Fabulously Fifty
To launch a campaign for a brand aiming to reach its target audience of 50 plus women, my partner Jane Galpin and I created a shoot with authenticity as a central ethos.
Excited about the fact that celebrity daughters on our screens right now would have amazing, fashionable mums with achievements of their own, we began our casting.
Added to that we wanted women of all shapes, sizes and skin tones. Chris Floyd our favourite lensman would be on board.
Ruby Hammer
I have friends who run 'street,' agencies - this is a term for an agency that deals in real, people as well as characters and non-models. They were on the look out for the elusive late middle-aged nymph, but it's not as easy as it looks my friends.
Good old fashioned detective work with Jane searching through her HUGE contacts file, me emailing everyone I knew as well as searching online, finally produced results.
Each woman was told that realism and their own energy would be the things that inspired the customers of JD Williams. So no airbrushing, sculpted or reduced body shapes, reduction of laughter lines, enhancement of natural strengths, thickening of hair, lashes or whitening of teeth.
Key was the confidence each woman would project. Emboldened and enwisened by her journey she also was an achiever and besides her own career (we had TV presenters, singers, make-up artists and models amongst our cast) she has also guided a famous child through life's ups and downs.
Would these women offer a more authentic connection with the label in question? And would this approach enhance the integrity and sales of said label? We wait for the feedback on that one.
Karen Clancey
Janet Ellis
Melissa Bell
Debra Leng