Amelie President and Co-Founder, Robin Ashmore, built the agency from the ground up, but most importantly built it with purpose. When she’s not juggling strategy and new business efforts at Amelie, she’s playing tennis, swimming, and tending to her ever-growing garden of exotic plants.
Amélie: Tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do at Amelie? What do you love about your job?
Robin Ashmore: I’ve been at Amélie Company since Day 1, telling Benoit that we are NOT going to be married and work together (wink). 18 years later, I have done almost every job at the agency besides design. In the early years, I ran account services, public relations, market research and brand strategy by day, then operations, legal and HR by night. Now, I devote most of my time to new business and agency growth.
The COVID-19 era has given me new appreciation for my work and I feel incredibly lucky to be in the foxhole with a team of dedicated and driven pros who become deeply ingrained in our clients’ work. I love the sense of unity, shared purpose and diligence that comes with this territory. My finest moments come when I can help foster a solution that will have direct, real-world results such as distributing Narcan, wearing seatbelts or getting vaccinated.
Check out these and more work results
How would you describe Amelie to someone at a cocktail party (pre-COVID-19, of course)?
We are an ad agency and PR firm specializing in brands, causes and initiatives that serve the Greater Good by making a positive impact in communities. We “Ad Like We Give a Damn” in public health, transportation, education, safety and behavioral health. Most often, our campaigns promote a specific behavior rather than selling a product, but we do that, too.
What do you give a damn about? What does “built on purpose” mean to you?
I care deeply about economic inequality in this country. I wish that a zip code alone didn’t determine so much of one’s future, that the middle class were stronger and thriving, that education and healthcare were accessible to all, and that there truly were opportunities for everyone — I think that makes me more humanist than socialist.
On an entirely different register, being purpose-driven has provided focus. We can look at a company’s mission statement and know immediately if they’d be a good fit for us. The challenge is that now so many brands are hiding their profit motives behind a carefully crafted statement about their good intentions and deeds. The truth is that you can genuinely serve a purpose and make a buck at the same time. We believe that the two engines are complementary and often synergistic.
What do you think is an exciting current creative trend in the advertising world?
Pink! It takes me back to my childhood and my bedroom walls.
Conversely, what do you think we should all stop doing?
Pink! We’ve had it up to here with pink by now. A little goes a long way.
What do you think makes a great leader?
A great leader gives you the energy and desire to do your best.
If you had a choice between two superpowers, being invisible or flying, which would you choose? Why?
I’ve only ever dreamed of flying either in the air or underwater with a dolphin. As an extrovert, being invisible has no appeal whatsoever.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
With any luck at all, I will be a grandma! But I don’t see myself in a rocking chair, rather I’ll probably still be at the agency, on a tennis court, in the swimming pool and on the hiking/biking trail.
What’s your favorite movie and accompanying movie snack?
For someone in advertising, I am woefully behind on popular culture. I plan to see all of the best of the best of all time, all the time, once I retire.
What’s a characteristic that you most admire in people?
I admire intelligence and humility. Mark Twain said it best, “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.”
What’s the best piece of advice, personal or professional, you’ve received?
“You can either be right or you can be in a relationship.”
