Everyone in business is accustomed to working within tight deadlines. For most projects we must all wish at some time or another we had just that little bit more time to go that extra mile for a brief.
In commercial Advertising photography most briefs are usually required “as soon as” it just goes with the territory. However, there are occasions when the timescale does seem almost impossible.
Last month we were contacted by a local garment manufacturer. They had decided at the last minute to book a stand at the prestigious Salon de la Lingerie in Paris, to launch a new label of lingerie and nightwear.
At the initial meeting, when the client told us that they were standing the Paris lingerie show in February our initial thought was that they meant next year not this year! Not least because their collection of samples had yet to be completed. In terms of imagery it was decided because of the tear sheets and brochure examples etc., they brought with them, that that they ideally wanted the clothes portraying in an environment of sophistication and luxury.
As a company we know the ‘Salon’show intimately, the big name manufacturers that exhibit there, their budgets and the calibre of presentation. We knew what they were up against. It was essential to get the imagery publicity as striking as possible within their budget. With only three weeks between the initial meeting and printed material being delivered before show date it really was a race against the clock.
There was virtually no brief to work from other than please help us! We’ll leave it to you. We decided that the garments needed to be shot on location for impact and to capture the mood of the clothing. In the space of a week we scheduled model castings and fittings and arranged a suitable location. The rest of the samples were due to be finished the following week so literally as soon as they were completed the shoot was scheduled for the following day.
The location was perfect. A Country House Hotel which had been recently refurbished, was chosen for the location. They were so accommodating and gave us access to virtually the whole house for the day. The way the bedrooms in particular were laid out and decorated afforded the opportunity to style the model Sara in a variety of different ways to emphasise the character and individuality of the clothes. The range of clothes was very diverse from satin pyjamas to playful bra and french knickers, in all twelve sets were photographed. In the meantime we designed the brand’s new logo, and produced corporate identity material to accompany the various posters and style cards destined for the stand.
In the best tradition of these stories, everything was delivered on time, on budget, and made it successfully to Paris where by all accounts it was continuously commented on and greatly received.
There was virtually no brief to work from other than please help us! We’ll leave it to you. We decided that the garments needed to be shot on location for impact and to capture the mood of the clothing. In the space of a week we scheduled model castings and fittings and arranged a suitable location. The rest of the samples were due to be finished the following week so literally as soon as they were completed the shoot was scheduled for the following day.
The location was perfect. A Country House Hotel which had been recently refurbished, was chosen for the location. They were so accommodating and gave us access to virtually the whole house for the day. The way the bedrooms in particular were laid out and decorated afforded the opportunity to style the model Sara in a variety of different ways to emphasise the character and individuality of the clothes. The range of clothes was very diverse from satin pyjamas to playful bra and french knickers, in all twelve sets were photographed. In the meantime we designed the brand’s new logo, and produced corporate identity material to accompany the various posters and style cards destined for the stand.
In the best tradition of these stories, everything was delivered on time, on budget, and made it successfully to Paris where by all accounts it was continuously commented on and greatly received.
