As talent was a huge focus of this campaign, we set out to wow the client with a list of press-worthy names who would be able to carry an iconic Christmas campaign in their individual shots and in an ensemble. Our first phase of casting brought members of the team together with an affinity for the brand to brainstorm bold talent with fashion credentials that had not worked with the brand previously. By starting at this point we were able to produce a longlist of somewhat aspirational talent for the brand and then condense the list to comply with the brief. It was important for us to show the brand that we understood their desire to produce something different to their norm but still in alignment with their core & target audiences. With this in mind, we researched talent on the list who had links to the brand via previous work or mention. The team’s industry knowledge also assisted greatly as we were able to share with the client who had projects coming up, hence boosting their public presence and the brand’s visibility in areas of the press. We were also able to veto some of the client’s early suggestions due to our knowledge of existing and future conflicts. These relationships and knowledge we hold in the industry shone through during the contractual development, negotiation, and project management phases which really impressed the client.
The campaign was certainly a hot topic of conversation from the day it launched. A massive thing to shout about would be procuring the Emmy award-winning actress Hannah Waddingham to feature in the campaign. Not only was she one of the client’s top choices, but she was having an excellent moment with the international popularity of Ted Lasso and her AppleTV+ Christmas special.
