This is my first world-wide fashion advertising campaign. I shot 20 models in Tokyo over one day for United Colors of Benetton Global marketing campaign for their Carnival capsule collection called "Face of the City." Albeit, there were 5 other photographers and their respective teams in the other major fashion capitals so I am not the only photographer on this campaign. However, it is a huge production with around 120 models in total and six production teams in six cities. Just a bit of caveat, I have seen this concept done before and I take no credit nor responsibility for the artistic direction. I was just called on to shoot the portraits. Can't wait to see them on billboards, buses and storefronts.
Huge thanks to all the beautiful models who we shot and our amazing team who worked round the clock to make sure we stuck to our tight schedule:
On-set Co-ordinator: Eren Hayashi
Make-up Artist: Maiko Mizumachi
Hair-stylist: Miho Mashino
Photo & Lighting Assistant: Masahiko Koguchi & Kiyoka Ikemura
Lemonade Productions UK (Amber, Emma and Sarah)
Benetton's latest ad campaign celebrates the racial and cultural diversity of the world's fashion capitals by creating composite images comprising the faces of several ethically diverse models.
The ‘The Face of the city’ campaign, which is promoting United Colors of Benetton’ Carnival Collection, features faces representing London, New York, Tokyo, Paris, Milan, Berlin and Paris and uses digital and analogue photography and production techniques.
The idea was built on research into the racial make-up of each capital city. Findings included that Asians are the second-largest racial group in London, while in Milan the Filipinos and Egyptians are the most common ethnic groups.
For each capital, Benetton photographed a group of women, each of whom represented a different racial group. The portraits were then combined using an algorithm which ensured that the "proportion of each ethnicity was reflected through features such as skin tone, the shape of the eyes and nose, hair type and colour, as well as overall face shape".
The campaign, appeared globally in print, out-of-home, digital media and in-store. It was picked up by the world of fashion, design and culture, including Vanity Fair, Yahoo, Vogue and Fast Company.
WATCH THE VIDEOS:
These models are not real. They are a combination of all the ethnicities that live in today's cities, from Milan to New York, London to Tokyo, Berlin to Paris. For the "Face of the City" campaign, United Colors of Benetton took photos of a group of women who collectively represented the ethnic and cultural make-up of each city.
Here are samples of the cropped, original portraits. Zero photoshop, just make-up and lighting.
