Yeah, cats are big on the internet.

Intended as a B2B push with broad appeal, spots break today from Pinterest’s in-house team and Iconoclast directing duo Alaska (Gustavo Moraes and Marco Laver).

They rock impressive effects, packing quirky visual energy that feels in sync with Pinterest’s USP and its community members seeking inspiration, commerce and kinship.

This voyage down the rabbit hole—featuring campy merch and nods to pop culture—channels Lewis Caroll and 2001: A Space Odyssey through thrift-shop aesthetics:

Yeah, cat clocks are big on the internet, too.

“We saw an opportunity to tap into the unique personalization Pinterest has to offer,” says Xanthe Wells, VP of global creative. “Pinterest thrives in what we like to call the ‘magic middle’—the space where people are free to discover and shape their own unique identities, then make them real. That extends beyond searching and saving, and into shopping.”

And finally, spangled spoofery inspired by one of the year’s biggest albums:

Yee-haw! Actor Time Winters delivers the campaign’s wry narration.

Wells recalls, “At first, we thought the narrator should be someone like Helen Mirren—someone whose voice had gravitas but would also sound ridiculous and funny when they’d have to say things like, ‘Maybe even start a global cat-hat corporation.'”

“We ended up getting a gazillion demos of different British talent, and Time was in that first batch. He completely got the joke and nailed all of the scripts right off the bat, with no direction.”

Xanthe is currently VP of global creative for Pinterest under CMO Andréa Mallard. Since arriving in 2022, Xanthe has led several major initiatives, including one that broke just last week. Earlier, she spent five years as senior director and global ECD for devices and services at Google. She also served at TBWAChiatDay L.A., working under Lee Clow on Pepsi, PlayStation, WaMu, Kraft and Pinkberry.

Also, Xanthe is an advocate, ally and mentor for both women and creatives of underrepresented backgrounds.

We spent two minutes with Xanthe to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired.

Xanthe, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I was born and raised in the heart of San Francisco but now live in Los Altos, Calif. I left the Bay Area when I was 22 and spent the next 16 years in Los Angeles, where I went to Art Center and then started working in advertising.

How you first realized you were creative.

The adults in my life actually identified me as creative long before I even knew what that meant. I was just doing my thing, drawing up a storm. I was placed in a school that really nurtured it.  

A person you idolized creatively early on.

My first art book was The World of Carl Larsson, a retrospective of the Swedish painter. I spent many hours pouring over his paintings of home life, filled with intricate and sometimes puzzling details—like a nude lady writing letters at her orange desk. I still love his work but I don’t know if I have ever “idolized” anyone. We’re just people. 

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

When I was a junior in college, I applied to be an intern at Pixar. I mailed in my application along with some clippings of comics I had drawn for the Brown Daily Herald. Once I was there, my head exploded with possibility. I met the late Joe Ranft, the head of story (and the “heart and soul of Pixar” for many years). I watched him and others on team do draft after draft of a particular sequence—maybe 150 or more—until the joke or moment was just right. That taught me a lot about the underpinnings of work that moves you. And no amount of technology can save a bad idea.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

The band Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. They have an amazing sound that reminds me of the Chicago blues my dad used to play, with a twist of Bruce Springsteen and Rockabilly. 

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life was eye-opening because it visualized the effects of drugs and alcohol on your brain by comparing scans of healthy brains and those exposed to toxins. I have been sober for over a year, in large part owing to what I learned in that book.

Someone or something worth following on social media.

Warren Buffet

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on. 

When we decided to cast models without ever seeing their faces for a Bare Escentuals campaign, I felt like we were onto something bigger in the superficial beauty industry. Instead of typical call sheets, we listened to interviews with these models on headphones and chose our cast based on their personalities. 

A recent project you’re proud of. 

I’m proud of what my team has done with the Pinterest work over the last year. From our latest brand campaign to our “Unboring My Boardroom”…

… to “Pinterest Presents,” where we turned a B2B keynote into a TV show:

But if I had to pick one piece that I’m most proud of from this last year, it might be our presence in Cannes with the Pinterest Manifestival:

When a brand only exists digitally, there is something incredibly powerful when that brand takes shape in the physical world. Leveraging the insight that Gen Z calls Pinterest their “manifestation app,” we brought that spirit to life in a vibrant celebration of the diverse and sometimes unexpected possibilities people are exploring on our platform. Attendees told us they felt like they were stepping into Pinterest as they took part in activities to reinvent their style with clothes customization, micro makeovers, piercings and even real tattoos. They could also plan their bucket-list travel adventure and discover trending festival-inspired cuisine. 

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago. 

I was lucky enough to start at TBWACD in 2006, where I got to work closely with the most inspiring creative person I’ve ever been around: Lee Clow. Lee has the most remarkable ability to get to the essence of something and deliver beauty. He never forgot that we feel with our eyes and hear with our hearts. His creative magnet only attracted work that was pure. No contrived, overwrought thinking; just simple ideas, beautifully articulated. “Mac vs. PC,” “Apple Misunderstood,” “Think Different,” “Shot on iPhone”… ideas so iconic, they need no links. He has been a guiding force for me since I met him. “Make it smart. Make it beautiful. Have fun.” Thanks, Lee.

Someone else’s work you admired lately. 

I admire Scott Trattner and what he’s managed to do with AirBnb. The OOH of late is sooooo envy-inducing for me. Chateau-GPT anyone? I admire Lola Bakare for the voice she has in our industry. She has the courage to bring to light a lot of important topics.

Your main strength as a creative person.

I’m good at knowing what other people are good at and putting them in a position to succeed. As a creative leader, deep knowledge of the talent I work with has been the key to any success I’ve had.

Your biggest weakness.

I still don’t understand what work/life balance should look like for me. It’s hard when you do what you love for a living—the lines get blurred.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

Investment banking.

There’s nothing new here. Lots of brands go the goofy movie route. In fact, Pinterest’s effort feels almost like a spoof of spoofs. Overly familiar yet funny, these send-ups certainly entertain.

Comedy vet Tim Godsall, who directed winners for Halo Top and Uber Eats, maintains a fast pace with B2B jargon doing double duty as punchlines and selling points. Corey Burton, the trailer narrator for Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, provides faux-dramatic voiceovers.

“In order to tell the story of Pinterest’s high performance in the lower funnel, we went all in on high performance, high action mini films designed to turn heads for performance marketers by literally speaking their language,” Pinterest VP of global creative Xanthe Wells tells Muse. “Our idea was to play off of action movie tropes through the decades, so each film naturally had its own period aesthetic.”

For example, the high-speed mountain chase leans into ’70s Foxy Brown, while the volcano setting channels ’60s James Bond.

“Wardrobe and makeup had to telegraph the decades instantly but with a modern twist. Think high action, but high style, too,” Wells says.

“We set out to do as much practically, in camera, as we could,” Wells recalls. “In the fast filmmaking world of today, we were surprised that finding the perfect footage to project behind our actors would take weeks and weeks of searching and combing through stock to find a few usable seconds.”

“There’s a different feeling and emotion the audience gets from something that feels like it was made by humans. The handmade feel also felt true to who we are as a brand—Pinterest is all about making things, trying things, handmade creativity.”

“On set, we had snow blowers, giant fan machines with rotating tree branches, and real fire (thank you, Toronto Fire Department),” Wells says. “The top of the train was on a compression ‘air mattress’ set-up that moved as our talent moved. The red sports car was operated with hand-held hydraulics. All of it helped create a sense of real ‘high action’ and hands-on filmmaking.”

The work drops today across social, programmatic and trade channels in the  U.S., U.K. and Australia, with more markets added in coming months.

What were you before?

I’ve always been a B2C and B2B marketer. Before joining the team at Jane Technologies, I spent five years at Pinterest wearing a variety of marketing and creative hats, including starting their first-ever creator marketing team and strategy. 

Prior to Pinterest, I worked in product management at a dog fitness tech company, Whistle, which in retrospect made me a better tech marketer and product marketer! I originally was at creative ad agencies for years before entering tech. I held positions such as a producer, brand strategist and account supervisor for clients ranging from Walmart and Idaho Potatoes to actuarial consulting firms. 

What triggered your reinvention?

I became a mom in 2021, and that time away from my career was so enlightening—it was more than a career at the time, it was an all-consuming job that WAS my identity. I had been heads down working so hard for so long, on a path I thought was right, and after having my daughter I realized a few things:

• Not everything is a reactive fire drill. We work in marketing, mostly digital, making things on the internet! We are not saving lives.
• Given the passion I have for branding and marketing, I knew I could be a force for good but had to find the right thing that energized me every day.
• Exploration is key. I explored being a full-time mom, starting my own baby loungewear brand, consulting as interim CMO, and started building a house, too! 
• Be open. In that time of exploration, I had come across the amazing folks at Jane just as I was rediscovering cannabis as a new mom. Being a new mom, I didn’t think there was room for motherhood and a full-time job, but Jane has provided me with that opportunity. 
• Sometimes it takes another’s opinion. My husband had to ask, “Wait, isn’t this your dream job?!” and that’s when I knew I had to go for it!

What did the first steps look like?

The first step was making the hard decision to leave my career at Pinterest to consult and rediscover what I wanted out of my career again now that I was a parent. I had never left a job without another one lined up, but knew it would be best in the long run. I needed to pause and consider what would make me happy as a human—not just a marketer—and ensure I was prioritizing my own emotional and physical well-being.

What was one hard obstacle to overcome?

The hardest obstacle had to be leaving a company I loved after five years to pursue an unknown next step! While on maternity leave, I was able to reflect and realized how much I had tied my identity to that position. 

What was easier than you thought?

Striking a balance between work and motherhood in my new role. I assumed I wouldn’t be able to be a leader in tech AND be a present mom—and I think that is a fair assumption, given the work culture and expectations of many companies. 

But at Jane, my boundaries have been respected and I have been MORE efficient and impactful in the time I can give. Working in an industry where I know I am making a positive impact on people—both 1:1 and at scale—really gets me excited about the work. 

What I’ve learned in my first few months is that “good company culture” is more than a bullet point on a job description. Jane is the first place I’ve worked that delivers on that through incredibly kind and empathetic leadership, absence of politics, humility and so much more. I feel so lucky to have found Jane and joined the “dark green side”!

What’s something you learned along the way that other people, hoping to do something similar, should know?

Trust your gut. I always knew I had it in me, but fear and imposter syndrome, something many women suffer, held me back. It comes down to if you’re uninspired or not empowered in your role, or you don’t feel aligned with the broader company vision, you don’t have to stay. You are enough, and you are worthy of a role and team where you feel valued and respected.

Did anyone or anything inspire you along the way?    

My daughter really inspired me. She forced me to be so present in ways that I hadn’t been in over a decade—much due to my career. She is so full of joy and curiosity, and I asked myself why am I not?! I wanted to be more like her, and it reminded me that I had the agency to make that change. I also want to make her proud, as a woman, so she can see that we are capable of so much. I want her to see me happy and present and proud of my career, not anxious and unfulfilled. 

What has this fundamentally changed for you?

I will always care about my career; it fills my cup and gives me a broader purpose outside of my family. But since moving into the cannabis space, I have a new appreciation for balance.

Jane represents cannabis and all the amazing wellness benefits it brings. I want to represent Jane by ensuring I am taking care of myself too, so I can be my best version for Jane, my daughter, and everything in between.

Do you think you could go back/do you want to?

I hope to be at Jane for a very long time! I get the best of both worlds—a tech company that also supports safe access to cannabis. 

If I do leave cannabis, it will be as a refreshed person and leader, carrying with me the amazing things I have learned and the new healthy habits I have gained from being at a company—and in an industry—that works towards something bigger and better.

Tell us your reinvention song.

If it was 2013, I’d be fast to say “Roar” by Katy Perry, but after watching WeCrashed I’m not so sure … who am I kidding, it’s still a bop.

How would you define yourself now?

Since March 2022, I have been the head of marketing at Jane. This includes:

• Building an entire marketing function at Jane!
• Launching Jane’s first ever consumer iOS app
• Demonstrating the value of marketing among internal teams
• Engaging with all the audiences we serve including brand partners, retail partners and consumers
• Overseeing all evergreen channels, messaging, and content (email, social, events) across all audiences
• Partnering with Mattio on all things PR and comms
• Defining go-to-market strategies and internal processes, including product marketing
• Paid campaigns to drive acquisition and full funnel engagement and retention
• Channel strategies to tell a consistent, integrated 360 brand story
• Developing Jane’s brand narrative and B2C and B2B positioning

In a perfect world, social media would be a safe space where people of all ages could escape the stressors of real life, if only for a brief period. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

For World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, Pinterest created both an online and offline “Haven” where Pinners could find ways to destress, tips for sleeping better and positive affirmations to read at the start and end of the day.

“We want Pinners to walk away feeling better than when they started,” says Elizabeth Luke, senior brand communications lead at Pinterest.

Pinterest Havens: Invest in Rest came about following an increase in searches for “Sunday reset routine” and “destressing tips,” along with a Pinterest Predicts “invest in rest” trend.

The Haven includes Idea Pins about rest from content creators globally. Suggestions range from meditation ideas to eating a healthier diet to uplifting quotes and nature pictures.

“People come to Pinterest looking for positivity,” Luke tells Muse. “This encapsulates the magic of Pinterest. Pinners can immerse themselves in one topic. They step into Pinterest and step into content that supports their needs.”

Offline, Pinterest created a Havens installation—complete with real-life Pins—in Boxville, located on Chicago’s South Side and curated by local artist Dwight White. QR codes on the IRL Pins drove viewers to the online Havens.

In addition, visitors could take a yoga class, make arts and crafts, and participate in a read-along with Chance the Rapper for “Chance and Bri’s Books and Breakfast.” Chance read The Boy with Big, Being Feelings by Britney Winn Lee.

The rapper also launched a Chance and Bri’s Books and Breakfast Pinterest board that will include ideas for parents to help their children with emotional wellbeing and boost their love for reading. The first Pin includes a recipe to create Be Still bottles and features Chance himself.

Pinterest is donating $80,000 to three local community-led organizations including Chance the Rapper’s Social Works and Urban Juncture foundation. The company also pledged over $1 million to national organizations focused on emotional wellbeing services and resources for underrepresented and marginalized groups.

“The offline event is supporting and uplifting the community,” says Luke. “Online, the Haven offers a sense of recognition that other people are experiencing the same things. Take a beat and exhale. What do you want your life to look like off the platform?”

Celestine Maddy is global head of consumer and brand marketing at Pinterest, overseeing global consumer brand strategy and campaigns, product marketing, social media and content innovation for the inspiration platform.

Before joining Pinterest, she was most recently SVP of marketing and communications at The Wing and also spent time at Foursquare and Reddit.

We spent two minutes with Celestine to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations, and recent work she’s admired.

Celestine, tell us…

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in the suburbs of Pennsylvania. I spent time in Philadelphia after graduation, but moved to New York in 2001 and have pretty much stayed put. I’ve decamped to California twice, but to my great disappointment, the West Coast never takes.

What you wanted to be when you grew up.

I wanted to be an actress when I was wee, and then a publisher from there on out. I like stories. I like narratives and characters. Oddballs, emotionality, and perspectives. 

In some ways, I am a publisher in my current job, but I still festishize the traditional definition of the word. Although I know The Deadbeat Club is right, “there is no money in books.”

How you discovered you were creative.

It just was and is. I’ve always told stories to myself. Made magazines. Wrote torrid teen fiction. I’m always singing, listening to something. I can play an instrument half well. I die for a story, be it a video game or a graphic novel. I like discovering new ideas and entrants for my own little cultural catalogue. These things are persistent.

I have creative life goals right now, though: My 7-year-old is good at doing something creative every day. Even if it’s miniscule. I gotta get with that approach. 

A person you idolized creatively growing up.

Oh so many! Debbie Allen. The emotionality of her dancing in Fame was all fire. She’s so chic. Definitely Google Debbie Allen + ’70s.

Kurt Cobain. I felt that way.

And of course, Grace Jones. Ms. Jones if you’re nasty, and I bet you are if you’re into Grace. I remember seeing the Island Life cover, the liner jacket with the “twins” photograph, and feeling like the world had fallen away: “Oh this is powerful.”

I really hungered for Grace, as my household wasn’t about her. So I could relish her turn in Conan the Destroyer, but really didn’t discover the full power of Jones until later. When the internet was full blown. When I could get my hands on her albums and ephemera.

Nowadays, creativity and inspiration is right there for you. Not to plug my own platform, but it’s one of the things Pinterest does for our users—serve up inspiration. Tell you what, take the Pinterest challenge: Use it in certain ways for a little while and you’ll see your world explode with ideas just left of your center. But honestly, there are so many other platforms, from Amazon to YouTube to Substack to stuff like APOC, that have made creative ideas readily accessible (to some degree) for a large part of the population. 

Feed me, Seymour. I cannot get enough. I love content.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

The most life-changing moments for me were found outside of those two environments. I’ll say that coming home and telling my father that I wasn’t going back to college and him kicking me out was seminal. I had been raised with financial privilege. Having to make my own way corrected my class perceptions deeply and with meaning.

The first concert you saw, and your favorite band or musician today.

The first concert I ever saw was MC Hammer. Still one of the best concerts I’ve ever seen. Since everyone knows it’s hard to name just one, I’ve plucked some from my current rotation: Kikagaku Moyo, Squid, and always with Megan Thee Stallion.   

Your favorite visual artist.

Right now, I really like Alex Da Corte. Wacky. Wild. All that color. He’s playing with all my favorite themes from cartoon stylings to gender. His work feels electric.

Your favorite fictional character.

I am a lover. There isn’t just one fictional character for me. Impossible.

The best book you’ve read lately.

Black Futures by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham.

Your favorite movie.

Can’t and won’t do it! No, I will not.

Your favorite Instagram follow.

@Dust-to-digital

How the Covid-19 crisis changed your life, personally or professionally.

For me, the pandemic is synonymous with the resurgence of the Civil Rights Movement writ-large for America.

As a Black executive inside a very human corporate system, work can get uncomfortable. Professionally, I have noticed that I have changed my approach to tackling racism and bias at work. There is no hesitation. There is no question. As leader in D&I once told me, “It’s OK for everyone to be uncomfortable.” I took that to heart. As much as I can, I speak truth to power. Quickly and with compassion.

I once said to an employee who was complaining about racism that she should expect it. She’s Black. Full stop. At the time, folks were aghast I would say that aloud, but now, in 2021 post-George Floyd, it’s accepted that this is true. You gotta acknowledge the truth to be able to fix. I don’t have to argue this point any longer. It’s accepted.

Your favorite creative project you’ve ever worked on.

Easy. Wilder. It was a beautiful project created by some amazing women that meant something to me and a lot of others. I completed a creative project there. I met my long-time collaborator Abbye Churchill there. She’s the editorial genius of it all.

A recent creative project you’re proud of.

We just wrapped on Pinterest’s newest commercial. I think people remember Pinterest as being a mood board. Over the last few years, it’s become the place where people are searching for their next inspiration, they are planning their future and making decisions about what to do next, from what to cook for dinner, how to decorate their home, and what to wear. I am proud of this spot because it does a great job of showing the viewer that path of discovery.

How do you go from searching for shopping for patio furniture on Pinterest and end up with underlights hair? (This really happened to me.) That sort of journey of discovery happens all the time. So this spot, “You Just Might Surprise Yourself,” reintroduces the brand to the world and forces reconsideration by tapping into the spirit of the current time and climate, and inspiring people to take action in their own lives.

It’s a great product and a great spot to have worked on. 

Someone else’s creative project that inspired you years ago.

Theaster Gates, Stony Island Arts Bank.

Someone else’s creative project that you admired lately.

Lisa Rovner’s Sisters With Transistors.

Your main strength as a creative person.

Alchemical. I’m not very precious about ideas. I’m willing to let an idea unfurl and blossom. I’m adaptive. If something isn’t working out or isn’t going to, I can evolve the project or widen the frame in a new and different way.

Your biggest weakness.

I can get obsessed with narrative flow and miss the details. I’ve come to learn to always work with more detail oriented people than I am. Together, we make great stuff. 

One thing that always makes you happy.

Ohhhhhh, Star Wars anything. 

One thing that always makes you sad.

I’m writing this on the day of remembrance of George Floyd’s death. I am always sad when I think about the bodily injustices Blacks suffer and the realities of the American prison complex.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

I’d own a gardening center, some quiet place and always have a bit part in the community theater. Make zines. Hang out with my kid. Solve a murder here and there. More Jessica Fletcher. Less Luther. 

Data can fuel creativity in many ways. Over the years, audience and behavioral insights at Pinterest have helped advertisers and creators make inspiring content for all types of user interests and marketing objectives. 

More recently, 2020 has taught us that listening, empathizing and connecting with people and culture are more important than ever. And with so much changing so quickly, you must be agile. If you aren’t, you put your relevancy at risk.

Creativity and inspiration are personal. Deploying data in the right ways will help you make your communications connect in a more meaningful manner. 

Here are three of my favorite ways brands can leverage data and insights to make inspiring and relevant content starting today, if you’re not already:

Add depth to your audience

Who you’re speaking to is foundational to any creative idea or campaign. It’s important to remember that as people, we define ourselves well beyond our age and gender. Marketers should do the same. Mine data and analytics to create more depth and richness to your audience profile, and your creative teams will thank you. Nuance and specificity serve as great sparks for a big idea—and fun ways to extend one.

Some specific data to consider: What are your customers searching for related to your category? What other unexpected interests do they have? How early did they start planning before the actual moment of purchase? Are your research and attribution windows long enough to understand how their decisions evolve along the purchase journey? What types of imagery and content are they engaging with, or even saving depending on the platform? 

Beyond using smart keyword targeting on Pinterest with terms like “sustainability” and “healthy eating,” Imperfect Foods uncovered their potential customers had interests that weren’t as intuitively linked to their brand. “Finance” was one of them—and the discovery helped inform their creative strategy. 

These extra layers of detail will give you a more complete and rich audience profile when writing your creative brief.

Discover and inspire new use cases 

The products and services we sell are often a means or a tool to something bigger. An accessory to an outfit. An ingredient to a recipe, or better yet, an awesome dinner party. A finishing touch to a once-in-a-lifetime experience, from your wedding day to a dream vacation. (I know, I’m planning one right now).

Businesses are often built on the backs of some of these most obvious and universal use cases, but incremental growth and innovation are often sparked by new use cases. These can be expressed and exposed through data in several ways:

• The creativity of your customers: Humans are creative beings. CRM, social listening and third-party platform data can help you uncover insights about the new and unique ways people are using your products. Identify these trends to fuel innovative product development, content strategy and opportunities for community engagement.

• Adjacent interests: Data can expose correlation between one interest, behavior, moment and another. Consumers are multi-dimensional. Challenge yourself to expand how you connect with them by leaning into their other interests—while still being authentic to your brand, voice, value proposition and benefits. You’ll surprise them with the creative connection.

• Cultural listening: Covid-19 has taught us a great deal about how important it is to truly understand and speak to how people are feeling, behaving and searching—in that moment. Keep in mind that it varies based on location, so optimize your creative accordingly to land local relevance with the state of the world around them.

In the last few months, flavor company McCormick took advantage of all three of these. Listening to Pinterest search data, they created content that met the demand of parents looking for ideas and inspiration, like kids’ activities and pantry recipes. A simple but helpful ad had confidence in and stretched their audience’s creativity, giving them a Pantry Hack: 3 Ways to Use Turmeric. New use cases were born overnight, and they were able to create a connection in a time when their audience truly needed ideas. 

Iterate at the speed of now

Whether it’s in-campaign optimization or quick-turn evolution on the next one, the days of set-it-and-forget-it annual campaigns are over. The data is too accessible, the expectations of consumers are too high, and behavior is changing too quickly. Miss an evolving trend, and you lose an opportunity to stay relevant when so many people are open to new ideas.

As Covid-19 spread, brands like Kohl’s quickly set up new creative and production processes that turned around new assets within three days based on audience search data. They used creative on Pinterest to respond with ideas for Virtual Prom Style with critical information about their new limited-contact store drive-up option. 

While these quick turnarounds were initially in reaction to faster trend cycles, many marketers with similar approaches are stating that they’re here to stay. The operational components are in place, speed isn’t sacrificing creativity, and contextual relevance has never been more important.

Ultimately, data in itself is a creative opportunity. Brands and creatives who see it as that can reimagine their audiences, inspire new and innovative use cases, and evolve as quickly as culture and trends are today—which don’t seem to be slowing down. So why wouldn’t you? 

Give us a one-line bio of yourself.

I am Bri, better known as Briyoncé. I am on the social team at Pinterest. I love social trends and all things culturally relevant. I can catch you up on the latest Real Housewives episode or break down the metrics of your latest social campaign and create an optimization strategy. Or we could do both, just as long as we can do it over a nice glass of champagne.

Where are you living right now, and who’s with you?

I live in Nopa, which is a cute neighborhood in the middle of San Francisco. I’m currently living with three roommates in a four-bedroom apartment with a backyard that I recently decorated, a huge living room for movie nights, and my own patio attached to my room!

What’s your work situation like at the moment, and how is it evolving?

Still working on hours that really work for me. Social is always on, even in normal times, so my hours are really at a rolling basis anyways. I finally caved and got a monitor and an office chair. Turns out working horizontally on your bed is terrible for your back. I used Pinterest to help find a desk solution that wouldn’t compromise my pink glam room aesthetic. So it’s evolving in ways that I’m finally understanding the importance of ergonomics.  

When you do you expect to return to the office?

I could see everyone gradually coming back to the office in January 2021. However, I am secretly thriving in the current WFH situation. 

Describe your socializing strategy.

Mostly outdoors. I have a love-hate relationship with Zoom, so I try to limit my appearances. I’m really lucky to live in a city that’s only 7×7 and all of my friends are in walking distance-ish (can’t forget about the hills). I’m usually social distancing at the park or the beach, or walking/skating/surfing with friends! 

How are you dealing with childcare, if applicable?

No human children, but I did accumulate four plants at the beginning of quarantine, which have turned out to be a full-time job. Nonetheless, I love them all the same. I am expecting a fiddle leaf fig soon. I’ll send the Zoom invite for the baby shower!  

What are you reading?

An absurd amount of Twitter, but also juggling a few books off and on. At the Existentialist Café, Call Me by Your Name and Eat, Pray, Love are all in my rotation.

What are you watching?

Also an array of things. The Baby-Sitters Club and Laguna Beach for nostalgia, Betty on HBO to keep up with the cool girls, and whatever romcom I can get my hands on.

What are you listening to?

I’m terrible at finding new artists and love a bunch of different genres, so I’m usually listening to playlists I find on Spotify. I also listen to Who? Weekly to keep up with celeb drama and have a good giggle once in a while. 

How are you staying fit?

I basically have to be tricked into working out, so if I’m doing something fun like surfing or skateboarding, I can get a decent workout in. I go through running phases, but honestly just listen to what my body wants. If she wants to just go for a walk, we walk. If she wants to just stretch, we stretch.

Have you taken up a hobby?

I got a surfboard and a skateboard at the beginning of quarantine and basically just doubled down on practicing and getting better. It’s a great after- or before-work hobby and a great way to get some outdoor time. I also taught myself how to knotless-braid my own hair and then further decided to go blonde for the first time ever. #pinterestmademedoit

An awkward moment since all this started.

Realizing how much money I was saving by just staying home. Before all this, it was super easy to get into a city routine of Uber-ing everywhere, eating out, going out, etc. So there was definitely an awkward moment where I looked at my bank account and was surprised at what a difference staying home made.  

An aha! moment since all this started.

I actually thrive without a routine. Working from home has created so much flexibility in my work-life balance that it’s actually helped me improve my productivity and stress. I tried to stick to a routine at the beginning of quarantine because I thought it would make the transition easier, but it actually made it worse. Once I threw the routine out of the window, I felt so much more free and relaxed.

What’s your theory on how this is going to play out? 

Like economically, politically or logistically? No clue. But I do know this is really forcing everyone to realize what’s really important to them. On what actually makes them happy. Especially living in the city, it’s such an aggressive work vibe, and now I feel like no one will take work-life balance for granted ever again.  

See the full #WFH Diaries series here.