Charlie Boiler on Advertising, Surfrider Campaign, and Gen Z Creativity

Charlie Boiler, a copywriter at 72andSunny and daughter of founder John Boiler, discusses her career and the agency's recent Surfrider campaign. The campaign used provocative URLs like "I-heart-microplastics.org" and wildpostings with messages such as "Honk if you Hate Sea Turtles" to combat apathy toward ocean conservation. Phase one featured ads celebrating environmental destruction, which were later "vandalized" with Surfrider stickers in phase two. The effort generated over 50 million impressions across the U.S. Boiler, a University of Oregon graduate with minors in environmental studies and science communication, emphasizes the power of advertising to drive action. She critiques the "Okay Boomer Brief" trend where Gen Z creatives are expected to be trend encyclopedias, and advises young creatives to embrace versatility and AI tools. The interview, published by Communication Arts, highlights Boiler's role in shaping impactful pro bono storytelling.