BRAND ME REFLECTION
BRAND ME CLOSING STATEMENT:
“I believe my campaign will successfully reach my Gen Z target audience and challenge the luxury fashion industry's views on plus-size people.
The video formatting should capture young audiences' attention and broaden my brand's scope. Meanwhile, the high-quality photos and videos captured will become professional assets I can use to further my career at a luxury market level.
By having several prior test shoots at varying locations, I will be able to ensure that the content captured on the day is precisely what I want. These will also act as fallbacks in the case of something going wrong.
I strongly believe that I have developed a campaign that resonates with myself and will resonate with many other young women alike.”
After revisiting this statement and considering my options for this trimester I have decided to revisit my origional mission statement to ensure it still aligns with my view, and that I am able to create a succesful campaign
REVISED MISSION FOR THIS PROJECT
Collaboration between influencer and model, Megan Bradley, and the National Trust.
CAMPAIGN GOALS
To reach a female following of Generation Z and Millenials, and expand my following as a influencer.
Position plus-size women in fashion within a luxury market level.
Create a body positive campaign, focused on celebrating perceived “imperfections” and positioning them within a luxury context.
Challenging myself within a creative director role.
producing a high quality campaign that expands my career as a plus-size model and influencer.
CAMPAIGN STATEMENT
This campaign is a collaboration between plus-size influencer and model Megan Bradley and the National Trust. Through a range of beautiful photo and video visuals, they aim to attract a female audience of mostly Generation Z and Millenials.
The campaign shines a light on the lack of representation of plus-size women in the luxury fashion market by using plus-size model, Megan throughout the campaign.
The images feature perceived imperfections such as cellulite or stretch marks, and showcase them within a luxury setting dismantelling the largely accepted notion that these things shouldn’t be seen within a luxury context, and proving that they are indeed beautiful.
The campaign draws parralels between the unique beauty of National Trust, and the beauty of womens natural bodies.
The campaign will be promoted through Instagram, on pop up banners at National Trust sites, and in a special addition of the National Trust magazine.
itsmeganbradleywithnationaltrust
PHOTO MOODB
SHOOT BOARD
REFLECTING ON MY STYLING PRACTICE
To capture images of my vision for the styling of the final campaign, I set up a photoshoot at local ruins. This turned out to be the perfect location to test how these outfits might look in my final photoshoot. Although this will not be the final location of my shoot, the heritage site still offers an elegant backdrop for my testing.
From this styling, I identified which items worked well together and which didn’t. To the left, you can see a handful of the images I took and edited from my styling session.
As I will be the model for the campaign, styling on a mannequin gave me more control in terms of photography, and allowed me to see the outfits from a distance.
After this styling session, I feel much more confident in my outfit choices, and have belief that they are the right fit for this campaign.
OUTFIT PLANNING & FLATLAYS
To the left you can see some of the flat lay edits I developed upon finding the outfits I wish to use in my final campaign.
Each outfit has been chosen for specific reasons:
Outfit 1
This little black dress rivals the stereotype that short skirts aren’t “flattering” on plussize women.
Outfit 2
This bodycon dress shows off the wearers natural shape, something plus -size women are often taught to hide. The mesh allows scars, stretchmarks, cellulite, and other “imperfections” to be seen through the dress.
The arms are also exposed in this dress, which is an area of the body that lots of women experience insecurity around.
Outfit 3
This royal blue velvet dress hugs the figure, which plus-size women are told to avoid.
The high slit and bandau style neckline expose the arms and legs; two areas where I have stretch marks, cellulite and scarring.
Outfit 4
This sequined number displays several features rarely seen in plus-size fashion
The short skirt reveals the legs, paired with the top that reveals the middrift, arms, and back
As you can see all of these outfits have different elements that I would like to focus on for each image captured in them. Each point will be evident in the photos but aims to not be the direct centre of attention.
By showing them in luxurious settings I will prove that the fashion industry does not need to adhere to such strict airbrushing and retouching guidelines when it comes to editing real people. Real people have imperfections and I believe they should be seen in all of their glory. They do not detract from ones beauty, and I aim to prove that with this campaign.
STYLING DEVELOPMENT CROQUIS
Creating these croquis helped me to clearly visualise what the items might look like on me before I tried them on. Shortly after I made this the silver set arrived and I discovered that it unfortunately did not fit. Although this was disappointing the other outfits were a success. My project didn’t require a specific number of outfits, so if I can not find an alternative I will be continue forward with the three successful outfits..
PLANNING THE SHOTS
To aid my process and visualise the exact images I aim to acheive I created the mock-ups seen on the left.
Using previous images I have taken at the location, and pairing it with my croquis, I have perfectly illustrated the exact shots I am hoping to achieve and replicate in my campaign.
Planning each individual shot and having a specific idea of what that will look like, will not only help me to create a visually appealing campaign, but will help me to better explain my vision to my photographer and videographer.
LOOK ONE OUTFIT
This first look is a blue velvet maxi dress with a high-leg split. The upper portion of the dress is a boned corset with a sweetheart neckline. The lower half is ruched by the waist and drapes to one side leaving the legs on show. The dress will be paired with black heels, and silver diamante jewellery with blue jemstones to match the dress. To me this look embodys power and confidnece.
LOCATION SHOTS
This dress will be shot in several locations at the hotel including, the bar, staircase and gardens.
In the gardens alongside the two lion statues.
Reflective shots in various mirrors around the hotel. Staircase shots.
Pictures sitting at the bar/in the bar.
LOOK TWO OUTFIT
The second look is a skirt and bodysuit combination, made to look like a little black dress. The bodysuit features ruching across the bust and mesh bell sleeves. The skirt has a high waist detailed with faux pearls that sit under the bust. The skirt is flowy and has a slightly pleated look. Overall this outfit has a more youthful and whimsical appeal than the other two.
LOCATION SHOTS
This dress will mostly be shot in the gardens of the hotel.
In the gardens stood among statues. Sat or stood alongside plants and nature.
Sat on the water fountain.
Swinging on the lamposts.
Sat on the benches.
LOOK THREE OUTFIT
The third look is a long mesh bodycon dress with a long train. Under the dress will be a black underwear set. Similarly to the other looks it will be paired with silver jewellery and black heels. This look is both elegant and risky; it focuses on accentuating the bodies natural shape.
LOCATION SHOTS
This look with be shot mostly on staircases, and in the gardens.
In the gardens stood among the statues. Stood in the greek stone arbour. In various hallways.
On staircases at different levels and angles.
REFLECTING ON MY TEST SHOOTS
After editing and picking through the pictures I captured on my test shoot I was able to identify several factors that I both liked and disliked.
For this test shoot, I did not have a photographer on board, thus the pictures were taken on my own with an iPhone and a tripod. Although this worked for testing, it confirmed my belief that it is essential for there to be a professional photographer on board for my final photoshoot. Not only will this help me to achieve higher quality images, but it will also allow me to put my attention into posing rather than worrying if I am in the frame of the camera or not.
In addition to this, my hair up in a bun would elevate the overall look and add an additional sense of elegance I feel it will also compliment the other two outfits I plan to wear in my final shoot. An updo would bring the eyeline of the image up creating a more lifted and prestigious overall look.
One thing that I was fond of in this photoshoot was the positioning of the subject within the images. For example, using the archway to frame myself centrally resulted in an effective image. In my final shoot I will use this knowldge and ensure that I encorporate my surrounding to create an visually engaging image.
In conclusion, this testing was a success and revealed several new elements for me to consider moving forward. It also allowed opportunity for me to practice my photography and editing skills, which I will continue to build upon.
THE DAY BEFORE THE CAMPAIGN SHOOT
The day before my campaign shoot, I arrived at the Queens in Chester Hotel to prepare for the next day. Having stayed at the hotel before and knowing the grounds well I was shocked to find that the hotel was undergoing restoration and thus many areas of the building were closed for public use. The hotel did not notify me of this before booking my stay, so this was a surprise I was not expecting.
I did ask the hotel if I could gain access to the restricted areas, however they were unable to grant me access for health and safety reasons. This was a setback as it meant that I would now have to rethink some of my image ideas as some of the areas I had planned to shoot in were now unavailable. This proved to be a challenge, but after an hour of exploring the building I was able to find some new areas that would be suitable alternatives for us to take photos in.
The restrictions however did present other problems. You could now only gain access to the building from the back which meant the instructions I had sent to the group were void, and new ones needed to be sent out to the team. Fortunately, I knew the building and surroundings well, so this was quite simple to do, although time-consuming.
The third problem brought on by the restoration was that my booking had been switched to a smaller room on the far side of the building due to the room I was meant to stay in not being ready for use. This meant I now had a much smaller space for the team to be based in on the day of the shoot. The room I had booked had two double beds, a sofa, two chairs and two tables; the room I ended up with had one double bed one table and one chair. Whilst this was manageable I knew it would make it much more difficult for the MUA, photographer and videographer to have room to spread out their kit.
On top of this, it took 5 to 10 minutes to get from the back entrance to my room. This meant that in between each outfit, we would have to walk back to the room to change which could take up to 20 minutes out of our scheduled shooting time. This was another problem I had not prepared for as it would usually only take 1 or 2 minutes from the main entrance to my room under normal circumstances.
Although these were all things I couldn’t have prepared for I knew that I needed to do whatever I could to accomodate the changes and make the following day run as smooth as possible for the team.
UPDATED DIRECTIONS
Below you can see the updated map and directions I created to assist the team in arriving at the shoot location smoothly. A video featuring further directions was also sent to the team Video Link: https://www instagram com/reel/C9yceToIwOr/ gsh=MXFkZjZiajhrZTZ0NA==
DIRECTIONS
BY FOOT:
From the station walk straight forwards up City Road.
Take the first left down Queens Road. Take the first left again and look for the Queen at Chester sign followed by the King’s Grill entrance.
Chester Station
King’s Grill Entrance
Car Park Entrance
BY CAR:
From City Road turn down Queens Road. Take the second left for parking.
From the car park you should be able to see the King’s Grill entrance on the left as you drive in.
PHOTOSHOOT DAY SCHEDULE
THE DAY OF THE CAMPAIGN SHOOT
I started the day bright and early. I rearranged the outfits I had organised the night before and ensured everything was in place for the mua, photographer and videographer to arrive.
Unfortunately, when I was getting ready I received a message from my photoshoot assistant, Chloe, explaining that she would no longer be able to come and help me with my photoshoot due to a double book in her schedule This news was disappointing, but I continued prepping for the arrival of the rest of the team.
As scheduled the MUA was first to arrive. Due to traffic, she arrived slightly late, but we quickly got her into the room and set up ready to start makeup.
Next to arrive was our photographer, Emily shortly followed by JJ, the videographer. As my assistant dropped out earlier that day, it meant that I had to break away from having my makeup done to collect them both from the back entrance and lead them to the room. This did hold us back in the schedule, however the team were aware of the situation and were very understanding.
Once we finished the makeup I got into my first outfit, and we began shooting. The rest of the day ran smoothly, and we managed to finish just in time before it started raining outside.
SOURCING A CAMPAIGN TEAM
In order to find a team willing to work with me on this project, I did a lot of outreach on social media. Posting on over 50 Facebook pages for creatives, Instagram, and the Dazed Club app, I was determined to make sure the people I worked with were the right people for the job.
The team changed several times in the run-up to the shoot, and each time someone could no longer commit to the project, I had to begin my hunt all over again for someone else willing to collaborate.
In this project I was hoping to work with some new creatives that I hadn’t worked with before, however as suggested by the continuous changes in the team, these people proved to be unreliable. Fortunately, when it came down to my final team I was able to turn to Emily Whitehead (Photographer) and Lydia Lynch(MUA) for assistance. Having worked with the girls before I knew the quality of what they could produce and knew that they would not let me down. This was exactly the kind of person I wanted on my team and having them there was a blessing.
This left my videographer as the only person in the team that I hadn’t worked with before, which was a risk but from the work I had seen from her online and considering she was willing to offer her services free of charge it was one I was willing to take.
Below I have listed the changes in the team from the start of planning through to the final day.
THE TEAM
Megan Bradley
Role: Creative Director, Stylist, Model
JJ Samways
Role: Videographer
Role: MUA
Emily Whitehead
Role: Photographer
Lydia Lynch
When reflecting on how the team worked as a whole I considered a variety of factors; in terms of the day of the shoot and working together everyone was very professional.
The challenges came when we got to me receiving videos from JJ. When I was first sent the WeTransfer link, I presumed there was an issue with my laptop as the file type was incompatible, however, it was in fact a much larger problem than this and JJ’s computer was corrupting all of the files.
This unfortunately took weeks to fix as this wasn’t just an issue with their files but with their filming gear. Eventually, I received the film, however, this was only 2 weeks prior to my final hand-in. Although relieved to have the videos, this now meant that I didn’t have much time to go away and work on editing this into something usable for my campaign.
This did cause issues in my plan as I had everything else sorted, but it also pushed me to do further edits to my final images in the meantime to make sure they were as professional as possible in the event that I didn’t receive any videos at all.
This did initially cause me quite a bit of distress, especially considering I hadn’t worked with JJ before so I didn’t know if they were reliable or not, but I can see that this was a genuine mistake and that it was not their way of avoiding sending the videos.
Outside of this set back I would say that the team was overall a success and that we achieved the goals I had set out, even if it did take longer than I had planned for.
FINAL COSTINGS
Hotel: £296.06
Train: £97.40
Clothing: £88.66
TOTAL: £482.12
Above details the expenses incurred by myself during the making of my FMP. Fortunately I was able to avoid additional cost such as paying for a videographer or photographer, however due to my remote location the majority of my spending for this FMP was attributed to my accommodation and travel.
THE FINAL CAMPAIGN PHOTOSHOOT
REFLECTING ON THE IMAGES FROM THE CAMPAIGN SHOOT
Two weeks after the photoshoot I received the images from my final campaign shoot, and it’s safe to say I was very happy with the outcome. The pictures on the previous two pages and to the right are just a few of my favourite images from the shoot that I decided to edit. This was all part of choosing which images I wanted as my final campaign images.
I whittled it down to the four images on the right. To me these images all hold independant value, and each tell their own story.
These initial edits were done looking at each image independently, however moving forward I will be exploring how I can make them look more cohesive as a set of images. One way in which I am proposing I do this is by making them all black and white. By doing this I will be able to create a cohesive look, and the harsh contrast of the black and white will help to highlight “imperfections” such as cellulite, which falls in line with the aim of my campaign.
My next steps will be to trial these edits and explore the use of different fonts and logos within my final campaign.
PHOTOSHOOT SUCCESS
The success of my campaign came down to the thorough planning I underwent leading up to the photoshoot day. I knew that I only had one chance to get this campaign right as I did not have the budget to afford travelling back to Chester had I needed to.
As seen from the images below the key shots in my campaign were meticulously planned and I had a very clear vision of what I wanted which in turn meant I was able to translate that to my team.
The success and accuracy of the results acheived improved my self-belif in my ability to lead and direct a campaign or brand, as well as increasing my faith in my communication skills.
Coming from a background of modelling and being told what to do on set rather than being the one planning it, this was something I was determined to prove to myself that I could achieve and I am proud to say that I did that.
I am hopeful that this will be the beginning on many more campaigns that I produce, and I am glad that I was able to face the challenges it presented with a positive can-do attitude.
THE FINAL IMAGES
