VS SASSOON, GLOBAL HAIR BRAND
CHINA HAIR CAMPAIGN
OMNI-CHANNEL FILM CREATIVE DIRECTION
The Surprising Story Of The ’Anti-Fascist Warrior Hairdresser’ Vidal Sassoon
ABOUT VIDAL SASSOON, the founder of Vidal Sassoon:
Vidal Sassoon was a Jewish British hairdresser said to have "changed the world with a pair of scissors." He was also a major anti-defamation philanthropist. Born in Hammersmith, a borough of West London in the UK, he is credited with creating a simple geometric, "Bauhaus-inspired" hair style, also called the wedge bob. He was also the first stylist to allow his name to be used on hair products and salons.
Vidal Sassoon created a revolution in hair styling. His styles allowed women to be free from the lengthy process of curling, teasing, and heavy use of hairspray that was standard at salons; instead, his wash-and-wear styles produced cuts that required little styling, simply falling perfectly into place.
When he was seventeen years old, Sassoon joined the "43 Group," a coalition of British Jewish ex-servicemen who fought against fascists in the streets of London.
A Fascist-fighter by night and a hairdresser by day, the young Sassoon said he realized after watching Ingrid Bergman in the 1943 war movie “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” that strong women fighters must have low-maintenance hairstyles to improve their talents.
In 1954, Sassoon opened his first hair salon on Bond Street in London and gradually established a reputation as a phenomenal hairdresser and stylist. Today, his hair salon company has stores around the world and sells an extensive line of hair products for men and women.
With a genuine rags-to-riches tale as his life story, among his most well-known causes was the international fight against prejudice and extremism.
Vassoon's 1982 sales of hair products had topped $110 million, with 80 percent of revenues derived in the US.
Two years later the company was bought byProctar and Gamble. Vidal, who remained a consultant through at least the mid-1990s, He sold his business interests in the early 1980s to devote himself to philanthropy.
THE CHINA CAMPAIGN CONCEPT
Creative Direction + Treatment
AUDIO EXPERIENCE CREATIVE DIRECTION
COPYWRITING
Client: Vidal Sasson
FILM:45 + Photoshoot
OVERVIEW:
Courageous. Brave. ENERGETIC. Strong. Individualistic. Unafraid. This campaign is going to set fire to a daring movement that feels like a celebration of freedom, unleashing every visionary to connect with their unexpressed artistic soul. We aim to inspire every view to become their own walking masterpiece and make it feel like a celebration in the streets. Filming with our world-class team in Bangkok, we will spend three days capturing the content for the #IFOLLOWME campaign, with one day focused on the photography and two days capturing on film. Our final film will penetrate through the noise by design, mixing and layering a bold rhythmic sound, eccentric style, punchy and dynamic moving film clips, and 2d graphics. Our core themes for the ‘I’m No Copycat’ film will illustrate inner rhythm and authentic self-expression.
THE MARKET WE ARE TAPPING INTO: The feeling of the video will be feeling like a mix of cinema, dup-step vibe, and techno, with serious drumming that feels like a summoning. We are tapping into a market of men and women that want to just feel FREE and UNLEASH. We want the video content to have an intense crescendo, and some serious beat drops, with bass, similar to the feeling of going to a lively underground night club. No one is trying to follow anyone at one the dance-floor. It’s all about following your inner rhythm and making up your own moves. This campaign is all about living to the beat of your own drum, and expressing that so every moment of our film with awaken this intense wise but wild beast within with a visual-auditory experience sinking this dynamic in like a party. Our expression will tap into an existing market of these EDM-core millennials that want to feel something more than ‘natural’ beauty, class or elegance. We will be able to build a paradigm for the trendsetters that are sick of living societal ‘beauty standards.’ On all levels of multimedia, our concept will energetically penetrate the market, like the hottest DJ in China who knows how to get the wild spirit expressed and moving.. and not to be blended in the outdated softer ‘beauty’ content and commercials’ narratives that have too long been played out. Our edginess is the calling to let go of the norm and unleashing the inner wild self, setting your own trend and taking on your inner beast mode, boldly. The viewers will take on this energy and realize this drum is the superpower they’ve been waiting to find and begin to take on the character of the wild, visionary on a mission. While the visual play with their eyes, showcasing wild, fun, free-spirited models, in an almost dance-like motion, our music will provide a hypnotizing experience to viewers waiting for the beat to drop. We want to get the people going! We want to get the crowd dancing. We want them to swing their hair back and forth realizing this style is the extension of their rhythm that sets the tone how they show up in the world. They become one with their inner truth, by integrating their expressed hairstyle, showing up in the world, not caring what anyone else thinks of them. When there is no one to follow outside of you, the only thing to seek is the rhythm within.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:
The cinematography will be dynamic and constantly in motion so that we can see how brilliantly and sexy our talents’ hair moves and looks at all angles. In front of a green screen, we’ll be filming full body, medium and close-ups of each of our talent’s moving and dancing, the final film will be a montage of the most electric and freely expressed moments, cut and edited to a rhythmic beat. To further express this inner spirit, capturing the true windows of the soul to this campaign, I would like to capture iconic looks of the models’ eyes, directing talent to feel free, confident, rebellious, sexy, wise, and bold. Filming in this controlled, yet constant motion will further illustrate how the campaign’s main goal, connecting to your inner rhythm and expressing the beat of your own drum. We will capture models of models holding different hair products in their hands, spraying the products in their hair. I’d also like to have a model have the product in both hands and film them pretending to drum their rhythm. CASTING: For casting talent, my vision is to work hand and hand with Vidal Sassoon and select three models that not only look the part but embody the essence of the campaign vision. They need to be alive in spirit and carry the inner wild essence and energy of our market. We need to make sure these models can MOVE and have rhythm beyond their looks, hair, and eyes. This is extremely important so that we can bring this campaign to film, not just by their looks, but through their essence and personality and set fire the souls of our viewers. Because the vision is about originality, I would like to cast memorable faces and truly one-of-a-kind personalities. This:45 styled film will feature three diverse and unique models, one long-haired girl with a textured, layered cut, one short-hair girl, and one short-haired man. THE ENDING: The ending of the spot will showcase the VS Flexible & Fluid Styling products.
NAILTOPIA x ULTA Superfood Beauty Brand Experience
Creative Direction, Market Research, Retail/Packaging Storytelling for Sustainable Eco-Conscious Nail Experience