Colossal 2000s Advertising: The Creative Challenges of the 2004 'Giants in the Cities' Ad Campaign
"Giants in the Cities" was a 2004 ad campaign that elicited mixed feelings for me. The campaign, created in collaboration with eyewear licensee Moja Design, aimed to showcase our growing global presence in designer fashion. The vision was striking—giant models dressed in our apparel, towering over major world cities like New York. This concept was a bold representation of 2000s advertising, focusing on scale and visibility to capture the essence of urban sophistication.
At the time, we had just moved beyond the Mojeans urban streetwear collection, and our designer collection had been absent from New York Fashion Week for a few seasons. The objective was to robustly re-establish our runway presence.
Dimitri Hyacinthe, a longtime friend and talented photographer, managed the photo shoot. During the session, I noticed a predilection for close-ups, which unfortunately cut off parts of the models that I felt were essential for the campaign's visual impact. After expressing my concerns and suggesting more full-body shots for greater editing flexibility, the team reassured me that everything would work out.
The team at Moja Design assigned freelance editors the task of adjusting and adding missing limbs. Unfortunately, the edits appeared patchy. I could see the flaws clearly and felt I could have done a better job myself. However, I wanted to respect the professionals' roles and not micromanage.
In the end, the visual production costs of the campaign far exceeded what we spent on advertising the artwork. This financial imbalance was disappointing, and I regretted not following my instincts more closely. It remains a poignant reminder of the importance of trusting one's artistic intuition and the challenges of balancing creative control with collaborative dynamics.
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