Levi’s Jeans, Jane Austen and British Airways Ads: The Work That Made Terri Roberts

Terri Roberts has been doing this for a long time. Two decades ago, she made the unusual leap from PR in New York to advertising in Newfoundland, Canada. She’s still not sick of the ocean view.

Over the years, she’s helped to create successful campaigns for brands like Newfoundland and Labrador Tourism, McCain, Maple Leaf, Irving Oil, Air Canada, Atlantic Lottery, Steers Insurance, Air Labrador, Quidi Vidi Beer, Cape Breton University, True North Seafood, and Dairy Farmers of NL.

Her work has been recognised by LlA, Lürzer’s, Applied Arts, ADCC, Marketing, Extras, Crystals, AToMiC, CASSIES, CMA, MIA, HSMAI, Promo, and ICE. She’s also served on juries for Marketing, Applied Arts, ACE, Canadian Young Lions, and New York Festivals.

Below, Terri chats with LBB to reflect on growing up in ‘80s Newfoundland, starting her career in public relations, as well as her recent work for Air Labrador and Mr. Rooter Plumbing.

LBB> The ad/music video from my childhood that stays with me…

Terri> I grew up in Newfoundland in the ‘80s. At the time, the media sphere was the size of a split pea. Our TV choices consisted of hyper-local and American affiliates from places like Bangor, Maine.

Two ads that stayed with me represent the War on Drugs era from two distinct perspectives: ‘Frying Pan’ (Partnership for a Drug-Free America) in the US, and ‘Drug Rehab’ (Concerned Children’s Advertisers) out of Canada. The American approach was hard hitting, with tight copy, and a powerful singular image. The Canadian approach was, well, super Canadian.

The messaging? A mere suggestion. The imagery? A guy in a housecoat and slippers. The soundtrack? Evokes ugly crying. It will forever remind me of my five brothers. Thankfully, none of them ended up in rehab. Both ads still resonate with me.

LBB> The ad/music video/game/web platform that made me want to get into the industry…

Terri> I worked in a jean shop when I was in high school. Surrounded by denim and fluorescent lighting, I remember seeing this Levi’s poster in one of the dressing rooms. The visual was the worn-out butt of a pair of Levi’s with ‘Love ‘em to bits’ as the headline. At that time, it was all shiny new Jordache and Calvin Kleins. I loved that poster the same way I loved my old Levi’s. It stuck with me – that emotional attachment to things we love. It made me want to be a copywriter before I knew what a copywriter even was.

LBB> The creative work that I keep revisiting…

Terri> It’s impossible to pick one. I find endless inspiration in all kinds of films, books, and albums. I’m one of those people who rewatches old movies. It’s like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket crocheted by John Hughes.

The same goes for old albums and bands from decades ago. I can’t go a week without listening to The Smiths. I guess I’m a sucker for nostalgia. Anything from the Britpop era will suffice.

In terms of reading, historical fiction is my jam. But I also love Zadie Smith, Sally Rooney, Nick Hornby, and David Sedaris. Oh, and Jane Austen. Absolute baller.

LBB> My first professional project…

Terri> I started out in New York at a small public relations shop working on a national pizza account. I had to arrange these free pizza parties for community volunteers and then get the press out.

While I learned a lot about PR, I knew I wanted to be the one creating the campaigns on the other side of the aisle. So, I eventually wormed my way into the creative department of an ad agency.

But, what it really instilled in me (besides an enduring love of pizza), is the value of earned media. And once you’ve been yelled at by a producer at a major news network for wasting his time, you can pretty well do anything.

LBB> The piece of work that made me so angry that I vowed to never make anything like *that*…

Terri> I grew up in an age where objectifying women wasn’t just acceptable, it was the norm. Women didn’t drink beer. We just hoisted up our boobs in tiny swimsuits to sell it to men. That attitude was everywhere. From ads, to music videos, to television shows, we were never accurately portrayed. We were never real, never messy. And if we were, there was a duster somewhere to save us.

Outside of beer ads, watching a woman clean her house with the latest mop in a perfectly-ironed, button-down shirt just didn’t make sense to me. Still doesn’t. I want to see her with traces of last night’s mascara and a band t-shirt that’s 10 years old and stained with ketchup. So yeah, anything that portrays women as ornamental and ridiculous.

LBB> The piece of work that still makes me jealous…

Terri> I’m a bit obsessed with everything coming out of Uncommon. I love its British Airways work so much. Everything from ‘A British Original’, to ‘Windows’, to ‘Reflections’. It’s all insanely smart and simple, and riddled with truth. I also love its new identity for The London Museum. Sparkly pigeon shit. Incredible. It’s a pleasant yet seething-jealousy inducing, covered in glitter.

LBB> The creative project that changed my career…

Terri> Back in 2005, at a previous agency (Target), we were pitching a pretty sizable NL Tourism account.

I remember that room full of up-and-coming creatives and all of that buzzing energy. I was really proud to be part of a team that helped to create these ads that didn’t look like anything else at the time. One of the launch spots was about clotheslines. Twenty years later, it’s still an icon.

It’s become a symbol of fresh air, creativity, and our unique cultural perspective. I see clotheslines represented in people’s art and crafts. It’s also a nice ode to my late mom and her ability to curate a double line (six kids, lots of laundry). And, if you’ve never slept in a bed with sheets dried on the line in fresh Newfoundland air, you haven’t lived. I think it could cure industrial-strength insomnia.

LBB> The work that I’m proudest of…

Terri> For me, it’s not necessarily a singular piece of work that I’m most proud of; it’s more about the process of creating and continuing to create things that people find interesting and brands find valuable, even when it’s really tough. I’m proud of taking big swings.

I’m also proud of not packing it in to do something less emotionally taxing. Because where would the fun be in that? Exactly.

That said, I will always love the ‘Dogs’ spot we did for Air Labrador. Our budget was like $3,000. I did craft services out of the back of my car… including milk bones. It was just one of those projects that brought people joy. So yeah, when you can do that, it’s quite a lovely feeling.

LBB> I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…

Terri> I mean, I can’t even read my own copy. For instance, I’ll probably never read this article. I get hives just hearing a radio ad I worked on while driving in my car. So, in a way, everything makes me cringe, because to me, this work is very vulnerable. You put so much of yourself into it – it’s unnerving. Maybe that’s a better word than cringe. Yes. Let’s go with ‘unnerving’.

LBB> The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…

Terri> Last spring, we came up with a reactive campaign for our client, Mr. Rooter Plumbing, based on the US Signal chat leak back in March. We kept it simple and to the point, and had it in market within 48 hours. I thought it had the perfect amount of cheek. I’m a big fan of cheek.

I also have a lot of heart for these transparent, mini billboards we did a couple of years ago for an incredible Newfoundland brand called East Coast Glow. We put them along hiking trails and highlighted the natural ingredients it uses in its wildcrafted skincare products.