Noting that she’s “somewhere between a Greta Gerwig and a Sean Baker” in terms of artistic vision, LA marketing associate Gillian Morano believes that she fills a unique niche at BEYOND, as the true indie darling of the otherwise trite, mundane social media marketing agency where she works.
After working her way up from intern just two years ago, Gillian now holds the title of Assistant Marketing Associate – where she is tasked with creating compelling social media content for brands like Pepsi and United Airlines and proudly wears accent scarves with mixed patterned skirts several times a week.
According to Gillian, she’s “not really a writer or a designer, per se, but rather an auteur – pushing the boundaries of which GIFs pop up in people’s Facebook feed.”
And though she’s regularly partnered with graphic designers, overseas SEO copywriters, and computer algorithms, she encounters the same struggles inherent in any creative relationship.
“I’m really trying to do more of a mumblecore thing right now and I’d love to put out some low-fi, improvised monologues from this insanely talented Venice grifter I know,” Gillian told us. “But the brands I’m promoting would rather we put out the ads they’ve already shot starring household name actors, so I think we’ll be doing that instead.”
When asked about her particular creative process, Gillian said that she often feels more like a raconteur than a copywriter.
“I’m really just figuring out how to make people feel something. Unless it’s an actual Instagram story, then I just need to talk to Dave to get the branding and logos and a call to action somewhere in there.”
Gillian also mentioned that she feels like her career is sort of at a crossroads. Though she’s already made her mark in the branded Instagram space, she would love to branch out into Snapchat.
“Snapchat is something I’ve always had massive respect for, as a platform and artistic medium. I think some people would see it as a step backwards, but I’d love to start working in that space at some point. There’s something so romantic about the ephemerality of it all, wouldn’t you say?”
