Aaron Marshall: Fade in

Aaron Marshall is a senior creative and copywriter at Supergood whose work has already been recognised by The One Show, Clios, The Webby Awards, Epica, ADC and ADCOLOR. 

Still only a few years into his career, Marshall has built a portfolio that runs through sport, music, culture and advocacy, with work for brands and organisations including Bacardí, AT&T and SAY. 

Here, the Jimmy Smith-nominated creative talks to Jamie Madge about his Portland origins, the power of personality, and making work that feels lived-in rather than borrowed.

What was your route into advertising, and when did you start to feel like you had something distinct to say creatively?

Originally from Portland, Oregon, I grew up wanting to be an ESPN sports writer. Sports journalism was the real goal through high school and early college. Then I took an advertising class in college and something clicked. I realised you could tell real stories and actually change how people see the world, not just objectively cover it.

At that time, I had no portfolio or network. I was doing informational interviews all over Portland, just trying to figure out how to break in. Eventually, I took out loans, left home and moved to Atlanta to attend the Creative Circus portfolio school. I honestly didn’t even have a backup plan, just a belief that it was worth the risk.

As for having something distinct to say, I feel growing up as a Black man in a predominantly white city, while living with a lifelong stutter, shaped how I see things and my point of view. I was always better at writing than speaking out loud, and that helped me hone my writing craft, which helped my imagination come to life.

You describe yourself as a sports junkie, New Jack Swing enthusiast and Red Robin burger connoisseur. How much of your own personality finds its way into the work?

I always try to put as much of myself into the work as possible, because it shouldn’t feel like an ‘ad’, but an interesting idea that happens to be an ad. It’s funny, most of the world doesn’t actually like ads, so it’s our job as creatives to make the work feel authentic and human.

Nowadays, people are smart enough to know when something comes from a real place versus someone just googling the aesthetic and vibe.

When I’m building an idea, I try to make sure the human truth or tension behind it feels authentic. Sports, music, food, the culture I grew up around, etc. That’s my lens. And nowadays, people are smart enough to know when something comes from a real place versus someone just googling the aesthetic and vibe.

Between the hi-top fade, the FAQ and the very specific personal references on your site, you seem to understand the power of self-branding. How consciously do you think about yourself as part of the creative work?

In an industry all about creative expression and crafting work that reaches real people, I feel it’s important for you to show up as your full self. Authenticity is what moves the needle for a lot of the best work, even the work that makes me say, “Damn, wish I made that”. It comes from such a unique point of view that it feels fresh and unexpected.

That’s why, when I’m concepting, I always think about what I want people to feel, think or do, and for it to be the same outcome I’d want myself if I were the consumer.

Above: Bacardí’s The Wearable Album turned a QR-coded fashion capsule into a platform for emerging artists, bringing together music, style and technology.

A project like Bacardí’s The Wearable Album connects fashion, music, technology and emerging artists. What attracts you to ideas that can live beyond a traditional campaign?

As a big music head, that one was fun to make. It sat at the intersection of music, fashion and tech in a way that gave people a new way in beyond just watching a commercial.

We partnered with Grammy-winning producer BOI-1DA and fashion label NAHMIAS to create this QR-coded fashion capsule where fans basically became walking promoters for up-and-coming artists through scannable merch. Then we launched the whole thing at Paris Fashion Week and hijacked one of culture’s biggest moments.

That’s the type of work I get excited about. TV commercials are still obviously important, but ideas that can actually thread the needle through culture and live in the real world are equally important to me.

Your AT&T work around sport, from March Madness to NIL culture, seems very plugged into the way fans actually talk and behave. How do you make sure cultural references feel lived-in rather than borrowed?

You have to actually be in it. A lot of my insights and cultural references, I live. I’m naturally a sports junkie who loves music, entertainment, art and fashion, and naturally stays tapped into what’s happening in the world.

A good test for me is asking friends or people outside of the industry what they think about ‘x’ idea, and if they relate to it. If the answer is no, then I know I gotta keep pushin’.

You’ve built recognised work relatively early in your career. How do you balance ambition with still giving yourself room to learn, experiment and get things wrong?

I’m always a student first. Anyone who knows me knows I ask a lot of questions and want to learn and evolve in every way possible. Like most creatives, I can sometimes be too hard on myself or overthink, but I truly believe that’s the creative process and comes with the territory.

A lot of my insights and cultural references, I live.

One of my favourite Jay-Z bars is, “A loss ain’t a loss it’s a lesson, appreciate the pain it’s a blessin’.” Which, to me, means embrace failure and use it as a teaching lesson.

What do you think emerging creatives understand instinctively about culture, platforms and audience behaviour that previous generations perhaps had to learn more slowly?

I think we naturally have more context about where culture actually lives. Like knowing a joke about the NBA playoffs might go crazy on X, but completely flop on LinkedIn. Or understanding that an idea built for a 30-second TV spot needs a totally different vibe for a short-form TikTok video.

We know where to find our audiences because we immerse ourselves in a little bit of everything. And we know that audiences have more power now. You can’t just push messages at them and expect them to land. You have to make something they actually want to engage with.

Conversely, are there older advertising disciplines, such as craft, restraint, writing, strategy and patience, that you think younger creatives still need to protect?

All of those disciplines are important, but, in my opinion, I think the most critical one is craft. No matter your role, you still need to take the time to make sure your creative executions are refined and the absolute best they can be.

To me, the craft is what separates ideas that last from ideas that feel trendy for a short period of time.