“Surf” is the first design Casey O’Donnell created and sent to Pop Tarts with the help of Merit Wagstaff, a sophomore strategic communication student.
Casey O’Donnell, a sophomore strategic communication major, wasn’t sure what would happen when he DM’d the Pop-Tarts Instagram account with his designs from class. But he had a feeling he was onto something and it turns out, Pop-Tarts agreed.
He shared his recent experience sharing his creative with the major brand.
What was your inspiration?
For my marketing class, my group and I chose Pop-Tarts as our brand and came up with a new product idea: the Protein Pop-Tart. Our goal was to target active, on-the-go Gen Z consumers with a product that fits their lifestyle.
While Pop-Tarts’ current slogan, “Crazy Good,” is fun and catchy, we thought it could be adapted to better reflect our new direction. We came up with “Fuel your crazy.” It keeps the original playful energy while introducing the idea of fueling busy, energetic lives.
I built the campaign around the Pop-Tarts mascot, putting it in wild, exaggerated scenarios that speak to the Gen Z sense of humor — bold, chaotic and delightfully unhinged.
“Serendipity” is the second design created by O’Donnell and Wagstaff.
“BURJ” is the third design created by O’Donnell and Wagstaff.
What skills from your Design class helped you bring this campaign to life?
Originally, I was excited about the Design class because it would allow me to turn my creative ideas into tangible pieces of artwork.
The Photoshop skills I learned in that class are what brought this campaign to life. Before Design, I had no clue how to use Photoshop. Now, I’m able to create social media campaigns for fun.
What made you decide to reach out to Pop-Tarts and what was their reaction?
I decided to DM Pop-Tarts because I thought what I made was good enough to be posted on their social media.
At first, they didn’t respond. But after I sent a second ad, they replied, “These are masterpieces.” I was stoked they responded but I still wasn’t totally satisfied. I really wanted them to post it.
So, I made a third ad and asked again. This time, they sent me an artwork release form and asked for short descriptions of each piece and confirmation that I hadn’t used any copyrighted images.
“Surf” featured on the Pop-Tarts Instagram.
How did it feel seeing your designs featured on Pop-Tarts’ Instagram Stories?
Honestly, it just made me laugh.
The three pieces I made are really random, out-of-pocket and nontraditional and the fact that they posted them on their Instagram shows that my persistent efforts worked in my favor.
How has this experience shaped your goals as a Strategic Communication student?
It hasn’t shaped my goals in the way you might expect.
What it showed me is that if I rely on my creativity and problem-solving skills, they’ll lead me where I’m meant to go. To me, this experience is just a steppingstone for what’s to come.
What advice would you give other students who want to share their creative work with brands?
Don’t be scared of someone saying “no.”
Have faith in your creativity and ability. At the end of the day, what’s the worst that can happen?