Off-White™️
6up is a full-service event production company, specializing in creatively executed and strategically driven live experiences.
They hired our creative team to photograph and film a fly poster guerrilla marketing push created for Off-White™️ during New York Fashion Week. Our vision aimed to capture the impulsive, desperado culture associated with this type of old-school, in-your-face marketing. We used candid, almost secretive style photography as a gest to the clandestine nature of flyposting.
All of the models in this shoot are passes by, most of whom were attending NYFW. Their presence injected a sense of randomness and grunginess, which speaks to the guerilla marketing style. We intentionally included many variables so the viewer would feel the same sense of adventure and rush that one experiences when going against the status quo. Overall, the dynamic range of people and places included in this photo gallery elevates the entire scope of our work.
The Challenge
Our team faced certain challenges on this assignment, primarily concerning time and space. When marketing via flyposting [a.k.a., wild-posting] every square inch of public space is free-game considering it is all unowned real estate. Where one poster is plastered a second may immediately cover it up. Therefore, we needed to act quickly. And that meant responding to the tireless pace of New York City.
This, combined with the fact that it is illegal to film the activity of flyposting in New York City, made it increasingly difficult to photograph 6up’s guerilla marketing before it was tainted by another brand. Furthermore, to completely capture the full scope of this campaign, we needed to cover a lot of ground in a finite amount of time. From 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM our team traveled between Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Soho—from one grungy city corner to the next.
A second challenge [but, in the end, an aesthetic gateway] was the fact that it rained all day long! The client was so pleased by the way our team overcame the elements and adapted to the lugubrious filter that had been cast on that winter day in New York City. By means of dark corners, mirrored images, puddled reflections and the piercing eye-contact of passersby our team was able to turn damp, grungy cityscapes into an icon for Off-White™️ clothing and a statement for NYFW.
The Results
In accordance with the rebellious act of flyposting, we wanted our photography to appear somewhat unlawful and unapologetically intentional. So, from city corners, we turned to the people of NYC. This was our way of invigorating the media with a certain Off-White™️ attitude. We had the models stare directly into the camera while we snapped photos from hidden vantage points. The result makes the viewer feel as if they are being caught in the act of photographing someone without their permission.
The choice to simulate candid shots really livened the gallery while lending a certain measure of authority to the photographer just as much as it does to the model. That was important to us. When we think of guerilla marketing, we think of the people behind the scenes–the boots on the ground sneaking around to put media where it shouldn’t be. In the end, pointing attention to the outlaws behind the camera provided our original photography gallery with a little added gumption.
