On Brand Winner Breaks Silence on Their Pitch Perfect Season

Bianca Fernandez by no means thought she’d be on actuality TV—then got here an Instagram DM from somebody engaged on a brand new promoting competitors present, NBC’s On Model with Jimmy Fallon.“I keep in mind calling my mother and being like, ‘Do you suppose that is legit?’” Fernandez informed ADWEEK. “‘But in addition, if that is legit, how good is that this for me?’”It was so good, in truth, that she gained all of it. On the present’s Season 1 finale that aired Oct. 31, Fallon and his co-host, Bozoma Saint John, introduced Fernandez because the present’s first Innovator of the 12 months. Together with a money prize of $100,000, her idea for the ultimate shopper, Therabody, can be produced as a business.“It’s fairly surreal,” mentioned Fernandez, a Gen Z marketer based mostly in New York. “Going into the expertise, I had really no thought what to anticipate, however I did know I actually wished to win, and I knew based mostly off of what was described to me that I’d have a shot if I gave it my all and didn’t maintain myself again.”She embraced that ethos all through the season, usually turning into the venture lead on campaigns akin to making a viral drink for drive-in QSR chain Sonic and including a “spicy take” thought to Captain Morgan’s Tremendous Bowl marketing campaign. Whereas on the present, she even proclaimed her intentions to make the Forbes 30 Beneath 30 Record.However success wasn’t simple. Fernandez famous there have been “a whole lot of stress cooker moments” all through the season, with among the most aggravating instances not even making the ultimate minimize. For example, when assembly with graphic designers, contestants had equal however restricted time—what Fernandez described as simply “minutes”—to show their concepts into campaigns, generally in a single day. As if that weren’t sufficient stress, every little thing was on the contestants, with Fernandez saying NBC made positive to advertise equity so the behind-the-scenes creatives didn’t impose their very own technique whereas translating contestant concepts into pitch shows, even when these concepts went awry.The finale introduced on added challenges as Fernandez and fellow finalist Ryan Winn needed to create and shoot a whole business for Therabody, basically by themselves and in an equal however “insanely quick period of time,” based on Fernandez.“It was wild,” she mentioned. “I keep in mind within the bus on the best way shot-listing [the ad] out on a chunk of paper and a notepad, sketching out body by body every of the photographs that I wanted.”However, in some ways, Fernandez had been coaching for that stress for years.You’ll be able to’t simply Tumbl’ right into a winThe marketer’s journey to On Model started within the early 2010s in highschool, when she created a Tumblr all about preppy vogue. Fernandez constructed a following, met like-minded pals on the pre-influencer web, and even scored a model cope with Winery Vines. “It was my first style of what would finally turn out to be my profession,” she mentioned.Although Fernandez had gone pre-law in school and even interned in politics in D.C., she finally pivoted again to advertising, touchdown at TikTok in its early days to persuade manufacturers of the platform’s deserves earlier than operating social at Tarte Cosmetics. Right this moment, she serves as the top of brand name engagement at actor Lili Reinhart’s magnificence model, Private Day.In addition to her household group chat coming to life because the present’s launch, Fernandez mentioned there have been “much more” inbound requests for work collaborations. However she nonetheless has her day job, which requires interacting with entrepreneurs within the trade—and so they have questions.Find out how to maintain pitches On BrandFirstly, sure, there’s a ton of fabric that understandably didn’t make it to the display screen, as pitches that could possibly be round 5 minutes or extra had been minimize right down to seconds. Due to that, not every little thing translated, with Fernandez even talking up for fellow contestant BT Hale’s out-of-this-world, alien-infused  “Take Me to Your Dunkin’” pitch.“I believed that’s genius,” she mentioned. “That might take much more world-building, however I nonetheless suppose that’s considered one of my favourite concepts from the present.”Fernandez additionally famous that since her day job focuses on technique and information, she tried to floor her marketing campaign concepts in insights. However success on the present additionally required contestants to pitch extra of their private tales, in addition to what they thought would play nicely for broad audiences and look good on tv.Really executing their concepts additionally introduced sure challenges. For example, Fernandez pitched an ASMR activation for Pillsbury, full with sensory deprivation domes, however these had to get replaced with clear buildings for filming functions, she mentioned. That additionally created an emergency air-con scenario after the clear domes and all of the electronics inside overheated within the solar. “It was all fingers on deck,” Fernandez mentioned.Bianca Fernandez on set for her Therabody business shoot. (credit score: NBCUniversal)However Fernandez was right down to roll with all of it: In an episode the place everybody needed to act excited as a CGI Pillsbury Doughboy made its manner into the present, Fernandez hammed it up with the opposite contestants, who she mentioned had been thrilled to carry “film magic” to life. And although she needs a few of her facial expressions hadn’t made the ultimate minimize, she mentioned all of it “made for good TV.”“You actually put on what you suppose in your face, don’t you?” Fernandez mentioned, additionally noting that she was pleased with herself for leaning in and “wasn’t afraid to take massive swings and present up daily.”Although Fernandez hasn’t made the Forbes 30 Beneath 30 Record “but,” she famous she not too long ago had an interview with the outlet. In the meantime, she’s targeted on rising as a marketer, taking over extra business and branded manufacturing work, and having fun with the reactions now that she will share her information with the world.“I’m fortunate I’ve the chance to be head of brand name at a client model proper now, run advertising campaigns, and try this form of work,” Fernandez mentioned. “I’m excited to maintain doing that work, maintain getting higher, and—yeah—journey the wave.”