HIGHLIGHTS

 

NYC and LANCÔME. My first foray into advertising. You‘re also going to find my first published concept / ad here.

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Isabella signed her LANCÔME PARIS contract a few months after my arrival at Intermaco Publicis in NYC. There was no easing into the business for me, but rather full-on from the get go. A demanding yet amazing intro into the creative world of the ad game.

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The initial post production work on Isabella was executed as is the norm in the cosmetic category; almost antiseptically perfect complexions and features. I followed direction as instructed. Nevertheless, the desire to minimize unattainable beauty and allow her to be more approachable, realistically attainable glamour, and naturally beautiful before the world was an extracurricular and independent pursuit that stirred the agency pot a bit.

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In focus groups the directed retouching was shown first. GROUP: “She’s beautiful and knows so much about beauty. But, she’s a celebrity. She‘d never talk with me.”

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The creative director immediately sent me back to the agency for the “more approachable retouching” where I left the small bump in Isabella’s nose and the little gap in her teeth. The imagery was placed on the rail directly beside the originals . . . “She’s my neighbor. She’ll come over for a cup of coffee and share everything with me.”

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POINT: Approachability, candidness, and attainability require some of the little imperfections to remain as they are, natural.

 

This little insight has elevated our work throughout my career and has been of greatest value portraying a more approachable MARLBORO and THE MAN.