My story with TBWA started in 2020 when I was tasked to research agencies that stood out to me based on their work and strategic approach. TBWA was one of the agencies I chose among other independent and big agencies. I was so pumped to present TBWA to my class because I thought the Pirate Ship had a fantastic way of doing “disruptive” work.
Fast forward to February 2022, I was delighted to find out I had been selected intern at TBWA\WorldHealth (Omnicom Health Group)– my excitement went through the roof. June 6 arrived, and I was eager to show all my skills and abilities as a strategist and learn from the folks that do authentic disruptive work.
My first two weeks at the agency were challenging. I was new to the world of pharma, and keeping up with acronyms and superficially understanding the pain points of healthcare professionals in terms of empathy and efficiency in order to build a strong consumer journey, among other pharma topics, were all new areas for me. It is only human to be afraid of the unknown and be scared to speak up when surrounded by super bright people who know the ins and outs of pharma advertising. However, I was so lucky that my manager, intern buddy, and everyone at TBWA were incredibly supportive and patient while I took the time to digest the material.
As an intern, I did work beyond my expectations. Every day I worked on different projects for different accounts and sometimes, even with different teams. My awesome intern buddy, who’s on the strategy team, invited me to join her at the office to work together a couple of times. We had an incredible time brainstorming together with an actual whiteboard, just like the good old times before the pandemic happened. This moment also made me realize that the advertising field is walking towards a more inclusive environment where ideas from minorities are being considered to create ads that authentically connect with everyone.
Although my team was the experience strategy team, I had the opportunity to work with the strategy team on several occasions. The team invited me to collaborate on connecting HCP-patient journeys and auditing brands, and I even got to present some ideas as we worked on brand planning for next year.
Every moment at TBWA\WH showed me that they [TBWA] know the value of allowing teams to work together to break down silos. At the Pirate Ship, most workshops work as one big brain that generates ideas and conversations that break the conventional, create a new vision, and disrupt the category by bringing strategic ideas and tactics to life through radical change. And this is exactly what advertising is all about– an open conversation in which all brains collaborate to create one idea that has the power to influence behaviors and move our society forward positively.