Let’s imagine there was a company specializing in vegetable food products and they wanted to promote them. How would they advertise something as generic as vegetables? Well first they could come up with a good slogan. something that encourages people to eat more veggies. It could be something like “More vegetables one day a week means 52 better days in a year.” That’s very good.
But how would they make their ad stand out from the crowds of tomatoes, salads and peppers that are the seen in vegetable commercials? They know good copy isn’t enough. So what do they do to catch people’s attention visually?
They choose body painting for their creative advertising.
CLIENT
APETIT is the company we just imagined. They trusted the idea of their marketing partner Hasan & Partners and took a step in creating something totally different to what you are used to seeing in TV commercials, let alone in vegetable promotions. And I’m so happy and proud all of them trusted me to be the creator for the challenging body painting illusions.
PROJECT
I was contacted by the director Aleksi Koskinen from Hasan & Partners right in the beginning of the project. I stepped in from the beginning of the design phase which was essential, as my knowledge on body painting and it’s possibilities helped in mapping out the final visual goal. The vegetables to be created were our design choices and naturally then approved by the client.
I was commissioned to create the designs and sketches for the paintings. After the actual painting days I also got to view the final images and film and give my proof on the edits. I really love it that the client respected my wish to keep the paintings as natural as possible with minimum edits – the beauty of body painting lies in it’s authenticity.
I also used my contact network and booked the most suitable models for this project. All of them were dancers and former athletes who are used to working with their bodies and have strength to hold poses that look easy, but in real life feel totally opposite.
Personal challenge
My personal challenge in this was to create multi-body illusions which are one of the most difficult forms of body painting. At the same time I wanted to create something that would blow everyone’s mind away and meet (preferably exceed) my client’s expectations. I never do less than what I can, instead I always try to give more. I’m so grateful for this project, and it feels so amazing to get this feedback afterwards:
“We were impressed by Riina´s professional commitment to achieve excellent artwork and at the same time commitment to reach our commercial communication targets. The end result was absolutely stunning.”
Miika Helenius – Marketing Director, Apetit.
FEW FACTS
To produce the videos and still images for this campaign, this was needed:
- 1-2 months prep work
- 3 days in the studio
- 4 models
- a body painting artist & two assistants
- 10-15 other people (producer, director, AD, light technicians, assistants…)
- delicious catering
- 1 big light explosion
- patience and sense of humour
OUTCOME
This campaign has definitely been noticed. Apetit has hundreds of thousands of views for the videos on their YouTube channels. The film runs on TV and also on cinema (I learnt that from my hairdresser yesterday). The digital screens at underground stations showed these veggies to passer-bys. And just on my own social media channels, the images have got thousands of views and hundreds of comments – 99% praising ones. This approach to advertising is surprising, creative, brave, effective and still new. Or what do you think of these few quotes from the comments I’ve seen?
Public feedback
“Wonderful ad! Really makes you think – you are what you eat.”
“This caught my eyes with those geniously painted human vegetables! Absolutely amazing work!”
“I saw this and immediately thought, that for once there is a different kind of ad that attracts positive attention.”
“I’ve seen and admired this a few times now! This is the first ad that’s interesting to watch and makes you smile.” “
I was in the kitchen when my 3-year-old son shouted from the lounge “I want to watch more human vegetables!” I was like whaaat, as I hadn’t sen the ad. Later when my son got to choose what he wanted to watch on telly, he replied “Them human veggies!” 😀 Amazing work! I hope my son’s vegetable excitement shows at the dinner table now too!”
“Every time I’ve seen this I’ve watched even more carefully. Really cool and different idea, well executed. Congratulations to the whole team! The message is inspiring: one veggie day a week doesn’t require much, and it becomes 52 days a year… 2 days would be 104 days a year…you are the one to benefit from that!”
“My 2 year-old daughter saw the ad: ‘I want to be a cawwot too, give me cawwot pleaseplease!”‘ 😀 So it must be an effective ad!”
Body painting artist & design: Riina Laine
Assistants: Minja Konttori & Mari Pylkkänen
Director & photography: Aleksi Koskinen
Production & concept: hasan & partners
Client: Apetit Oyj
Links about the campaign:
