure backpacks -- the parameters were as follows:

1. I was working remotely, and the visual style adopted by the team at Gregory imposed a rough word count.
2. I was given a few requirements - being Gregory’s 45th anniversary, the number 45 was important but not 1977 because ‘Since 1977....’ was felt to create an image of agedness. 
3. I naturally needed to be on brand in TOV.

Having said that, this is what writers do, and, indeed, what all creatives too. We play with the blocks we’ve got. (And they’re always, always different). Then we sit back, wonder for the 100th time what could’ve been done better, and then wait for the next challenge to try things out again. 

Eternally grateful to the team at Gregory, especially Douglas Goh, for the opportunity to work and play.

Upskilling: Drawing Sasuke With Sketch And Wacom Tablet

My most recent labour of love project began two months back when my then-11-year-old son requested for a drawing of Sasuke, a beloved character in the popular Manga series, 'Naruto'.

I've always wanted to learn how to use Photoshop, but in the course of building my career as a writer in the last 20-odd years, I never had the time. My Art Directors and I were always chasing deadlines. 

It was not meant to be.

The Wacom Tablet kindly lent to me by Primus Nair (Chief Creative Officer, Lego, Singapore HQ a year back), allowed me to explore layers and various brushes. I practised using it whenever I had time to spare, and finally figured out which pens and brushes suited me most.

This drawing ate up whatever little free time I had but it was worth it.

I framed it up and gifted it to my son on his 12th birthday, which we celebrated a few days ago. His face lit up behind his mask as he took it out of my hands.  I can say this because every mother knows when her child is happy (or sad). 

Plus, I could feel the warmth from where I sat. 

Musings: Taking on the World in Downtime

From time to time, when I am not bogged down with work and parenting, I sit down with my pen, paper and Canva app (yes, I am promoting this app for the multiple times it has helped me - to explore basic layouts, send personalised sketches to friends, and whip up the parent support group's newsletters for my kids' school).

Here are some of my musings.