Matt Crump: Candies Crushed
By Justin Epstein & Louis Geist on Nov 16, 2018
One Show 2019 Social Influencer Judge shares his candy-coated dreams
The jury for The One Show 2019 was announced earlier this week, including the Social Influencer Marketing jury, which is always a very eclectic bunch. After all, there's no one single way to grab attention, gain a following and hold branding sway on the social media.
Take Matt Crump, a leading lifestyle influencer known internationally for setting color trends. He turned his cotton candy colored photographs into a movement, working with everybody from Pinterest to Whole Foods, from Target to Coca-Cola and from National Geographic to Coachella. His hustle has earned him a spot on TIME Magazine's Top 50 Instagrammers in America.
Ahead of the One Show second entry deadline (hurry, it's November 1!) we chatted with Matt about his unique career.
How did you get your start in advertising and end up at GSD&M?
I graduated from the Texas Creative program at the University of Texas at Austin in 2007 and began making the rounds at the local ad shops until I eventually landed at GSD&M. I worked there for a few years before becoming a full-time content creator.
What exactly is Candy Minimalism?
#candyminimal is a community I started years ago based on my style of photography — minimalist compositions with lots of vibrant colors. The style resonated with many people on Instagram, so I encouraged people to create their own #candyminimal photos. Today, people all over the world have tagged over half a million photos with #candyminimal!
Your online aesthetic replicates your real -ife one — we love your house photos! What inspires you the most when creating your work, decorating your house and building your overall brand?
Rainbows! I’m always looking for color when I’m traveling, designing, or decorating. Places using bright colors have a certain magic to them, which I try to capture in my photos.
The GIFs you created to use on Instagram — especially the Mario Cart mushrooms — started trending pretty quickly. Did these lead to any brand collaborations?
Yes! My GIF stickers got a billion views the first week they launched. A few brands noticed, and I’m currently collaborating with GIPHY on designing a set of custom GIF stickers for them.
On that note, how exactly do brand collaborations usually happen? Are you selective?
My manager Ali (at Digital Brand Architects) is great at securing collabs. She is the one who is selective — otherwise I’d end up saying yes to everything because, like most creatives, I have problems saying no!
What are your favorite programs/apps to edit your photos?
I mainly use Adobe Creative Suite (Lightroom, Photoshop, Illustrator). For mobile editing, I like A Color Story, an app with lots of different filter packs, including a #candyminimal set I designed.
We are looking forward to having you judge the Social Influencer Marketing category for The One Show 2018. As someone who has won awards and worked in the ad business, what impact do awards really have on ones career?
Awards validate a creative’s hard work, especially one as prestigious as One Show. It prevents burnout, giving a mental boost to push through those 60-hour weeks. It also telegraphs to employers that the creative knows what they’re doing, giving the winner clout and leverage.
The One Show 2019 is now accepting entries across a multitude of creative disciplines, including Social Influence. The Deadline for submissions is January 31, 2019.
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