Creatively Winging it With Nick Adams

Nick Adams: I got my very first brief. I made a deal with the project managers. If I dressed up like Justin Timberlake and sang a song to him for birthday party, then I could get a writing job. 

Chris Hill: Welcome to We Built This Brand, the podcast where we talk to the creators and collaborators behind brands and provide you with practical insights that you can use in growing your own business. Today, I'm talking to Nick Adams, a copywriter at GSD&M, and his claim to fame is a hilarious viral song he wrote for Pizza Hut, which was sung by the one and only Craig Robinson. It rose to fame when a girl on TikTok posted about the on hold music she couldn't stop listening to. 

TikTok video from @noraeinhellll: When you put me on hold, I heard genuinely one of the best songs I've ever heard ever.

It was like some guy singing about wings. Would it be really weird if I asked you guys to put me on hold? 

Craig Robinson: Chicken wings. Chicken wings. They're the best thing that's not pizza. That's right. Pizza Hut has chicken wings. Chicken wings. Stay on hold or order online now at pizzahut.com. 

Chris Hill: And as a producer of some pretty silly parody music myself, I was really excited for this conversation. So, without further ado, here's my interview with Nick Adams. 

Alright, so today I'm joined by Nick Adams. Nick, welcome to the podcast. 

Nick Adams: How's it going? 

Chris Hill: Going good, man. Going good. How are you? 

Nick Adams: Doing well. Thanks for having me. 

Chris Hill: Yeah, absolutely. Happy to have you here, and today we've got a bit of a different show. Most of the time we do We Built This Brand, we're talking to, or at least recently, it feels like we've been talking to, like, Chief Marketing Officers and people that are higher up the food chain, doing a lot of the creative production, the actual building of the businesses.

And This is We Built This Brand. It is a collective we, and the reason we created that is because I do want to interview people that are working on the ins-and-outs of creative branding, marketing, and content for brands. And so, you know, this is a chance to do one of those deep dives, and today we've got Nick Adams, who's a copywriter with us, and we're going to be diving into something that makes him really unique.

A song that went viral about chicken wings. I can't wait to get into it, and yeah. And we'll talk more as we go about that. 

So Nick, where I like to start these podcasts off is really just talking about where you got your start and kind of what led you to the formation of "Chicken Wings." So let's start back at the beginning.

Obviously, you did a parody song. So what, do you have a musical background? Like where did that start for you? 

Nick Adams: Yeah, I mean, I taught myself piano when I was like 20 years old in college, and I just always kind of played around on there. Yeah, I love to sing, and I used to play in bands and stuff like that.

So it's always just kind of been a part of what I do. 

Chris Hill: Nice. So, did you, when you were in college, what was your major? Were you a writing major, an English major? 

Nick Adams: I studied advertising in college. Yeah, back at University of North Texas in 2013. 

Chris Hill: It looked like I read an article that was sent to me recently about you, and it mentioned that you started in a mail room.

So tell me, tell me more about that experience. 

Nick Adams: Yeah. So I, after I got out of college, I went to a lot of places, and I would cold call these creative directors and have them look at my book. They all wanted me to go to portfolio school, and I just did not want to do that. So, eventually I met a dude and he got me a job in the mail room at GSD&M.

And I worked there for three years and kind of worked my way up and became a writer. 

Chris Hill: That's awesome. So you became a writer at GSD&M and that sounded like a very challenging process of like, you know, having to stick it out in the mailroom and stuff. The visual that comes to mind, I don't know if you've ever seen, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but that whole mailroom sequence from that, the famous Pepe Silva is what comes to mind.

So was it anything like that? 

Nick Adams: Yeah, I think it's exactly like that. Yeah. 

Chris Hill: Nice. And then you got your opportunity. So a lot of persistence, a lot of focus on getting to where you wanted to go basically.

Nick Adams: Right. I got my very first brief. I made a deal with his project managers. If I dressed up like Justin Timberlake and sang a song to him for birthday party, then I could get a writing job. So I did that. I didn't sell it, but it was an opportunity to get in front of clients, and I think it helped me for sure. 

Chris Hill: Yeah. I mean, dressing up as, I mean, that, that takes a lot of gumption to not only like be in the mailroom, but then say, "Okay, I'm going to dress up. I'm going to do something a little silly here and put myself out there." 

Nick Adams: Yeah, I felt like a jackass walking in with a keyboard on my shoulder, but it paid off, I guess. 

Chris Hill: Yeah, sometimes you got to do that. You got to be willing to be a little silly to get some interest or, you know, get your foot in the door.

So that's, I think that says a lot about you that you were willing to do that too. I guess you have a, I mean, doing that, you probably have somewhat of a performance background. You said you were playing in bands and stuff like that. Are you, was that something that kind of factored into that? Like, "Oh yeah, I could do that."

Nick Adams: I think so. I, after college, I went to Chicago and did a lot of improv at like Second City and all those places up there. So yeah, I have a performance background. Uh, I don't think that performance is my strong suit. I love to be like a writer hiding in the booth up top, but I can perform sometimes. 

Chris Hill: So you start, you start this career, you start this job, you're out of the mailroom.

How did you get to the point where you were writing on hold music, I think is what it was. 

Nick Adams: I don't think it's a hard leap to get to on hold music from the mail room. I think that's the job that nobody wants to do. So it's just like, let's give it to this kid. And so, yeah, they're just, they're giving me radio spots.

And my boss at the time would always tell me from the first job, he's like, "I want to win a radio Mercury award." And so we would always just try to write things to that standard, and I don't think we ever did it, but eventually that piece got to be in there. 

Chris Hill: And so this, this is where Pizza Hut comes in, right?

So tell me about that process. What got you to the point where you were like, "I'm just going to, I'm just going to belt it and do this crazy song."

Nick Adams: Our spokesperson was Craig Robinson at the time, and we had him for like three hours and we were going to record eight spots with him. And I knew, I was a huge Craig Robinson fan, so I knew that he could sing and play piano.

And I thought, let me just write a song for him, I would love to do this. And so I did, and I recorded a demo for him, and we gave him the demo, and he played it pretty much exactly like it. I sang it better, but he made a better piano part for it. Yeah, he loved the song, he did it, and that's it. 

Chris Hill: So people got into it. They got into the, and then, then it was discovered, right? I'm sure it wasn't, um, was it an immediate success or was it just like, "Ah, cool. He, he did it. He recorded it."

Nick Adams: Yeah, he did it, and he recorded it. It was since 2021. So it was just like a fun thing for me, like being a Craig fan. I was like, I love this.

It was on my website, but we didn't think anything of it, and then 2024, I was on paternity leave, and my aunt sends me a news article that she got from Denver and saying about Pizza Hut, hold music going viral. And she's like, "Did you do this?" And I read it, and I was like, hell yeah, I did that. 

Chris Hill: That's a really cool moment.

I'm sure a lot of validation in that it's like, "Oh yeah. Okay." Now, not that you weren't doing anything important before, but like, "Okay, now I've got something that's really stuck with the culture." I'm assuming this was your first real big breakthrough. Would that be fair to say? 

Nick Adams: Yeah, I would say so for sure.

Yeah, well, we've done fun things in the past, but nothing that made a splash like this, for sure. 

Chris Hill: So when it comes to creating songs like this, so was it just in an hour that you created it? Like, walk me through the creative process for these types of projects. Like, what's your approach to creating music like this?

Nick Adams: Creating a song about chicken wings? I think I was working from home at the time, and I think just one night, I sat down on my piano, there was probably some drugs involved, but I just started singing about chicken wings. 

Chris Hill: Totally legal drugs, of course. 

Nick Adams: Right. Legal ones in Texas for sure. 

Chris Hill: Yeah, exactly. So then you just, you got it and then send it off to Craig.

I've been, I've been a fan of Craig Robinson's as well since I was like, golly, I guess since, since The Office is when I really first noticed him. I was like, this guy's cool. [laughs] Brought in a unique vibe to the show, but that's neat that you got to work with him, and I remember that those campaigns with Pizza Hut, because he, yeah, it was just different. It was unique.

So were you on the bigger project as well, helping out with that? Or was it just really the on hold music that you were a part of. 

Nick Adams: No, I did a couple of TV spots. My first job out of the mailroom was, uh, I won the stuff crust TV spot. So it was like, I got out of the mailroom. I made a stuff crust TV commercial.

That was like a dream come true. And then it was COVID still, so we were doing remote shoots, but I got to just like write all jokes for Craig. And I thought that was like the peak of my career, just like writing things for him to say, and I love that. 

Chris Hill: So the song became successful. What happened after that?

Cause you won some big awards for this. 

Nick Adams: Yeah, we got a, uh, a Radio Mercury award. Um, the first ever from GSD&M, which is pretty cool. And then it got a Cannes shortlist, which they say is very cool. 

Chris Hill: Did you get to go to Cannes for that? 

Nick Adams: No, of course I did not go to Cannes, but everyone else did and they had a great time.

Chris Hill: Cool. So you won Cannes. Was there another one in there or was that? 

Nick Adams: Uh, just the Radio, Radio Mercury was the other one. 

Chris Hill: That's, that's really cool. So, what has been the end result of this campaign? Like what have you seen as like, obviously there's a virality to it. Has there been any other, outside of the awards, has there been anything else that you've seen as a result of this? Like how has it impacted your career? 

Nick Adams: I mean, I got to go to New York and go to an award show. That was pretty cool. The agency says my name a lot more now, and that's a different, I think. Yeah, nothing's really changed too much yet. I'm still working on the same things, but hopefully it will soon.

Chris Hill: So I guess from a work perspective, like where, what are you working, like what kinds of things are you working on now? I don't want to pry too deep because I know some of that's probably confidential, but. like what are the kinds of things you're working on? 

Nick Adams: I've been doing a campaign for a grocery store right now, which is pretty fun.

We've done some new business pitches, and I have another song that kind of helped us win a new business pitch. So there's more music, a little heartfelt moments in the grocery things. Lots of, lots of fun stuff. 

Chris Hill: Is it safe to say that like songwriting then is your specialty? Is that kind of become your thing since you got started in this or?

Nick Adams: Uh, no, and I don't want songwriting to, I don't want to be the songwriter. I want to be, I would say like I'm a "comedy first" writer. I just want to do funny stuff, and if I have to write a song to be funny, then I'll do that. But I really just, I want to get the call when we need something funny. Like, "and then Nick comes in."

Chris Hill: You said you worked at Second City or not worked at, but I guess you were involved with Second City at some point. 

Nick Adams: Yeah. I like to say, "I studied there." 

Chris Hill: Studied there. There we go. What is that? Like, I think that's like, you can pay for classes and do things like that. And some people go on to SNL and I know we actually have a client whose wife studied at Second City for a while.

So, that's been a pretty neat experience to have feedback/input on that stuff. So, comedy is more your thing. What kind of comedy would you say really inspires you when you're thinking about comedic content for campaigns? 

Nick Adams: When I work for campaigns, I always picture brands as a character. So like, when you write for Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut is a character. It's this person that loves pizza.

When I first got kicked off on the brand, it was a 13-year-old stuck in a 30-year-old's body, and so I always just look at everything through that lens, and just things that I think would be funny coming out of a brand's mouth, I guess. 

Chris Hill: And is it when you're in these processes, is it a lot of like back and forth with the client? Do they come to you and just say, "Here you go. Create it and good luck," or what is that process like?

Nick Adams: I mean, there's a lot of back and forth with the client, but as far as radio goes, they were pretty hands off with that. It was kind of like a Wild West. They just one person is checking off on things, but they're really not paying too much attention. It seems like 

Chris Hill: That can be fun when you get to have that creative vacuum where you're just like, "I've got to experiment and do what I want," and if they think it's crazy, then good luck. [laughs] it's what they pay me for.

Nick Adams: [laughs] Exactly. 

Chris Hill: We had a project a while back where we did a "Real Man of Genius" parody, and that was one of those where it was kind of like, "Just do it. I don't care what you do. Just bring us something." And that one worked out really well, but that's been, that's really neat.

So like, so what, what are some other things you're passionate about in branding? You said you don't want to do music as like the thing you're known for, so. And comedy is the thing you want to do, so is there something specific within copywriting where you're like, "Man, if I could go this direction.

This is my dream within copywriting." 

Nick Adams: No. I think just having a brave client is down for whatever, and if you come up with a crazy idea that they'll do, then that's, that's what I want to do. 

Chris Hill: What is top of mind for you? Like where things are headed? Like do you see AI being more a part of your creative process, or is there something else in tech or something else in just in terms of trends that you're seeing, like TikTok versus Instagram or any, anything like that.

That's what's top of mind in those regards. 

Nick Adams: Well, I'm not too worried about AI right now because I think on that new business pitch that I was talking about where we wrote the song, we had some people run the song through AI first, and it spit out a version, and it was horrible, and I had to come in. It took me longer, but I wrote a better song than that computer did.

So, I'm really not worried about AI taking my job yet because I don't think they have nuances of things that we do. So I'm not worried about that.

I think TikTok is a really cool thing because I mean, that's where the chicken wing song got popular was on TikTok. So the fact that this girl recorded it and put it on there and people liked it there, it gave new life to this whole message that was really cool.

Chris Hill: So do you create, do you have any creative stuff you do outside of say your day job? Is there anything that you're- you mentioned being in bands and stuff like that. Are you doing improv? Are you doing music? Like anything like that that you're pursuing? 

Nick Adams: I play a lot of music at home. I always say that I like to make my work fun enough that I don't have to work outside of work.

So do something I like and fulfills me and then go home and I don't have to do that. I have a six month old daughter right now, so I feel like that's my hobby outside of work is trying to raise that girl. 

Chris Hill: Congratulations as a father of two, [laughs] as the father of two, I feel you. You're in the calm before the storm.

I will just say that. 

Nick Adams: She's very wiggly right now, and she's starting to move out of our laps and stuff. So it's getting hard already. 

Chris Hill: Yeah. It's a lot of fun. It's a lot of fun being a parent. And that's really a great place to be to, to be able to do what you enjoy. Stick with that and then being able to come home and focus on family.

I mean, that's really key. So. 

Nick Adams: Yeah. One day I would love to be a TV writer, but until then, if I can just make fun stuff here and I'll do that. 

Chris Hill: Yeah. I've definitely seen that trajectory before people go from being copywriters to gotten an idea for a TV show and you pitch it, and next thing you know, it takes off.

So, um, well, last question we always ask on the show is, you know, what brand do you admire the most right now? So, We'd just love to know from you, Nick, like, is there a brand that you're like, "Man, this is... when I think about branding and marketing, this is the one I really look to right now." 

Nick Adams: I think Tubi's really cool.

I still think about their Super Bowl thing a couple years ago. Like, that made me laugh out loud. And it scared the shit out of me too, because I was in bed, and by myself, and the channel changed. I thought somebody was in the house. I've always loved Little Caesars branding. I think that they're so funny, and they don't have to talk about Pizza.

They don't have to make jokes about pizza or RTBs. It's just like really funny stuff and always memorable. Yeah. Just things like that. I love Skittles too. Skittles never gets old. 

Chris Hill: Yeah. Skittles always does the weirdest, most esoteric commercials. I feel like. 

Nick Adams: Dave's Hot Chicken. Have you seen Dave's Hot Chicken stuff?

Chris Hill: I don't think I have. No. 

Nick Adams: That's one of my favorite things right now. 

Chris Hill: I'm going to have to check it out. Is that like a chain restaurant or? 

Nick Adams: Yeah. Chain restaurant, but their whole thing is don't die before you try it, and it's just very dark and I love it. 

Chris Hill: Yeah. We've, we've had a lot of responses from folks that say Liquid Death is their favorite, so it sounds like it's along those lines.

Nick Adams: Yeah. I think it's from the same people that do a lot of Liquid Death stuff as well. Um, Party Land? 

Chris Hill: I always enjoy the more absurd, weird commercials, so I'll have to check that out. Dave's Hot Chicken, it's not local to me, so I'm curious. I'm curious about it now, so. Awesome. 

Alright, well Nick, thank you. Thank you for your time.

If people want to get connected with you, where can they, where can they reach out? Where can they find you? 

Nick Adams: Find me at bignickcreative.com. 

Chris Hill: Okay. Awesome. We'll let people know to go to bignickcreative.com and go from there. So, awesome. Well, Nick, thank you for being on the show today.

Nick Adams: Yeah. Thank you so much, Chris.