Creative Minds: Hannah Melanson's wordy way of changing the world

Name: Hannah Melanson

Origin: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

Places lived/worked: Canada, United Kingdom, Australia

Pronouns: She/her

CV:

• Copy director, Digitas Australia (2020 - present)
• Senior copywriter, Digitas Australia (2018 - 2020)
• Copywriter, Digitas Australia: 2015 (2018)
• Creative director, Harland Wine Company (2015 - 2018)
• Content and community manager, We Are Social (2014 - 2015)
• Editorial writer, Notable Life (2013 - 2014)

1. How did you end up being a creative?

I didn’t even realise I was a creative until I landed my first copywriting gig at Digitas. And even then, I identified as a writer first, and a creative second.

It wasn’t until I was fortunate enough to work under my long-time mentor and our current executive creative director, Simon Brock, that I really started to see the potential for what I do with words to stretch well beyond a page—or a webpage, for that matter.

Truthfully, I don’t think any of us end up­ being creatives. It’s who we’ve always been. And, if we’re lucky, we land somewhere where we’re empowered to be ourselves every single day.

2. What's your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

I try not to play favourites, but it’s hard to go past the work we’ve done with Tourism Australia for Australia.com.

Despite the dual crises of devastating bushfires and a global pandemic, we rapidly and radically transformed the website, expanding Australia.com from a source of inspiration for international guests to a planning and booking portal that helped Aussies to take a Holiday Here This Year, bringing joy to a nation in lockdown all while supporting an industry in crisis.

To have that work win best travel website in the world at this year’s Webby Awards was a career highlight, to say the least.

3. What's your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

Being as immersed in the tourism landscape as I am, German Rail’s No Need to Fly campaign is one I’ll always be envious of. For me, this piece of work has it all: a compelling insight, clever use of data and technology, stunning visuals and a beautifully simple execution that didn’t just deliver powerful results, but provided meaningful inspiration and utility for travellers in real-time.

4. What/who are your key creative influences?

When I was 11 years old, I read my first dystopia: Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. That single piece of science fiction fostered an insatiable appetite for literature that would go on to shape my entire life and career. In hindsight, words were always going to be the conduit for my creativity, I just needed the spark—and I’ll always credit Atwood for lighting that match. 

5. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?

Asking Adrian Farouk (then managing director of Digitas Australia, today CEO of Digitas ANZ and head of Digitas APAC) if I could keep my job, become fully remote and move to regional Victoria to be the creative director of my own wine business. The craziest part? He said yes.

6. What advice would you give to 10-year-old you, if you could?

It’s going to get worse before it gets better, but better will be more than you ever could imagine. Keep going.

7. What really motivates you?

Time. But not in the sense of pressure or deadlines. Whenever I’m struggling for motivation, I remind myself just how finite time is, which doesn’t just inspire me to do more—but more of what actually matters.

8. How would your co-workers describe you?

That’s a frightening thought. I hope they’d say I’m empathetic, driven and resilient, but they’d probably just tell you I’m terrible at ping pong (which, in fairness, is true).

9. Do you have any secret or odd talents?

I’m not entirely sure how I acquired this skill—if you can even call it that—but I’ve got an uncanny ability to lucid dream on command. That, and talking in my sleep, which has provided endless entertainment for friends and lovers over the years.

10. What's your favourite GIF/meme, and why? 

There’s so many. But it would be unfair to not give due credit to “Homer Simpson backing into a hedge” after all the unwanted Slack conversations it’s saved me from.

11. Any regrets?

A few. But if you get to your thirties and think you’ve made the right decision at every fork in the road, you probably haven’t taken enough chances.