Mark Hackman
Chicago Mayor’s Office
Auntie Lightfoot
The Job.
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We're a couple weeks into COVID-19 and I’m reassigned to lead a communications task force about public safety dos and don'ts, resource hubs and small business policies.
Our plague messaging about how summer is canceled needs to be fun.
Also, the Mayor wants to be included in a likeable way.
Also, there’s no budget.
The Considerations.
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The messenger is prolly gonna get killed on this one so we need to test how fine a line we can walk between “if we don’t laugh together, we’ll cry together” versus undermining a terrible situation.
The Idea.
The birth of the "Auntie Lightfoot" meme.
I originally called it "Mama Lightfoot" but MO went for "Auntie" which was prolly better. No video. No captions. I just spent a handful of afternoons stalking Twitter and Insta to find anyone within 20 miles talking about breaking protocol, then I commented a GIF of a death stare Mayor Lori Lightfoot gave the previous year at a press event. I commented from the City of Chicago's official accounts. Once the laughs and screenshots took off, I kept doing it from the Mayor's accounts.
Took off like fire. Folks would cut 'n paste the pic onto famous paintings, cardboard cutouts and Halloween costumes would spring up. Even People Magazine picked it up.
Got me to fall in love not only with Tenor/GIPHY accounts, but also the power of quiet engagement — let the streets decide if it's worth blowing up!
