For my NMP I decided to focus on two main projects, the first one I had chosen to do was YCN’s Propercorn brief. For this project I decided to work with Zoe Kennedy, who I hadn’t worked with previously but as she is a MINT student I thought our different skills and strengths would compliment each other well. Propercorn’s task was to bring to life their ethos; ‘Done Properly’. We spent the first couple of days researching into the Propercorn brand and brainstorming ideas. The concept we chose to take forward was ‘Proper Ideas’ where we would pair Propercorn’s unusual flavours with different foods to help improve their taste, this also played to Propercorn’s strengths of a wide variety of unusual popcorn flavours.
Once we had our concept we began to think of the best ways to design and brand the idea, we went straight into the photography studio with a cupcake and a bag of Propercorn. While we where there we came up with the idea of creating a stop motion video with the popcorn. We thought this would really suit Propercorn’s identity which is quite fun and playful. After taking a few images we realised the photographs where missing something. The whole frame looked too plain on the white background with just the food and popcorn so we chose to add colourful backgrounds and also a prop in each shot, which would match the different flavours of popcorn and food being used.
Adding the colourful backgrounds and props really brought the images to life. We then began shooting the stop motion videos. Using at least 60 shots of the popcorn either falling from above or creeping out of the bag to take over the food. We came across a few problems as we were shooting the stop motions frames. One of them was the whipped cream we were using, which was deflating and melting as we where taking the shots, this made the foods look quite messy. We ended up changing some things, for instance the hot chocolate we swapped to chocolate milkshake so the cream wouldn't melt as quick, and also so we could stick the popcorn to the side of the glass using buttercream without it melting and sliding back down. We had to reshoot some of the foods and flavours but once we had got them right we where really pleased with the outcome.
For the posters we took a picture of the final frame of the stop motion video, where the popcorn had taken over the food in that image. We then added the Propercorn logo and our slogan ‘Proper Ideas’ pairing this with an adjective describing the food or flavour of popcorn that was shown. Also matching the colour of the text to the colour scheme in that image. To finish off the poster we added our hashtag #PROPERIDEAS which linked our campaign onto the social media platform, allowing people to create and share their own ‘Proper Ideas’.
We created a mockup of how our hashtag would work on twitter, with people tweeting in their own recipes using our hashtag #PROPERIDEAS. We also created some promotional miniature bags of Propercorn to help advertise our ‘Proper Ideas’ campaign, they would be given out free with the foods from our posters, or also could be bought alone at a cheaper price than the large Propercorn bags, allowing people to pair with their own foods or just have a small taste of the different flavours.
Finally we extended our campaign into guerrilla marketing, creating a Propercorn food van which would sell Propercorn and also our recipes from the posters on the go. We also created a ‘Propercorn line’ which would lead either to the Propercorn food van or to events that Propercorn would be holding. Finally we created a hanging sign for in supermarkets, reiterating our concept of pairing Propercorn with different foods. Zoe then finished of our stop motion videos by editing the frames and adding a sound effects, to match the Propercorn style and also the foods and flavours. She also added a start frame with the different phrases from our posters and an end frame with our hashtag, to get people involved with the brand.
Overall I think this project went really well, managing to get across Propercorn’s ethos ‘Done Properly’ but in our own style of ‘Proper Ideas’. Also suiting their style of the brand which is quite energetic and colourful. One thing I would change is probably some of the shots of the foods, trying to make them look a little more professional and cleaner, for instance the banana split could do with being tidied up. I would also change the prop in this image, with a more hand crafted styled boat. However other than a couple of changes I am really pleased with the final outcomes and overall concept.
My second brief was harder to decide on, I had quite a few ideas, some of them being other YCN briefs, however I didn’t feel as motivated by these as the Propercorn brief. So I decided to carry on from my dissertation idea, where I was defacing magazine covers in a deconstructed style. I began creating some more images in the same style as my dissertation piece, where I painted directly onto the magazine covers. I had to work backwards with this brief as I had the artwork and style however I didn't really have a strong enough concept.
I decided to turn it into a branding project which was the opposite of most other brands and false advertisements today. My brand would be an alternative truthful, deconstructed version of todays advertisements. Exposing the truth on the stereotypical beauty brands/publications and stripping them back to their basics. While still building the concept I carried on creating more paintings and images, however taking them off the magazine covers to recreate a completely new image, deconstructing the whole cover and typography. Not only was I deconstructing the physical object but also its concept and values, questioning their preconceptions of perfection and showing that everyone is the same underneath.
From my images I then began expanding my concept and turning it into a brand. Starting with the name and logo, as this was an upfront truthful brand I decided to use the name of the exact message I wanted to portray, which was ‘Deconstructed’. This was truthful to my style and also the main values and purpose of the brand. Additionally I chose to use the slogan ‘Bare Truth’ as the brands focus is honesty and realness and it also fitted with each of the sub categories within my brand. When designing the logos I also wanted them to be direct and obvious, taking the word literal I chose to use a broken apart style, splitting the word/letters up into different syllables and sections. The logo I chose to use was not the most obvious for a brand styled logo, that would have probably been one of the two in the rectangles. However I didn’t want my brand to be like other brands, therefore I chose the most simple and noticeably ‘deconstructed’ logo.
I then scanned my images into photoshop and began digitally editing them, making collages and distorted images with my own artwork and the original images. They started to make some really interesting deconstructed images which I then decided to take onto packaging and advertising. I began with the natural beauty range as this is one of the main brands that uses false advertisement and has a preconception of what ‘perfection’ is. I wanted to challenge this, making my brand the opposite not trying to reach someones view of what ‘perfection’ is or trying to look like some celebrity, but being confident in yourself, and only using natural products to do so. I chose to keep the packaging simple using just black lids, with glass cases, so that you could see the product inside, again sticking to the deconstructed theme. On top of that I used minimal text and one of my deconstructed collages. I also created some cleansing products, with the idea of ‘deconstructing’ the face when taking of the makeup.
My health range was quite difficult as it was two opposite ideas, the first was branding a vitamin range, to reiterate that beauty is more that skin deep, and that you should look after your bones just as much as your skin. I labelled the vitamins with titles that corresponded with the vitamins letter e.g. ‘Vitamin B - Beautiful Bones’, ‘Vitamin C - Constructive Bones’ using only positive words to do so. I also chose to use colour for this packaging whereas the rest of my brand is black and white, I did this to show that vitamins are healthy and help the body, brightening up your life. Whereas on the other side of the health brand I did an anti anorexia campaign, which is the opposite showing that bones aren’t beautiful. I used deconstructed images of skinny celebrities showing them in a different view, with the harshness of todays pressures and preconceptions within our society. Creating magazine adverts and double page spread articles.
I also created some extra promotional items and packaging using my designs, and also made mockups of bus stop ads, billboards etc. Showing how I would raise awareness for my campaign. This then led onto creating a website, as this is one of the most important aspects for a brand now that everything and everyone is going digital. I wanted to use lots of transparency and transitions on the website, applying the deconstructed theme throughout. On the homepage I created a interactive scrolling image, allowing the user to deconstruct the celebrity by dragging the filled circle into the outlined circle. I also designed some brief overviews of the sub categories in the brand which would be on the homepage below the interactive image. These projects would scroll one after another vertically, allowing the user to click on that subject which would then take them to another page for that category.
The final category in my brand was the fitness section, which was about showing how exercise can strengthen your bones giving you ‘Bare Strength’. I created some DPS’s to advertise the fitness range of the brand and also an exercise guide to the perfect lunge. Deconstructing the figure to show how the bones should be positioned for the perfect lunge or squat, also deconstructing the workout with a step by step guide. I also created some merchandise for the fitness brand using my artwork and the ‘Bare Strength’ slogan. Lastly I created a short GIF and flip book for my deconstructed brand, deconstructing the celebrity from human to skeleton. I created a mock up of the GIF being used as an interactive ad for the anti anorexia section of the brand on social media, also using the hashtag #baretruth which would help the brand to reach out to its target audience.
Overall I am really happy with the outcome of this project. I really like the images I produced and I think the brand works really well as alternative lifestyle brand, in comparison to the false advertisements that are out there today. If I could change anything I would extend the social media part of the campaign and also finish of the rest of the pages for the website. I think this style and concept would work really well in the media today.
