Headspace, meet your next Senior Copywriter.
Headspace has such a cute animation style. Look at that lil’ circle person!
Headspace is a digital platform that helps create life-changing habits to support mental health. They need a copywriter who knows how to “work with words, craft crisp messaging, and build and steward brands in the digital health and wellness landscapes, with a primary focus on mental health.” They want someone who has experience with integrated campaigns spanning digital, social video, and OOH. To show them what I can do, I wrote them an animated video script based on their blog post entitled, How to Be More Present. You can find the script at the end of this page.
Lessons I’ve learned about writing for health and wellness
I’ve had the pleasure of helping a lot of organizations tell their healthcare stories, especially in the well-being space. Here are a few things I learned that I’ll bring with me to Headspace.
Always start with empathy
Raven Rock Ranch helps troubled kids through the power of horse therapy. However, donors and parents were having trouble understanding what makes horses such a good match for anxious children. In this video, we put the audience in the mind of one of these kids, giving the viewer a chance to feel what their experiences are really like.
Bring the audience on a journey of discovery
Testimonials can lend authenticity to a product or service in a way that most top-down marketing can’t. For these Eviva medical and surgical weight-loss testimonials, we let the patient tell their before-and-after story in a way that answers a reader’s questions as they arise.
Make it human—always
Akathisia is a condition that is easy to misdiagnose. But untreated, it can lead to violent thoughts and self-harm. In this video, we stepped into a doctor's shoes and focused on just how difficult akathisia is to identify. By removing the stigma of misdiagnosis, the hope is that doctors will be able to make better calls in the future.
What you’ll get from Cliff McCloe
Leadership at every step
I’ve led clients and internal teams at every phase. The Tone-Setting First Call. The Nitty-Gritty Strategy Session. The Free-For-All Concepting Meeting. The Follow-Up Laser-Focused Concepting Meeting. The First Client Preso (aka The Big Show). The Egos-Be-Damned Production Frenzy. The “I-Can’t-Wait-To-Work-With-Your-Team-Again” Post-Delivery Call & Backslapping Session.
A veteran storyteller and educator
I have performed in thousands of audience-interactive improv shows at the SAK Comedy Lab and at Universal Studios Orlando, which pretty much gives me a dual Master’s Degree in Collaboration and “Making Wonderful Things Out of What the Audience Gives Us.” I’ve also spent seven years as an educator in special ed classrooms. Both of those experiences taught me an irrefutable truth: If you want to take your audience somewhere cool, you have to start by meeting them where they are.
How to be more present - Video Script
Here is the animated video script I wrote based on content from their blog article entitled, How to Be More Present.
The past and the future seemingly stretch on forever and ever.
Open on a very tiny Headspace circle person. He looks anxiously backward toward his past and then forward to his future, both represented by a long road to either side of him.
but the present…well, it’s just (breathing in deeply) now.
As the narrator breathes in, we zoom into the circle person.
(breathing in deeply) And now.
We zoom in even more while the past and future roads fade away.
(breathing in deeply) And now.
For all the time we spend in the present, you’d think we’d be great at it.
The circle person closes his eyes and takes in a satisfying deep breath.
But oftentimes…
The circle person opens one of his eyes.
we end up sneaking back into the past or forward into the future—two places that are often filled with anxiety.
The circle person anxiously looks back and forth between the road representing the past and the road representing the future.
But if we make an effort to stay in the present,
The circle person determinedly closes his eyes and takes in a deep breath
to be focused on what’s in front of us—
He opens his eyes and sees that a butterfly has landed on the top of his head.
without distraction, without wanting to be somewhere else--we could leave a lot of that anxiety behind.
The circle person and the butterfly frolic happily as the past and future roads fade away.
Of course, if you find yourself spending a lot of time in the past or future, learning to be more present might take practice.
The circle person and the butterfly come to rest
So here are a few simple things you can do today to be more present. You can start with a body scan meditation, where you mentally scan how your body is feeling from head to toe.
The circle person takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. As the narration continues, different parts of his circle body light up.
Pay attention to every physical and emotional feeling that you have, every sensation, every ache, every emotion---feel it! Listen to it!
More and more of his body lights up
You’re not out to change anything; you are simply noticing everything.
The circle person revels in the different ways his body is lighting up.
Another way to be present with your body is through mindful eating.
Our circle person notices his tummy is gurgling a little bit.
Mindfulness teaches us to remove distractions and sit uninterrupted with our food and fellow diners.
Our circle friend and the butterfly sit across from each other. The circle person eats with a fork while the butterfly nurses on the inside of a flower.
In eating more slowly, we savor the flavors, the aromas, the textures–we reconnect with our senses.
The circle person’s body lights up throughout the narration. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
And if you’re trying to reconnect with your senses, maybe try disconnecting from your devices (after you finish this video, of course!)
The circle man opens his eyes, and we see him with a phone in his hand, standing oblivious to the butterfly. He squeezes his eyes shut and the phone disconnects from his hand like a little balloon; it floats away, to the delight of the butterfly.
Allow yourself a few moments each day to willingly close your screen and just think about the here and now.
The circle man takes a few breaths, his body lighting up. Eventually, he smiles and walks off with the butterfly.
Yes, being present might take a lot of practice. But you don’t have to do it on your own.
The phone balloon floats back down and lands in circle man’s hand.
Through science-backed meditation and mindfulness tools, Headspace can help you create life-changing habits to support your mental health. And hopefully, to help you find a healthier, happier you.
We zoom into the phone screen where we see the Headspace app and a representation of the things found on it.
And that’s something you won’t find in the past or the future.
Circle man and the butterfly walk happily off into the distance.
Well, I sent my application off (along with a link to this page). We’ll see what they say!
UPDATE 10/18/2023: Well, Headspace decided to pass this time around. Maybe next time.
Onward!
The Lengths I Will Go To is my (hopefully) limited-series blog wherein I share the different ways I try to stand out during my job search. Rather not see more content like this? Hire me and I promise I’ll stop!
