Client / Brand

GameStop Corp. / ThinkGeek

Role & Focus

Senior Copywriter & Brand Voice Lead

Deliverables

PowerUp Rewards CRM Messaging, Enterprise Tone Guide, Multi-IP Merchandising, Seasonal Campaigns

01. The Value Engine: Translating Complex Rewards Into Clear Player Perks

When GameStop revamped its flagship PowerUp Rewards program, the core challenge was making an intricate web of confusing customer benefits entertainingly legible if not instantly understandable. The program packed dozens of moving financial parts: compounding point multipliers per dollar spent, tiered discounts on pre-owned inventory, extra trade-in credit bonuses, and monthly coupon drops.

Rather than presenting dry accounting formulas or generic corporate bullet points, the copy structured each tier as an active gaming strategy. We broke down the buy-sell-trade ecosystem into distinct player habits: showing casual collectors how standard points convert into cash rewards, while demonstrating to heavy players how stacking pre-owned discounts with trade-in bonuses practically pays for their next preorder. By wrapping complex loyalty arithmetic in a casual, conversational, player-first narrative, the messaging turned abstract math into tangible everyday savings.

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02. The Multiverse: Juggling Partner Rules & Distinct IP Voices

Pokémon never “fight.” They “battle.” This is one of one million brand-lore rules etched into my being now. Writing across daily promotional campaigns meant managing an endless gauntlet of brand guidelines, often reflecting intricate story lore or studio rules.

We had to operate like agile voice impersonators: learning and honoring each licensor’s strict universe guardrails while keeping GameStop’s own brand voice anchored.

ThinkGeek Franchise Activations: High-energy retail and email copy for major galactic milestones, balancing Lucasfilm-approved product framing with wink-and-nod to collector urgency for exclusive Star Wars: The Last Jedi gear.

Marvel Vernacular & Exclusives: Channeling classic comic book energy (e.g., sampling Stan Lee’s immortal “Face Front, True Believers!” line for a Marvel-Funko POP! collab) to create insider hype around first-look Avengers: Infinity War Funko drops.

Deadpan Gaming Lore: For pop culture copy, I love writing fake claims that are still legally compliant. Matching Bethesda’s trademark apocalyptic satire for collectible positioning, I was able to postion the messaging around a claim that GameStop’exclusive Fallout power armor figures could easily “withstand imaginary radiation.”

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03. The Sandbox: Finding the Space to Have Fun with the Tone

Beyond strict licensor guidelines and rewards mechanics, the real creative reward was finding unstructured spaces where the copy could lean into pure comedy and narrative play:

“Top Tees” Apparel Merchandising: Character-driven capsule descriptions for hundreds of graphic tees matching the distinct comedic cadences of properties like Rick and Morty, Bob’s Burgers, Deadpool, and Guardians of the Galaxy.

The Horror of the Inventory Dump: When handed an assortment of random seasonal overstock with zero unifying concept, I didn’t force a fake corporate campaign. Instead, the headline and supporting copy turned the email itself into a live horror story; framing the “narrator” as actively being hunted and attacked by goblins and ghouls while trying to finish writing the email promo.

04. The Impact

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