Shanna McCoy

TERNS | Outdoors × Bioscience

Science that earns its place in your daily routine. An aspirational lifestyle you want to be a part of.

TERNS had the science, the technology, and the mission: credible marine research, proprietary bioactives, ocean conservation, and a UV recovery complex with a compelling scientific story that our community could see themselves being a part of.

The opportunity was to make that science feel relevant, premium, and intuitive to people who live outside.

The Work

I partnered with the CMO, founder, Brand Manager, and Art Director to rethink TERNS at the intersection of marine science, skin health, and active lifestyle.

Together, we moved the brand beyond a traditional recovery product and toward a more ownable role as an everyday skincare essential for active people.

I translated complex concepts like marine bioactives and UV-induced inflammaging into clear, compelling messaging, balancing scientific credibility with aspirational lifestyle storytelling.

The creative direction centered on the juxtaposition of athlete-driven imagery and clean, modern bioscience, creating a brand world that felt both credible and culturally relevant.

What I Contributed

Brand & Technical Messaging

Shaped positioning and messaging to connect TERNS' scientific foundation with the mindset and lifestyle of an active outdoor audience.

Website + Digital Experience

Rewrote the website in partnership with the CMO, developing the narrative and messaging across the full digital experience.

Creative Concepting

Partnered with Art Director to concept the re-brand, exploring how athlete, lifestyle, and scientific imagery could work together to express the TERNS point of view.

Collaborative Creative Direction

Worked across strategy, marketing, and creative to ideate and execute assets that translated complex science into clear, compelling stories.

The result: A sharper brand story connecting scientific credibility with outdoor culture, giving TERNS a more distinctive role in the lives of its audience while staying true to its marine science roots.

Video & Photography PRODUCTION

SUN BUM | 'Skin Care Anthem' Video

Partnered with creative team to develop visual and written narrative framework for new Sun Bum's product line.

Collaborated with Content Director, Creative Director, and Content Manager through production to ensure brand voice consistency

Shaped messaging for multi-format use: hero video, paid social cutdowns, Amazon assets

TERNS ACTIVE | Brand Photoshoot & Video

Supported creative direction and shoot strategy for brand repositioning campaign

Collaborated on concept development ensuring visuals aligned with messaging framework

Helped bridge visual storytelling between active recovery positioning and premium skincare aesthetic

SUN BUM: KIDS SUNSCREEN LAUNCH & EVENT ACTIVATION

The main goal of this campaign was to disrupt the kids' sunscreen space, while staying true to brand roots and focusing on product efficacy and education. The challenge my team accepted was to creatively impact our community by going beyond a 'basic' product launch with a full 360 creative campaign that included a national art contest and an experiential event called 'Sonny’s Daydream'.

My Role: Creative development copywriting for cross-channel content launch, Brand Strategy partner.

Deliverables: Product line tagline and storyline, product descriptions, emails, social copy, mag ads. Worked in collaboration with Creative Director, Content Director, Art Director, Content Manager, Brand Manager, and Designers to execute photoshoot and rollout of experiential event.

SUN BUM: Air Dry Cream

For this product launch, our top priority was to introduce our new and existing fan base to a relatively uncommon hair care product in a fun and simple way on Instagram and TikTok. Both messaging and visuals worked together to explain (simply) what an Air Dry Cream was, how it worked, and why it would integrate easily into any hair care routine.

My Role: Copy direction, social messaging, brand strategy support.

Deliverables: Product packaging copy, PDP descriptions, social concept + messaging, emails.

SUN BUM: Purple Shampoo & Conditioner

Kinda like a magic potion for blonde hair + highlights.

We figured if we were going to stray away from our iconic yellow color scheme, there better be a good reason. Purple toning hair care was a market gaining a lot of traction; so we decided to dive in and have some fun with it.

Contribution: Copywriter

Deliverables:

Blogs— Behind the Scenes & Purple Hair Care FAQ, Product packaging copy, PDP descriptions, Social concept + messaging, emails.

When blow drying our hair sounds like a lotta work, we use this stuff. Our Revitalizing Air Dry Cream – made with 🍌banana and 🌻sunflower oil – is a lightweight, anti-frizz styling cream that smooths out pesky flyaways and helps boost our hair’s natural shape and texture while it dries.

For those days we wanna look like we styled our hair, without actually having to style it. Our Air Dry Cream is UV protecting and is made to help smooth flyaways while adding some “oomph” to the natural style and texture of our hair.🙌

Typically, I’d say you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover. But when it comes to product packaging, I’d beg to differ. Our goal for all products was to be informative but also make it easy for everyone to understand what the heck they are looking at. It’s also imperative to make sure we have as much fun whenever possible. Some of these projects required close communication with our Lead Chemist, Product Innovation Manager, and the Legal Advisor.

My Role: Product naming and product description copy for all product launches.

Sun Bum Lifestyle Merch

Skin Care Products

Hair Care Products

TAVARUA ISLAND RESORT | Reef Restoration Giveaway Campaign

The Challenge: Drive awareness and engagement for Tavarua Island Resort's reef restoration initiative while growing social following and brand credibility in the ocean conservation space.

My Role: Messaging Lead & Creative Strategist

Developed the campaign "why" in collaboration with campaign lead—creating brand narrative that connected Tavarua's reef restoration work to authentic ocean stewardship (not just feel-good marketing)

Owned all messaging and social copy—from giveaway mechanics to conservation storytelling, ensuring every caption reinforced the mission while driving participation

Directed creative strategy for photography and visual content—providing creative direction to photographer to capture imagery that felt both aspirational and grounded in real environmental impact

Partnered with campaign lead on influencer and ambassador strategy to amplify reach while maintaining message authenticity

The Result:
13K+ new followers in 2 months
17k new email subscribers
Through a campaign that combined purpose-driven storytelling with strategic influencer partnerships—proving you can drive growth AND make an impact.

Video scripts:
Tavarua Video 1
Tavarua Video 2

Sun Bum: Finders Keepers Activation

“If you find it, ya keep it…seriously.”

To help kick off summer in our community, we decided to go up the coast leaving fake parking tickets (aka Air Fresheners) on people’s windshields and handlebars. Why? Because, we can.

My Role: Creative concept, Copywriting, event activation planning.

Fuck Jerry x Sun Bum: Skin Cancer Awareness

“You do you… Just wear sunscreen🤘”

Sun Bum’s campaign around Skin Cancer awareness was the goal, unconventional sunscreen application techniques was the execution.

Role: Creative concept and social messaging.

SUN BUM LIFESTYLE ITEM: Socks

“Sock on the beach? Yep. Made for bare feet. One size fits most.”

Role: Packaging copy and social creative concept

SUN BUM SKIN CARE: Product Features

Hydrating Serum

“When our face really looks like it could use a glass of water.”

Face Mask

“We fought the spa, but the spa won.”

Eye Cream

“When our eyes packed their bags, but we’re not goin anywhere.”

Night Cream

“When we look like we could use a nap.”

Brightening Sugar Face Scrub + desc

Role: Copy and creative concepting

SUN BUM | “We Make Ads” Campaign

The Brief: Series of paid social assets showcasing cult-favorite SPF products and new launches in a way that felt distinctly Sun Bum—disruptive, self-aware, and definitely not your typical sunscreen ad.

My Role: Creative Concepting & Copywriting

The Approach: Instead of typical product-benefit messaging, I helped our Content Director to develop campaign creative that leaned into Sun Bum's irreverent brand personality. The goal: make people actually want to watch ads about sunscreen.

Creative Strategy:

Developed concepts rooted in cheeky, self-deprecating tone that makes the brand feel human, not corporate

Wrote copy that paid homage to Sun Bum's lifestyle brand positioning while sneaking in (actually important) sun protection messaging

Balanced product education with entertainment—because if people are laughing, they're paying attention

The Result: Campaign creative that showcased products while reinforcing brand voice and proving that sunscreen ads don't have to be boring.

VERSION 2 (More Emphasis on Your Process):

SUN BUM | Disruptive Product Campaign

Challenge: Launch new SPF products and reinforce cult favorites without sounding like every other sunscreen brand.

Creative Direction: Supported concepting and led copywriting for campaign that rejected typical sun care advertising in favor of Sun Bum's signature irreverent voice.

What I Did:

Conceptualized campaign approach rooted in self-deprecating humor and slightly awkward brand personality (because sunscreen doesn't have to take itself so seriously)

Wrote all campaign copy that balanced product benefits with cheeky humor—making sun protection messaging feel like an inside joke, not a lecture

Developed creative concepts that paid homage to Sun Bum's lifestyle brand positioning while keeping the focus on having fun (because if we weren't having fun making the ads, why would anyone want to watch them?)

The Vibe: Disruptive, self-aware, and proof that you can sell SPF without being preachy about it.

SUN BUM | Landing Pages & Digital Experiences

My Role: Copywriter & Creative Strategist

The Challenge: Create landing page experiences that educated, entertained, and converted—without losing Sun Bum's signature irreverent voice across wildly different content types.

What I Created:

From educational hub pages to contest series to brand storytelling, I wrote and helped develop landing pages that balanced Sun Bum's playful personality with clear messaging and conversion goals.

Product & Education:

Sun Care Education — Translated SPF science into actually-readable content (because people should understand sun protection without needing a chemistry degree)

Sun Bum Hair Care — Launched new product line with copy that made hair care feel as fun and approachable as the rest of the brand

FAQ— Turned frequently asked questions into an on-brand experience (proof that even boring content doesn't have to be boring)

Brand Storytelling & Content Series:

Finders Keepers, TERNS Mayday, TERNS Science — Created landing pages for content series and brand narrative around ocean conservation messaging

Travel Series — Developed destination-focused content that reinforced Sun Bum's lifestyle positioning

Sonny’s Porch Music Series — Wrote copy for music content series that connected brand to culture and community

Engagement & Community:

Ambush-Style Contest Series — Developed landing pages for interactive contests that drove engagement and email capture

Brand Ambassadors — Created hub for ambassador program, balancing community celebration with program education

The Approach: Every landing page needed to serve a business goal (education, conversion, engagement, email capture) while sounding unmistakably Sun Bum. I wrote copy that balanced information with personality—ensuring each page felt like part of the brand ecosystem, not a random standalone experience.

The Result: A portfolio of landing pages that proved you can educate, sell, and engage without sacrificing brand voice or making people feel like they're reading corporate copy.

SUN BUM | Subscription Program Messaging

Role: Copywriter & Messaging Strategist
Link: sunbum.com/pages/subscriptions

The Business Case:
Subscriptions = predictable revenue, increased customer lifetime value, and reduced cart abandonment. For a CPG brand like Sun Bum, a subscription program could drive significant recurring revenue while reducing customer acquisition costs.

The Creative Challenge:
Make subscribing to sunscreen feel easy, casual, and commitment-free—not like another corporate subscription trying to lock you in.

My Role: Copywriter & Messaging Strategist

The Strategy:
Subscription programs often feel like traps. I wrote copy that flipped the narrative—positioning it as a convenience for you, not a revenue strategy for us. Every line reinforced flexibility, ease, and the feeling that Sun Bum was doing you a favor, not locking you into recurring charges.

Why This Matters:
Subscription programs drive 15-30% higher customer lifetime value for CPG brands. But they only work if customers actually subscribe—and stay subscribed. Copy that removes friction, addresses objections, and maintains brand voice is critical to conversion and retention.

The Result:
Landing page messaging that made subscribing feel like the obvious choice for anyone who doesn't want to deal with running out of SPF mid-summer.

That one time I got to be the voice of a little pink lip balm, just for fun.

Coco Balm Series 1: “The New Guy”

Coco Balm Series 1: “The Beach”

Besides amping people up before a party and bragging about how great they were afterwards, I've been fortunate enough to help create event concepts and storylines, manage vendors, come up with custom gifts, collaborate with creative agencies, and of course setup (and clean-up) shop.

It's a lot of work, but a lot of fun.

My Role: Event management, vendor management, creative concept and naming.

-Skin Cancer Awareness fundraisers (The Banana Party & Gromorama)

-Surf Film Premiers & Contests

-Product Launches

-Experiential Events

-International Sales Meetings

-Community Stoke-outs

-Art Festivals

-Music Festivals

-Brand Collabs

SO….MANY…EMAILS.

Goals? Open rates^ UP , Click rates^ UP, make at least one person laugh at least one email (thanks dad), entice everyone who reads them to check out some things we think are cool. Check check check.

54% email open rates (2x industry average)
4-5% CTR
25% landing page conversion rate

Achieved through strategic subject line testing, messaging optimization, and audience segmentation

Partnering with other like-minded brands to create like-minded products is a win-win.

Goal: To create fun, educational, and on-brand messaging (on packaging and all digital platforms) that aligns with each of the brands unique identity's.

My Role: Lead Copywriter

ALOHA Collection

Slowtide Towels

Daniella Perkins

Kitsch

Goal: to stand out on paper while staying true to both the publication and our brand. The color yellow helped us pop, but so did a few words.

Whalebone Magazine

National Geographic (Kids)

Monster Children

Free Surf Magazine

My Role: Copywriter

Longer-format content pieces (aka blogs) are a great way to bolster trust and credibility for curious consumers. You’re free to do more of a deep dive on your products and/or services while also archiving the info on your site, for anyone wanting to learn more about your brand.

Interviews/Q&A’s with brand ambassadors, in-depth product features and benefits, event recaps. Here are a few examples of blogs I've written for Sun Bum and Vuori.

My Role: SEO management, Copywriter, Brand strategy partner.

SUN BUM

Say Hello to Andy Davis

Ray Barbee on Sonny’s Porch

Exfoliating is a Skin Care Game Changer

Traveling with Babies (and Keeping Your Sanity)

Don’t Let Your Hair Dry Alone (Slowtide collab)

10 Years of Bum Rush Tour

Mineral vs Non-Mineral SPF

We Made Ads

Girls Rule (with World Champion Carissa Moore)

Dare Santa

VUORI

Honored to Amplify: TherapART

Bringing Clean Water to Malawi: Charity Water

The Rise The Shine: With Photographer Tommy Corey

Travel Journal: Photographer Morgan Maassen

Wellness with Khalil Rafati

Billboards, Event Posters, Game Wraps, Flyers... the signs are everywhere.

My Role: Copywriter

ATHLETES, ARTISTS & ACTIVISTS

Our goal behind Sun Bum Ambassadors was to create a solid community of individuals who represent the values of our brand. The people who show us (day in and day out) what it looks like to be a good human, who go after what they love. Through one on one interviews and personal conversations, we had the honor of sharing their unique stories with our global community.

My Role: Copywriter and interviewer.

A Few Sun Bum Ambassador Features:

Bum Rush Tour w/ Pro Surfer Jack Robinson

This is Caity Simmers

Say Hi to Artist Andy Davis

Ray Barbee on Sonny’s Porch

Meet GiGi Lucas

Girls Rule w/ Pro Surfer Carissa Moore

This is Kobe Hughes


Supporting Vuori Strategist / QA
Photographer Tommy Corey
CEO Khalil Rafati
TherapArt