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Follow the Maxwell-Scott creative team as we go behind the scenes at this year’s Christmas campaign shoot to discover how their concept is brought to life…
Brief: Christmas 2019 campaign
Main concept: The Roaring Twenties
Shoot date: 15th August 2019
Shoot location: The De Grey Rooms, York
Key influences are what ultimately define a creative campaign and it’s important to have a strong vision from the very beginning. The Maxwell-Scott creative team starts from the drawing board for all their campaigns, gathering references and inspiration from all mediums, from films to magazine cuttings. For this year’s Christmas campaign, the brainstorming process started in March. With 2020 just around the corner, our International Marketing Manager Julia saw it as the ideal opportunity to honour the era of the Twenties. A period brimming with glamour and pizzazz, the Twenties aesthetic had enough extravagance for a Christmas campaign as well as being perfectly aligned with Maxwell-Scott’s own elegant and sophisticated DNA.
Main inspirations derived from Marlene Dietrich, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and theatrical dance references from the Jazz Age. It was a time of real optimism, a time where society’s overriding mindset was to live life to the fullest after the harsh brutality of the Great War. With such strong historical references to soak up, it was crucial that the team took these on board in a fresh manner in order to keep a modern aesthetic. It became apparent through research that the Twenties encapsulated high energy, expressed wonderfully in the recent Great Gatsby film’s party scene (watch below). It became clear that the imagery required an element of movement, frivolity, and fun for it to truly make an impact.
Inspired by the Twenties’ extravagant flapper girls and tuxedo-clad gentlemen, the styling for this Christmas campaign reflected the seductive formality of the era. A period full of parties and fine dining, the dominant style consisted of luxurious silks, sharp tailoring and lavish detailing. The challenge for this campaign was to maintain Maxwell-Scott’s subtle approach to design whilst honouring the 20’s aesthetic in a refreshing way. The colour palette was kept monochrome with hints of champagne, reds and oyster pinks to add a touch of modernity.
Tailoring was mirrored on both models with Eloise, our female model, donning several tuxedo-style suits in black and cream – a nod to Dietrich’s androgynous way of dressing. Femininity was introduced with silk dresses boasting clean lines teamed with elaborate headpieces and gold jewellery pieces in art-deco shapes. Our male model James wore evening tailoring inspired by the dancing culture of that era – think Fred Astaire with a contemporary twist. By tweaking certain sartorial elements, such as incorporating double-breasted jackets and opting for midnight navy velvet, James’ look nodded to the Twenties without appearing outdated.
During a shoot, the hair and makeup gels the entire aesthetic together and brings the overall look to life. The theatrical dance references from the Twenties emanate a glamorous and striking aesthetic that is ideal for contextualizing a dazzling evening look for Christmas. Eloise’s hair was coiffed into sleek finger rolls by expert hairstylist, Jody Toner. A signature Twenties hairstyle boasting age-old elegance, the look was modernised with gold industrial-style hairclips.
Makeup, by Claire Dickinson, expressed the Twenties’ theatrical narrative with a dark and defined eye teamed with berry lips to add a subtle Christmas element. As the styling was kept rather understated, the Twenties element was allowed to shine through the hair and makeup choices decided upon, adding instant glamour to the overall look. During this Christmas campaign shoot, two main glam looks were appointed to complement the styling – one lighter Hollywood look and a darker, more sultry aesthetic. James’ hair was slicked back for a classic gentlemanly style akin to the quintessential Twenties man.
Nails were preened and polished by expert nail artist Em Brookes, opting for a nude finish on Eloise to begin and a deep berry tone to add a touch of Christmas during the second part of the shoot. James’ nails were given a tidy too for those all-important close-ups with our bags.
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