The AI secretary that manages your calendar with the finesse of a world-class EA.
Context: When we met the founders of Howie, the company was still deep in private beta with a roster of early users pulled from the upper tiers of the tech world. Our task was to build a brand that stepped outside the familiar visual clichés of AI. No gradients. No sci-fi gloom. Instead, we carved out a position that presented Howie as the clear remedy to the world’s scheduling problems from the moment it emerged publicly.
Strategy: Our approach drew on the frustrations that shape modern scheduling. Interfaces that fight back. Hours lost to coordination. Fatigue from endless Calendly links and invite chains. The world needed a way out...enter Howie. The idea was simple and confident: Howie is how. We paired this clarity with a light, human humor that feels rare in tech and gave the brand its sense of earned optimism.
Brand Platform: With the category crowding around generic AI assistants, we chose to lean into a cultural tension with sharper edge. The word “secretary” had resurfaced in a TBPN discussion during Howie’s beta period, and it carried a mix of nostalgia, personality, and authority that the category lacked. By reframing the secretary as a resource available to everyone, we unlocked a platform that captured the heart of the product and the voice of the brand: The People’s Secretary.
We worked with director Parker Seaman for an off-the-wall shoot with Maddy Whitby, an actress who gave voice to the Howie brand platform as 'The People's Secretary.' Designed to cut through on X timelines and build buzz with the tech community and beyond, the launch video leaned in on just how maddening our inboxes have become.
We worked with director Parker Seaman for an off-the-wall shoot with Maddy Whitby, an actress who gave voice to the Howie brand platform as 'The People's Secretary.' Designed to cut through on X timelines and build buzz with the tech community and beyond, the launch video leaned in on just how maddening our inboxes have become.
