Part 6: Photography
As visual creatures, we are compelled by what we see. Images draw our attention. They hold our interest. They spark our memories, our emotions. They move us to react, and to act.
As marketers, we strive for breakthrough creative moments with our audience. We want to make an instant impression and invite them into our world. Photography, a moment captured in time, is a tremendous asset that tells the story of a brand.
Photography can often be your biggest investment. And it can easily be your biggest impact. Here are three ways to make photography tell your story.
Tell your story in pictures
As a writer, I’m captivated by the power of words. Can words elicit a reaction the way I’ve described above? Absolutely. But pictures tell a story in ways words cannot. Pictures paint an entire scene in a fraction of a second.
As Brent Niemuth pointed out in part PART 1: STORYTELLING , “A story can be conveyed in a few punchy headlines, or quite often, a story can be delivered through powerful images. In fact, great photography can be the BEST way to tell a story (remember, a picture is worth a thousand words).”
Let’s examine three different ways to maximize your creative with powerful photographic storytelling.
1. Good photography tells PEOPLE stories.
As brands and as marketers, our ultimate goal is to sell goods and services. The photos we use serve that goal, but we must never forget that we are selling to people, that we are telling their stories. How does the product we sell make them feel? What emotions does it capture? How do we want our brand to come to life through them and reflect who they are?
Photography can accomplish that.
Athleta, the women’s activewear apparel line, is an exceptional example of a brand that reflects who their customers are and what they do. With effortless diversity in the presentation of both race and body type, Athleta shows the inclusivity of the brand. Putting these women in aspirational yet achievable real-life scenarios communicates the practical use of their apparel. The way they show groups of women together inspires a sense of community.
Athleta is not merely selling clothes with the photography, they’re selling a lifestyle. And all of that comes through in powerful imagery of people that makes for truly breakthrough creative.
2. Good photography tells PRODUCT stories.
Not every brand has the luxury of showing models wearing colorful apparel in fantastic locations. But that doesn’t mean these other brands can’t use photography to tell a dramatic story.
How is your product made? What solutions does it provide? How does it serve the lives of consumers? These are stories that your product photos can tell. Take Bellroy for example. The brand sells “considered” wallets, phone cases and bags. They are all about a streamlined approach to the everyday tools we carry. The phone cases are designed to be slim. The bags are engineered for organization.
The photos are constructed the same way. Clean. Simple. Streamlined. Organized. It’s the brand story. It’s the product story. It’s the photography story. One look at how Bellroy composes its shots, with clean lines, clear separation of elements, and angles that demonstrate the function of each product, the story is immediately evident.
Bellroy approaches their photography the same way they approach their product – with the goal of making everything clean and simple. It’s breakthrough creative without a smiling face or exotic location in sight.
3. Good photography tells PERSONAL stories.
Some of the best photographic storytelling is not about the product itself. It’s about the consumers themselves, their lives, their experiences. The story of the brand puts people in a space.
Airbnb owns no real estate. They offer no “physical” product. The travel accommodation site allows people to see the world in a new way. The experience of buying from the brand involves rental properties and user-generated content to show photos of each accommodation. But it has told its story with a creative use of photography.
With the “Live there. Even if it’s just for a night.” campaign, Airbnb put people in extraordinary locations, doing unextraordinary things. The brand created these small, personal moments, people living their lives in travel-worthy destinations. These slice-of-life vignettes come to life in the photography, each one a snapshot of personal moments that consumers could imagine themselves in.
It’s not about the product. It’s not about features and benefits. It’s about a moment in time that comes to vivid life through the photography, breaking through the clutter with creative that makes a visual impact.
That’s the power of good photography. That’s how it tells a story. That’s why it’s worth the time and the investment. We remember what we see more often than what we read. Your photography makes a connection that lasts.
Want your photography to better tell your story? We want to help. Let’s get creative. You can contact me at mattf@jschmid.com.
Tags: #breakthroughcreative, AirBNB, Athleta, Bellroy, Brand Storytelling, Creative Strategy, Matt Fey, Matthew Fey, model photography, Photography, photoshoots, product photography, storytelling