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Go behind the scenes of our Christmas photoshoot as the creative team shares the inspiration behind this year’s campaign…
Brief: Christmas 2019 campaign
Main concept: The Roaring Twenties
Shoot date: 15th August 2019
Shoot location: The De Grey Rooms, York, England
To build a strong campaign, it’s crucial that you have a strong vision and clear references from the very start. Our creative team begins the process by collating inspiration from all types of mediums, from films to magazines to editorials. For this year’s campaign, the conceptual process began in March. As we are on the cusp of entering a brand new decade, our International Marketing Manager Julia saw the link between 2020 and the Roaring Twenties as an opportunity to celebrate the period. A decade full of glamour and excitement, the Twenties style had the pizzaz necessary for a Christmas campaign as well as being well aligned with Maxwell-Scott’s classic and elegant aesthetic.
The creative team drew inspiration from a variety of cultural aspects, from Marlene Dietrich, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and dance references from the iconic Jazz Age. A time just after the Great War, people were determined to live life to the fullest, party and forget about the brutality they had experienced. With such a strong historical influence, it was important that the team utilised these in a fresh and modern manner so as not to create a campaign that felt outdated or old-fashioned. From researching and immersing themselves within the Twenties, it became apparent that it was a time of high energy akin to the party scene from The Great Gatsby film. This energy needed to be reflected in the imagery with movement.
Taking inspiration from the flapper girls and the tuxedo gentlemen of the Twenties, the styling for this campaign shoot was a true reflection of the seductive formality of the period. An era teeming with parties and fine dining, the main aesthetic included an array of smart tailoring, luxurious fabrics and extravagant details. Maxwell-Scott’s main challenge for this campaign shoot was to tone down the aesthetic in a modern way. This was achieved by maintaining a monochrome colour palette with subtle pops of red, oyster pink and champagne.
Our female model Eloise donned tailoring in a variety of silhouettes, from sharp tuxedo styles to fluid palazzo pants in black and cream. This was most definitely inspired by Marlene Dietrich’s iconic androgynous style. A touch of femininity was introduced with silk floorlength dresses teamed with decadent headwear and gold jewellery formed into art deco shapes. James, our male model, wore tailoring with references to the dance culture of that decade, with smart black tie tuxedos mixed with navy velvet and cream jackets for a contemporary touch. His styling was mainly inspired by Fred Astaire – a true icon of the Twenties and well-known for his dapper style.
The hair and makeup is the final part of the puzzle and brings the aesthetic to life on the day of the shoot. As the campaign was for Christmas, a bolder makeup look was needed. Inspired by the theatrical and dance references of the Twenties, the makeup, by Claire Dickinson, consisted of dark sultry tones on the eyes and the lips in glossy textures. The eye was incredibly defined for a dramatic look that balanced out the clean-cut structure of the styling.
Hair symbolized a traditional Twenties style with Eloise sporting sleek finger waves in an up-do as well as down. This class Twenties hair was modernized with minimal gold clips for a glamorous look with just the right amount of Twenties. Executed by professional hairstylist Jody Toner, the hair was kept super shiny and sleek to reflect the evening attire.
