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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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Bibliography of findings

Where all my sources are from

Below is the full bibliography of any research used throughout this research blog.

British Fashion Council. [2016] Fear & Loafing by House of Holland. [video] Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72fpDwYT8IA [Accessed 10th December 2018].

Fekete A. [2015] The Chair Man. [video] Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWnuiUGbIHk [Accessed 10th December 2018].

Hu Q. [2015] Go Wild --A short fashion film. [video] Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIuzAIMgEK8 [Accessed 10th December 2018].

이민형. [2014] Fashion Film: "OOF" - Lee Minhyoeng. [video] Available from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOEZIsRYJqw [Accessed 10th December 2018].

Onarins. [2017] Sisters- Fashion Film. [video] Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2wJ7nRAfxg [Accessed 10th December 2018].

Pernet D. [n.d.] A Shaded View On Fashion. [website] Available from http://ashadedviewonfashion.com/ [Accessed 13th December 2018]

British Fashion Council. [2016] ARIES Film by Ben Sansbury And Fergus Purcell. [video] Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=93&v=wRj4BuwvbIU [Accessed 13th December 2018].

British Fashion Council. [2016] Le Picnic by Dom Jones x River Island. [video] Available from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=74&v=eJWCAO1Dgsw [Accessed 13th December 2018]

British Fashion Council. [2016] Beautiful Ones by Helen Lawrence. [video] Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=82&v=zemMlJARSr4 [Accessed 13th December 2018].

Brands4friends. [2015] brands4friendsXtimlabenda - A fashion film. [video] Available from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXC-1HqbSOk [Accessed 13th December 2018].

London Fashion Film Festival. [2015] Interview With Esther Löwe. [online article] Available from http://lfff.co.uk/interview-esther-lowe-2/ [Accessed 13th December 2018].

Snatch Digital. [2016] Top 5 best Fashion Lookbook Films. [online article] Available from http://snatchdigital.co.uk/top-5-best-fashion-lookbook-films [Accessed 13th December 2018].

University of Narvarra. [2016] Fashion films as a new communication format to build fashion brands. [online article] Available from https://www.unav.es/fcom/communication-society/en/articulo.php?art_id=568 [Accessed 14th December 2018].

Ayadler L. [2011] What are "Fashion Films". [online article] Available from https://blog.lindsayadlerphotography.com/what-are-fashion-films [Accessed 14th December 2018].

Sheeba Magazine. [2015] What is editorial fashion photography. [online article] Available from

http://www.sheebamagazine.com/read/what-is-editorial-fashion-photography/ [Accessed 14th December 2018].

Hendriksz V. [2015] Fashion films: the next step in brand story-telling? [online article] Available from https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/fashion-films-the-next-step-in-brand-story-telling/2015052216498 [Accessed 15th December 2018].

Show Studio. [2017] Natural Order: Stella Lucia / Nick Knight / Matthew Williams / NOLIFE. [video] Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b_Ak_tqDoM&feature=youtu.be [Accessed 15th December 2018].

Jigsaw. [n.d.] Heart immigration- behind the campaign. [website] Available from

http://www.jigsaw-online.com/content/behind-the-campaign [Accessed 15th December 2018].

Jigsaw. [n.d.] About. [website] Available from

http://www.jigsaw-online.com/content/about-jigsaw [Accessed 16th December 2018].

Beltrone G. [n.d.] Gap Found Real People, Not Models, for Its Summer Ads Celebrating American Diversity. [online article] Available from http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/gap-found-real-people-not-models-for-its-summer-ads-celebrating-american-diversity/ [Accessed 16th December 2018].

Encyclopaedia. [n.d.] The Gap, inc. [online article] Available from https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences-and-law/economics-business-and-labor/businesses-and-occupations/gap-inc [Accessed 16th December 2018].

Arvind. [n.d.] About Gap. [online article] Available from

https://arvindbrands.com/brands/gap [Accessed 17th December 2018].

Gap inc. [n.d.] GAP. [website] Available from http://www.gapinc.com/content/gapinc/html/aboutus/ourbrands/gap.html [Accessed 17th December 2018].

Benetton Group. [n.d.] Profile. [website] Available from http://www.benettongroup.com/the-group/profile/at-a-glance/ [Accessed 17th December 2018].

United Colors of Benetton. [n.d.] Social commitment. [website] Available from

https://life.benetton.com/gb/identity/social-commitment/ [Accessed 17th December 2018].

Ekall P. [2017] Jigsaw's Brexit-Inspired 'Heart Immigration' Campaign Is Nailing Wokeness Like No Other British Brand RN. [online article] Available from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/jigsaw-heart-immigration-adverts-2017_uk_59de2470e4b0b26332e8556c [Accessed 18th December 2018].

Hyde K. [2017] Challenging the meaning of British style with fashion brand, Jigsaw. [online article] Available from https://blogs.ancestry.co.uk/ancestry/2017/10/10/challenging-the-meaning-of-british-style-with-fashion-brand-jigsaw/?o_xid=64493&o_lid=64493&o_sch=Social+Media+Natural+ [Accessed 18th December 2018].

Graafland A. How Jigsaw’s AW17 ‘Heart Immigration’ fashion campaign is uniting Britain. [online article] Available from http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/style/celebrity-fashion/how-jigsaws-aw17-heart-immigration-11358937. [Accessed 19th December 2018].

Boddington R. Jigsaw unveils punchy pro-immigration AW17 campaign. [online article] Available from https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/jigsaw-heart-immigration-graphic-design-fashion-111017 [Accessed 19th December 2018].

Smith C. [2015] Clothes Are For Life Not Landfill. [online article] Available from https://www.nubimagazine.com/clothes-life-not-landfill/ [Accessed 19th December 2018].

West G. [2016] Jigsaw challenges fashion norms with 'Lived not modelled' SS16 campaign. [online article] Available from http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/03/09/jigsaw-challenges-fashion-norms-lived-not-modelled-ss16-campaign [Accessed 19th December 2018].

Singh P. [2017] Jigsaw posts 8 percent increase in annual sales. [online article] Available from https://fashionunited.uk/news/business/jigsaw-posts-8-percent-increase-in-annual-sales/2017070325039 [Accessed 20th December 2018].

Lobb J. [2017] Gestures, Scene I. [video] Available from https://vimeo.com/168364299 [Accessed 20th December 2018].

Black and Abroad. [2017] Black London: A Guide. [online article] Available from https://www.weareblackandabroad.com/travelersnotes/2017/4/the-guide-to-black-london [Accessed 5th January 2018].

Rolling Out. [2015] The Streets of Black London. [online article] Available from http://rollingout.com/2015/09/01/streets-black-london/#1 [Accessed 5th January 2018].

Thisiswhistles. [2014] Dazed & Whistles x Bradley Zero. [video] Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr4LUlINmho [Accessed 6th January 2018].

Brown H. [2017] Jigsaw sales rise as international and online thrive. [online article] Available from https://www.drapersonline.com/news/jigsaw-sales-rise-as-international-and-online-thrive/7022208.article [Accessed 6th January 2018].

Guan man P. [2018] Christmas trading up at Jigsaw. [online article] Available from https://www.drapersonline.com/news/christmas-trading-up-at-jigsaw/7028394.article [Accessed 6th January 2018].

Singh P. [2016] Whistles reports fall in profit and sales. [online article] Available from https://fashionunited.uk/news/business/whistles-reports-fall-in-profit-and-sales2/2016110122308 [Accessed 6th January 2018].

Brown H. [2018] Signs of turnaround at Whistles as sales rise [online article] Available from https://www.drapersonline.com/news/signs-of-turnaround-at-whistles-as-sales-rise/7028348.article?blocktitle=Whistles:-Latest-News&contentID=6804 [Accessed 6th January 2018].

Christie S. [2017] H&M to shut stores after 'unexpected' dip in sales [online article] Available from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/12/15/hm-shut-stores-unexpected-dip-sales/ [Accessed 6th January 2018].

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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12.02.18-18.02.18

Final touches

This week very much involved collating all finishing touches towards the film. I wanted the majority of the film to be finished by the end of the week so that the final week left could just be used to get everything together ready for hand in rather than rushing to finish the editing of the film.

The majority of effort placed into the film this week was around colour grading. Although I have been lucky with the original footage in that the colours than were coming through were really nice already. I would say this is down to prop and setting selection but the camera used really seemed to grasp onto colours beautifully. In previous research I had explored the desire to bring across a real strong sense of style and aesthetic. Although already through styling, prop design and location choice a strong aesthetic had already created a strong aesthetic the next and final stage was to colour grade. Colour grading would really help to pull out particular colours and create an effect similar to Wes Anderson and Tom Solondaz who I had been heavily inspired by through their use of strong colour.

I experimented with the colour grading of the film first, attempting to just adjust certain areas and see what had the most appealing result. I found that the footage looked best with a cooler tone to it. Therefore adjustments to the temperature of the footage was the first step to take to achieve this result. I didn't want it to look to over edited so I made sure everything was done in moderation. Dependent upon each footage I then did do basic adjustments to elements such as brightness, contrast, whites and blacks etc. These although quite simple made such a difference on certain footage. Particularly footage that was perhaps slightly too dark (a lot of the China Town footage) and or too light (a lot of the Camden market footage). I found though to get the best colouration effect was through the effects panel (lumetri colour) in this I was able to adjust the colour wheel, adjusting highlights and shadows to a particular colour. I dragged the highlights towards blue tones, again making sure this was done in moderation and highlights to a more orangey tone as I knew a lot of the footage had hints of orange. Tint effects were moved towards the green bar to create a cooler hue. Saturation was also turned down to make it cooler. I then also added grain to the film to give it a real gritty, vintage aesthetic. I think the overall aesthetic is subtle but definitely defined and different. It was so important for me to make this of high importance as I really wanted to create a unique identity for this film as this has been lacking previously in Jigsaws other film campaigns.

The majority of the film is now finished, the clips chosen are now probably all the final ones. I showed my work back both to Alex and Karen and received strong feedback, with some small adjustments I now feel that the film is almost complete. This week I have to add the beginning title sequence and also the credits at the end of the film but I left this to last as it was not of my greatest priorities. I also now need to edit the film down to fit the requirements for the social media content and also the tube station content. I am hoping however this wont take much of my time and I can then spend the remainder of the week collating all my work together to get it completely ready for hand in on Friday. Below are some screen shots of the film to show the coloration of the film.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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16.02.2018

Social Media Mock up

Social media will be the main platform for promoting the campaign and ultimately displaying the film. It is important to create mock-up versions of how the film will be promoted across a range of social media platforms. As social media has been a key element of research throughout this unit I felt it was more than necessary to produce how the film will actually appear to consumers. I now understand the importance of social media as a marketing tool and the potential benefits it can bring.

Instagram

Instagram is currently Jigsaws most successfully run social media platform. Therefore it is important to be in keeping with their current style as it has been well received by the consumer. However, it is important to remember that this campaign is hoping to reach out to a slightly younger demographic so enticing this new flow of interaction is also necessary.

The main purpose of Instagram for this campaign is to have a series of snip-it sized clips running up to the final reveal of the full length film on other media platforms. It will hopefully entice people to engage with the campaign prior to it being brought out and then to engage with the film and the campaign once it had been released.

This mock-up displays an overall view of Jigsaws Instagram profile, on the run up to relation of the film. For me it is important that although the clips need to entice an audience, I do not want it giving everything away. I have focused mostly on using zoomed in clips from the film that highlight a real sense of Britishness. I do not want to reveal the character or features of him discovering this ‘new Britain’ as I want that to be left very open. The aesthetic and style works well together and I think that although the videos are not particularly exhilarating, they present a really clear identity and this is exactly what the film needed to do. Compared to their original video campaigns this film is moving totally away from the commercialized look-book style they have used previously. This campaign is not focused upon clothing it is about a campaign that is supported by a daring clothing campaign. I feel that by using clips not focused purely upon the clothing this may help to bring in a new audience as it will capture the attention of loyal jigsaw consumers and also people who are not perhaps interested so much in the clothing but more the campaign.

These mock-ups display perhaps a more in detailed version of how Instagram will be used to promote the film. I think in-keeping with Jigsaws current very honest and personable narrative is crucial as this to me is something they currently do very well. From looking at their blog in previous research I understand how they speak to their consumers and found that rhetorical and direct questioning is perhaps the best way to grab a viewers immediate attention as it makes everything personal to them. For example with the first mock-up below the use of question allows people to interact with the post so perhaps encouraging interaction, which currently is lacking on the majority of Jigsaws social media platforms. It will allow people to tag other social media users, discus and relate to the hashtags and create noise about the campaign- exactly what is necessary.

Twitter

Through previous research I found that their Twitter page was the weakest of all social media platforms. There was such minimal interaction between posts and their audiences and it just felt very commercial. This was something I really wanted to help change through this campaign. Twitter can be such a useful tool to promote hashtag campaigns as it is practically the home of hashtag. So I think Twitter will be mostly used to promote more written content than visuals, but perhaps including visuals to keep a clear aesthetic and engaging style. Twitter will provide a strong tool to alert an audience about the various events that are running alongside the campaign. I think that it will allow people to engage with the hashtags and to promote the campaign further by use of re-tweeting and favouriting could really spread the campaign out further.

Below you can see a mock-up of a few posts that may demonstrate what Twitter would be used for with promoting the film. The film itself will not be finally displayed on Twitter but links will be provided to the website and YouTube channel to which they will be displayed upon.

Facebook

Facebook is quite a universal form of social media. Facebook allows for the sharing of images, videos and written content so it will present Jigsaw with a strong way to prevent a selection of content. Mostly it will be used to promote the final stages of the campaigns such as the reveal of the film and the various events running throughout the Spring and Summer. The full length film itself will not be displayed on Facebook but will be linked to encourage audiences to go to the website or YouTube channel.

YouTube

YouTube will be the platform where the full length film will be displayed as well as on the Jigsaw website. I think it is important to just have a few platforms where the final film will be displayed as it will allow for meaningful engagement with original content on other platforms to make it worthwhile for audiences to engage across all platforms.

YouTube is at a slightly different level compared to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. There is less consideration of narrative and style as it is being used just to display the film, and therefore it is more the film that needs to do the talking. However elements such as the description are vital in supporting the film. YouTube allows for a high level of interaction through likes, dislikes, subscriptions and comments. Choice of thumbnail is important to make sure people click on the video. Videos that are successful may ‘trend’ if they spark enough attention and therefore will receive a higher platform and as a result gain greater views and interaction.

London Tube Stations

Displaying the campaign across tube stations is a technique used throughout a lot of Jigsaws previous campaigns and I think it could potentially be one of the strongest ways to entice people to engage with the campaign. A shortened clip will be displayed across large screens with the intention to get people involved, taking photos, hash-tagging and creating noise about the campaign. The hope that compared to the boring commute it should help to get more people involved.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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09.02.18

A week spent editing

This week has involved actually putting the film together. The editing, although quite a tedious process has allowed me to be in control, creative and create the exact content I had wished to create.

I began the week by tiredly sorting through footage, deleting any that where unusable due to shakiness of the camera, to bright exposure or if they didn't capture what I intended. This process allowed for me for the first time to actually analyse what had managed to be filmed and therefore setting me up to be able to begin the editing process.

Editing at first was quite slow, it took me quite a while to get used to using the software again- after a short break. Once I had got my head around the controls and some short cuts I was working at quite a steady pace, therefore only really beginning to create promising content by the end of the week due to my slow start. I stuck closely to my shot list plan at the beginning of the week, as it helped me to stick to the desired story line I wished to create. As the process went on elements of the shot selection where removed or put to the side due to the reality of some shots not looking right, or not actually fitting in properly to what I had pictured before. I understand the importance of creating a shot list but I think it is crucial to not feel restrained by it in the editing process as it is more important to work with what looks best and adapt the film to this.

I began content wise working chronologically, beginning with all the footage from the house setting. The majority of my editing involved clipping desired clips down and working them together to make interesting scenes. For me it is important that the film remains engaging to the viewer at all times as it is going to be quite long for a fashion film. Taking inspiration from the direction of Edgar Wright I wanted quick transitions and cuts throughout that jumped out to the viewer in quirky ways. Although in the process of my editing quite a way off, sound effects would also help to dramatize these cuts more. Another crucial element for me was making the clips work in regards to the music, I wanted clips to transition on the beat and work fluidly against the music.

The music choice behind the film was something I wanted to spend quite a bit of time choosing. From my previous research into fashion films, for me, the music can make or break the film. For the house scene as the character is interacting with a radio in a early scene I thought this would be ideal to begin the introduction of the music. I decided upon classical music as I didn't want anything too overbearing at this stage, for me the transition between the home location and the market location needed to be demonstrated through the music selection. I wanted the classical music to perhaps demonstrate the slightly dull and mundane experience felt within the home and for the music chosen for the market to be upbeat, strong and interesting. I believe choosing this music before beginning editing really allowed me to work the clips towards the music selection. Making sure the clips worked perfectly in time to the music.

I would say the house scenes were slightly easier to edit as the content gathered from shooting was very similar to what my shot list required as there were very little, if any restrictions on the day, some elements were removed such as the beginning transition of leading up towards the house and into the hallway and finally coming across the character at his desk. The outside shots were not great as it had been raining that morning and was still raining when shooting, as we knew the majority of our outside shooting was being done the day after which was forcased for cloudy but no rain, it could not make sense to use this footage, the footage itself was also not great so I scraped it. So, although little was altered a number of decisions had to be considered to get the best result out of the film. I would say the hardest element of editing these scenes in this location was the selection of shots and trying to make the action interesting in every cut. Keeping continuity was hard, as I wanted to make sure that the perspectives throughout were varied not keeping it at one camera angle, therefore working two or more clips together at varied angels to keep it interesting. I wanted to keep the film short with quality over quantity, every shot had to be necessary, in order to keep it short and engaging. It needed to be fast paced in order to show time progressing whilst also keeping a good pace to the film and constantly engaging for the viewer.

Going onto the Camden market scenes with regards to editing, required a strict selection of footage. There was just so much to play with but it all needed to be engaging and interesting to watch. Following of the shot plan was mostly disregarded with the editing of this section of the film, as I had predicted prior to shooting, the end results of the footage was varied and unpredictable as anything could capture us when we were on shoot. The most challenging aspect of the editing of this section was choosing between the footage as I had so many strong options, so it took a long time to sort through and decided what needed to stay and what needed to go. The other challenging aspect was fitting the footage to the music. The music selection for this element of the film was so much more upbeat than the other classical music used in previous scenes. It required skillful and time consuming practice to get all the clips in union with the music.

The next selection was the transition between Camden market and China Town. Although not in the shot plan it was discovered when shooting that there was no transition between the two locations and as Camden was filmed during day light and China Town at night this was definitely required. I wanted to pursue more of Edgar Wrights style again as this was not so maintained within the Camden market scenes as it wasn’t suitable. Therefore smart, witty cutting away from the bustling streets to him just sat waiting for a train, the removal of the music worked really well. A challenge also faced was the repetition of the music track, as this was also the music necessary for the China Town scenes I felt it may perhaps get boring and repetitive so this short cut of music allows for a break and then for it to kick in again without it being dull. The biggest challenge of the editing of these clips in this location was again getting the varied angels to meet up and correlate accurate movement.

The China Town footage was actually more disappointing that thought when shooting, leaving a lot less footage to play with that others. But in a way it allowed for easier selection of the best footage. Again the most difficult element of the editing of this footage was making it work with the music and making things cut and transition on the beats, it just took me a lot of time and playing around.

The final scene is the character returning to the house, to which we got a few shots of him walking through streets at night time so it transitions well. These shots were easy to edit as nothing too complicated was being required. Finally the scene of him returning and beginning to type away, the prior shot list has changed quite dramatically on these last shots as to what actually was filmed and also what looked right when editing. Again though a fairly simple element of the film so the editing was easy to do as it just required cutting clips down and fitting them together.

Earlier in the week when I had just edited the house scene I showed to Alex and received very strong feedback. He loved my choice of editing in time to the music and said that it all worked really well together, with no criticisms of anything just to keep going and make sure it is finished by the deadline in two weeks- which I think it will be.

As the main bulk of the film is now together the only areas needed to be done are the flash back scene, the sound effects throughout, coloring and filters and finally any other tweaks that may be required. I have two weeks now to finish this and feel I am definitely on target to finish in time.

I am going to show my film this week coming to Karen so hopefully any feedback she can give will also be helpful to making it better.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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03.02.18-05.02.18

Filming in process

This weekend was the long awaited opportunity for the filming of the shoot. Initially, I was just very nervous and slightly dreading it, hoping that the weekend would pan out how I had intended it to be. This diary entry will just address a blog of the weekend (what was done, what was challenging and what were the successes).

Day 1- Friday

The Friday was the first day of filming, we came up a day early in order to gain some b-roll footage and also to get familiar with our surroundings and the locations we were to shoot in. Arriving first at the house that we were to shoot majority on the Saturday with the model, we were able to plan what rooms we wanted to use, how we were to place props and any lighting or other restraints. The biggest challenge we faced with this location was the desire to shoot in an office space, but due to movement and lighting restraints the room just wasn’t suitable enough. Luckily, as we went up this day earlier we were able to go up this day earlier, it helped to consider and adapt ourselves to where we needed to film. Clearly early planning and consideration of restraints helped to make this problem not effect the result of the filming in the days to come. Other than that we relocated the location choice within the film to the kitchen/living room as there was lots of natural light coming through here and the aesthetic of the house was really interesting and worked well. Further testing of using the camera in this location was done to trial light, exposure and coloring that would be portrayed. After we had finished with this location, no b-roll was necessary so we decided to head to Camden market to try and get any b-roll needed, whilst also planning for location choices, camera considerations and any restrains we may occur. As we visited late Friday evening we understood that the business of the market was not representative to what it would be on the Sunday, so we had to bare this in mind and not be too optimistic with space and availability of movement as it would defiantly be more restricted there. We spent most time walking around the various stalls filming b-roll of items, people and general goings on. We constantly asked permission from shop owners before filming and planned out which stores were happy for us to film and the very few that asked us not to, in order to not provoke them or waste our time in the days to come. Overall though the previous planning into visitation of Camden really paid off and after some trialing with shooting, light and accessibility we felt confident for our return on the Sunday. The final location for us to shoot at was China Town so when it got darker we headed there (as all shots filmed at China Town are to be at night time so we needed to be representative of this). Again we got a feel for the location, accessibility and lighting considerations. China Town definitely offered the smoothest run through from all the other locations, just because there was a lot of space for movement and although it was busy it didn’t make filming difficult at it is such a larger space than the previous locations. Testing into lighting went well, as the camera used works very well in low light so this potential restraint did not impact. After some collation of b-roll we had collected everything available for shooting without the model. I would say the decision to plan well in advance and giving myself a day to just get a feel of each location definitely helped to prepare myself a lot better than for the actual shoot days.

Day 2- Saturday

Today was the first day shooting involving the model so it was quite a nerve racking process as it needed to be shot well, within the time restraints, with perfecting the models actions and movements. We shot all of Saturday in the house location, with a few shots out in the streets when the rain calmed down. Thankfully as I had looked into the weather report I understood that the Saturday would be raining all day and therefore this was the most suited opportunity to film inside. The process began slow at the beginning, trying to organize the shots, the model and all the added features like props took a long time to sort out. However, once we began and got into the flow the rate of the shots were increasing and we were creating strong content rapidly. There were minimal restrains and it was enjoyable to film in the house as we did not have to deal with weather, public, noise etc. The shoot went really well for this day and I hope that the shots reflect this well. I would definitely say the planning and following the shot selection allowed for a fairly smooth day.

Day 3- Sunday

The Sunday was to be perhaps the most challenging of days spent filming as there was a lot more that could perhaps go wrong. So we began early morning at Camden market meeting the model there. Although for the other day I had stuck strictly to my shot selection I was a lot more open minded with the shots today as I just didn’t know what we be going on at the market so I adapted to this making the model interact with whatever elements looked good. The shooting actually ran really smoothly we were able to get most if not all of the shots necessary as well as some added extras which I will be able to go through and select. The model worked really well in the surroundings and the styling of his clothing also worked well, with the clothing standing out without being alarmingly different. The majority of the day was just spent exploring different elements of Camden and getting the model to interact with this. I would say the biggest challenge we faced from this day was the crowds and business of the market, it made it difficult to get some angels and some shots, and also we needed to be respectful towards others like the crowds or the shop owners. We had no complaints from any one and we quietly got along with our business without causing a scene and hopefully ended up with strong shots. We finished ahead of time so then had some time to spare, waiting for it to get darker to begin heading to China Town. We considered then in our spare time to do some shooting at the tube station as b-roll footage that we may wish to include. We chose a quite platform and were able to get some really interesting results from this. After the tube shooting we decided to head to Piccadilly Circus as we had a little more time before we needed to get to China Town and discovered we need a transition location between day time and nigh time so filming somewhere in the middle so around dusk. Again, an element not part of the shot list but it worked really well and the shots we received were strong and hopefully will feature in the final cut. We then finally headed to China Town. The shoot went really well here, we were fully prepared for all potential restrains we may face and we got what we wanted, if not more.

I am really pleased with how the weekend went. My previous planning and organisation definitely contributed to the success of it. I really hope the footage relays the hard work gone in behind the scenes.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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22.01.18

Final Idea Confirmation

A lot of my time till now has been spent creating my marketing report so I therefore have been mainly focusing on getting this complete before I begin filming to clear my schedule completely for the filming and later editing required with my film, I understand this will probably take a lot of time. Therefore, I haven’t had much to write about within my blogs as a lot of my research has been done prior to creating the marketing report. This will provide a brief overview of what I have been doing for the past week and where I am planning to go with regards to the weeks to come.

Feedback

In today's session we presented our shot list and therefore our most solid, final draft of our ideas. As Karen was ill the week before we had quite a while to collate this information and create a very in-depth shot list, but I guess this is a positive. The shot list basically complies of all the scenes and shots I am planning to create, with an image to summarize it and little descriptions on length of shots, angels and actions the actor must do. The shot list really helped me to define a much clearer sense of where I wanted the film to go and to make necessary decisions on elements I had not yet even considered. My shot list was very in-depth and quite lengthy as I wanted everything to be explained to a ‘T’ to make it coherent for my camera man and the actor. As in a previous lecture, visiting lecturer Justin Barrow explained the importance of planning and preparation behind our films and how in-depth this must be to achieve a strong outcome, this shot list has really allowed me to plan in depth and I believe will be beneficial when I come to film as I will know everything I need to shoot.

Explanation Of Final Idea

My shot list was well received as well as my final concept for the campaign and story line for the film. The final solidified concept is now based around the story of a writer, who has writers block who to be inspired steps out into his community and is inspired by different cultures, people, food, music etc. It is to run alongside a campaign from Jigsaw that is to promote multiculturalism within Britain, and encouraging people to immerse with others perhaps unfamiliar customs, culture and individuals and celebrating our uniqueness is something that should be met with positivity. Jigsaw throughout the months surrounding Spring/Summer 2018 will hold events, festivals, exhibitions for people to engage with varied culture in their areas.

This campaign that is part of their Style and Truth campaign runs alongside the promotion of their new Spring/Summer collection that was developed by creatives from all over the world. The collaboration explores colour, print, silhouettes that steps outside Jigsaws comfort zone, just as they wish their consumer to do to immerse in unfamiliar culture.

The feedback given was mostly positive, that they liked the campaign idea and the story line of the film. They thought that perhaps elements of the film were not necessary, and it may run too long and that getting rid of weaker parts will make it stronger. I definitely agree with this and believe that when I come back with the footage I will be critical and ruthless when it comes to getting rid of footage or shots that aren’t successful or adding anything to the film. I would like the film to be maximum 4 minutes long, but I would rather base it around the 3-minute duration as I feel any longer will loose the attention of the viewers. I am definitely pleased with the feedback received and now feel that it is all about planning and preparation to be able to pull this off now.

Further Steps To Take

Justin suggested some techniques that may benefit the planning behind the film. He suggested looking at Google maps on street view will allow me to understand my location (Camden market/ Chinatown) better, and the more familiar I am with it the easier it will be when it comes to filming and setting up. I have to consider that I am quite tight for time in consideration to the detailed story line and locations I wish to film in, therefore making sure the planning and preparation is done well will ensure this will run as smoothly as possible on the limited days I have to film. Looking well in advance about weather, lighting, time of day etc. is crucial as these could potentially really effect the film. He suggested certain apps that would allow me to plan in advance these elements, so I am not left in the dark on the days I am filming.

I think I now need to go back through my shot list and tweak any elements that need updating from my tutorial feedback, Justin in particular mentioned focusing on the audio requirements for mine as I was planning to do the sound effect in post-production, but he feels collating this audio when filming could also be helpful. Once my shot list is complete I will need to send it out to both the actor and cameraman to ensure they both have a full understanding of what is required of them on the day and any preparation they may need to do can be done to save time on the day. I think it will be beneficial to sit down with my camera man and pan out every shot and the details involved to make sure it is all coherent and if there are any element he would want to adapt.

I now need to explore the styling, prop and scenography elements within my film. I need to purchase any clothing that is required, any props required and plan with regards to location and shooting. I want the film to have character and style and so therefore it is important that the features displayed in the film reflect this slightly quirky aesthetic I want to achieve. Taking inspiration from directors such as Wes Anderson and Tom Solondz who have such defined styles and aesthetic within their films needs to come across in mine and I believe this can be best done through clever styling, prop design and placement and elements within post production such as filters, lighting, colours etc. I will ensure to mood board these elements and plan them properly before purchasing to ensure an aesthetic theme is maintained throughout.

I have planned to film the weekend of the 3rd/4th of February as I felt this left enough time for planning and equally enough time for editing and post production. So that leaves me one more week until filming, I therefore need to expand my planning and explore all details required to ensure that my filming can run as smoothly as possible on the days planned. I am aiming to continue and hopefully finish the content side of my marketing report this week to make sure it is completely out the way for the final few weeks left then to edit. I think concept building and mood boarding will defiantly help me when considering the final details within the film.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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19.01.18

Trialing Premier further

In todays session with Alex I wanted to expand upon my skills within Premier Pro further. I wanted to explore the skills I currently had such as importing, cropping and adjusting speed and duration of clips. I also wanted to perhaps trial elements that I was planning to use within my film to test out angels, editing and how I would actual shoot them.

YouTube Importing and Editing

I began by being set the task of creating pretty much anything we liked by importing videos from YouTube and complying the clips together to make something. I decided upon trying to make a film of a collation of Donald Trump videos into a song. I chose this as I had seen it done before and it had had good results and it would really help to refine my skills in the areas I had previously been taught. The main elements involved to create the film required me sat of hours listening through Trumps speeches or interviews in the hope he would say the word that I required. I would say the task definitely helped me to become more comfortable with Premier as I had to keep coming back to it and using it to inset, cut or edit elements of the clips. I now feel a lot more fluent in these tasks and am able to do them quickly and independently. A lot of the clips speed and duration had to be slowed down as he said elements too quickly for the pace of the song, this required very intricate cutting and decisions but although it tested me I believe it has made me more fluent in how to achieve these results. I have realised how long editing actually does take even for quite a basic and small video here, it took a lot longer than I had anticipated. Therefore, I understand that when it comes to making my film I have to over anticipate for time necessary for editing. The next challenging element then came from placing the audio of the song over the videos and making it work in time to the audio from the clips, this made me practice my previously undiscovered audio skills further and expand knowledge into how do things such as raising particular clips audio or making it quitter. This skill was so necessary for me with regards to this task as a lot of the clips where taken from a variety of different videos and therefore the audio differed on them making them not coherent. The end result as shown below, is ok, some elements didn’t work as well such as the audio of the clips were not really loud enough compared to the music, so I turned the music right down which then lost that side of the audio, so it was fairly imbalanced. However, it did definitely help to improve my skills and my comfortability with using the software. I feel the more tasks like this I can do the more I will be able to improve my skills before having to actually edit my own film and make sure I am fluent in all areas required to create my film.

Birds Eye View Filming Trial

I then wanted to trial elements that I am planning to use within my film just to practice more behind the shooting of these and a little behind the editing if required. I had the opportunity to speak Alex through my shot list and through this he suggested techniques I could practice before actually doing them on my final film. One shot that caught his eye to trial was my birds eye view technique that in particular for this trial was relating to a scene of the writer throwing pieces of paper into a bin, but a technique that is used in other areas of the film so it was defiantly good to practice. Alex showed me the requirements of setting up to achieve this birds eye view and that required a clamp and a tripod. The set up is the crucial stage in order to achieving this result, the rest is fairly simple and just requires recording and then doing the actions that were required for that scene (throwing scrumpled up paper into a bin). After attempting it a few times due to the focus of the camera not being direct, which is obviously something I need to perfect for the real shoot, I then had to footage to be able to edit together on Premier. I wanted to as I am using him as inspiration make it slightly Wes Anderson in style to very quick snappy cuts of the paper flying into the bin and make it interesting to watch for the viewer. This again helped to develop my editing, importing and cutting skills on Premier. I think the end result displays exactly what I wished it to and I believe was really crucial practice for the final thing as it tested and pushed me to trial the technique of bird’s eye view, something I had never done before, and to test it out properly.

vimeo

Overall, I believe today was a really beneficial session as it was hands on and practical I was able to really test elements that are going to be required in the creation of my film, whether improving upon fairly limited skills or learning completely new ones I defiantly feel a lot more confident in using the software.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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12.01.18

Advancement In Using Premier Pro

Today we had our third session with Alex. I found todays session really helpful and it was probably the most progress I had made with understanding the premier pro software. I feel a lot more comfortable with it now as this task stretched us further and also challenged us.

After spending most of the morning regaining some knowledge on Premier Pro after forgetting a lot of it over the Christmas holidays. We basically were asked to go and shoot some footage with a shutter speed of 50/1 as this is the style we need to shoot in for our films to get a smooth result and that, so it can be sped up well and slowed down and still look professional. We basically spent it filming random shots that we thought might look good in slow motion, after collating all this footage together we then took it into premier pro and had a little play with it, creating nothing really of much substance but it was enough to show us what controls were needed and in effect what buttons to press.

After lunch we were then set a task to shoot and edit a film that was to be a maximum of 20 seconds and what to be created for a brand of our choice. We were split into two groups and basically had to compete against the other group to see who could create the best film in this short time.

We decided to do a shot film show casing a coat from H&M. The shooting of this actually really helped me to learn new techniques as I have never actually done any filming up until now, and I find it is very different to taking photos and there are many more elements that have to be monitored and adapted to get a professional look.

Elements such as keeping shots still and really working the shot and moving it around produces the strongest effects. Prior to shooting we actually created a really rough shot plan so we had some idea on what we wanted to capture and found this initial planning definitely helped a lot. We therefore had a number of shots that we wanted to film which we got done, and then continued to shoot some b roll just in case we needed to fill in any gaps.

I felt we were all a little skeptical when importing all the shots as it was quite a new thing to us. However, a lot of the shots actually turned out quite well, looked professional and were not shaky or out of focus. After importing them in we went through them all deleting and selecting the shots we wished to us.

I would say a large chunk of our time was spend chopping down clips to get them how we required and then altering with the duration and speed of the clips to make them look a lot smoother. After we had done this we then went into the after effects of the clips to make them all match up well and get these strong colours coming through. As we used two cameras to shoot they both had slightly different looks and we preferred one of the two, so we altered the colours, brightness and contrast to make them blend in compared to the other footage. I was really pleased to learn these techniques as it was something that I hadn’t done before and it got me a lot more comfortable with the controls in premier pro. After all the main editing had been done we then just needed to place an audio track over which suited the video, which we took from a previous H&M campaign and then take the H&M logo insert it at the end of the video and add a fading out effect on both the beginning and end of the film.

For a first attempt I think we did well. I think it looks quite professional for just being shot in campus and for our first-time filming. This task has really improved my confidence with using Premier Pro and I feel I could now use it quite comfortably. I realize I need to do a lot of test shooting and ‘playing around’ with the software before it comes to actually filming and editing as I am still quite far off being fully comfortable with all elements of Premier Pro. The clip is inserted below.

vimeo

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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10.01.18

Introduction- Marketing Report

Today we had a session in university that Karen conducted that focused us upon the digital marketing context report that we are required to create alongside our film, which is meant to collate all our research together into a short document. Its purpose is to capture all the things I have learned about the market, the competition, and customers. The session promoted us to think about our brands in a lot more detail and how these details can impact the way we conduct the film.

We basically began the session by having a break down of what needs to be referred to within the marketing report. It is important to analyse the brand and their competitors specific use of moving image and digital marketing strategies. Today I will need to expand my research into how my fashion film relates to other areas of the business. We went on to do some work into the brand analysis and therefore attempt to define the brand essence, brand values and brand personality, as these are the features that become the overall brand identity. There were a number of questions we were set to answer, I will insert these below along with my answers.

Exploration Into Executing Jigsaws Identity

Does the brand have any unique characteristics to its visuals or moving image content? Some of their campaigns are distinctive, in that for example in campaigns such as their lived not modelled campaign it offered something really fresh and interesting compared to their other visual film merchandising. However, I would argue that their lack of frequent uploads of visual merchandising makes them very limited, compared to their competitors. Their identity seems scrambled to me as they do not have a clear nor defined style or identity throughout their films, making the fairly sporadic. I believe this negative element of the brand could be perhaps what my campaign film could do to promote and improve them upon.

Do they have a niche in terms of brand identity?

Jigsaw have a freshly independent identity, which is unusual for a high street based store. Their honest and integral tone sets them apart from their competitors. Jigsaw strive for change and stray away from the status quo.

What are the other visual elements of the brand and how do they all relate? Jigsaw have a very natural, raw and elegant aesthetic within their campaign photoshoots. In some of their previous film campaigns they have maintained this style, whereas in others they stray away from this sophisticated identity completely, making it confusing as viewers and not fluent.

What is the tone of voice of the brand, how does this relate to the target market? Jigsaw use an honest, direct and personable tone throughout. It is present on their website, editorials and films. I believe that this tone responds well towards the consumer as it feels relatable and truthful.

How does this tone of voice come through in the brands literature? Jigsaw have a written blog which is displayed within their website. The blog is frequently uploaded onto and is a platform for discussion between them and the consumer, it allows them to have a voice. The tone of voice is reciprocated throughout their literature creating easy to read, personable, sophisticated and well communicated content. Their use of direct language again allows them to connect to the consumer well.

How does this tone of voice come through in the brands photography?

It is the choice, range and diversity of the models that solidify jigsaws inclusive, honest and achievable perception towards the consumer.

Who does the brand work with to create its visual content? Jigsaw have collaborated with others to create their visual content such as collaborations with the National film and television school, Kuroki (a Japenese mill), Sam Kerr (designer and maker) to name the few.

Competitor Anaylsis

We then went onto explore more behind the brands competitors, using the SWOT analysis. I had previously done this section of research for COS a close competitor for Jigsaw, but I had not explored another competitor in this detail. I therefore decided to do the same task for that of Whistles another very close competitor to Jigsaw. Below is my Swot analysis of Whistles.

In summary I believe that compared to Jigsaw Whistles have a stronger form of intelligent visual communication strategies in particular their photography, editorial and film. Their use of strategic collaborations within their films make them interesting and therefore have a strong following and response from them. This therefore is something that Jigsaw really need to consider when creating their new campaign video, they need to step above the competition. Whistles current film campaigns are strong and varied. They collaborate and although are quite focused upon the clothing they have interesting techniques and story lines to draw consumers in and this is something Jigsaw are currently not even coming close to. The SWOT analysis again has worked as a really good tool to explore Jigsaws competitors and the exploration of the competitor is crucial to set Jigsaw apart from them and work towards a greater unique selling point.

Statistical Competitive Data

As part of a section of my own research I just wanted to explore some statistical data into Jigsaw and their closest competitors, Cos and Whistles. I believe that exploring these statistics could help to identify Jigsaws positioning compared to their competitors and perhaps why they are doing well if they are, or why they may be under-performing compared. This will then lead my research to explore how the film could potentially benefit from the creation of a campaign film like the one I wish to create.

Jigsaw

There wasn’t much available online for Jigsaws annual report. However, I was able to find an article from the fashion united website which explored their rise in annual sales from 2016, therefore this is not the most recent implication of their profits but it will provide relevant information regardless. The article explains that “Clothing retailer Jigsaw has reported an 8 percent increase in its annual revenues to 94.7 million pounds (123 million dollars) for the year ended October 1, 2016, reports City A. M. The report further said, the sales growth was driven by 18 percent jump in UK online sales and 11 percent rise in profit to 6.2 million pounds (8 million dollars) in the UK”. Another article found on drapers also explored the report published by Jigsaw explaining that “online sales increased to £19m, up from £15m in 2015. There was strong growth internationally, as Jigsaw began trading in the Netherlands, incorporated its Australian franchise partner and continued to open concessions in the US. European sales grew to £1.9m, up from £445,000 in 2015. Sales in the rest of the world hit £3.35m, up from £1.78m in 2015”. So clearly Jigsaw have had a successful few years and this film campaign could help to extend this success further. From my research into their previous film campaigns I would argue this is not the area that has resulted in this margin of success therefore there is area for more improvement from this.

Looking into their competitors annual reports will allow comparison to see if Jigsaw are actually doing well in comparison.

Whistles

When looking into Whistles annual report I again found information from drapers which explained that “Womenswear retailer Whistles has posted a growth in sales and EBITDA for the 62 weeks to 1 April 2017, as the business bounces back from a loss the previous year”. From the research I conducted I would believe that their persistence into their visual campaigns like their shoots and films would definitely have been a contributor to this rise in sales. Again using the website fashion united they provided figures for the year before as there was not much available on this year. “Whistles has said that its EBITDA for the 52 weeks ending January 30, 2016 decreased to 2.9 million pounds (3.5 million dollars) and sales were down 1 percent”.

Compared to Jigsaws statistics it actually shows that Whistles are quite dramatically behind them with their sales. It is interesting as they are aesthetically such similar brands. Clearly Jigsaw has something that sets them apart. I have to consider however that both these results were from last year so unless I can find information for this year this is the data I will have to work from.

Cos

The complications I have discovered with understanding Cos’s annual report is that as it is a diffusion group from H&M it is near to impossible to find data just related to them and not H&M as a whole. Looking purely at H&M would not be reliable as they are such a larger and national brand compared to both Jigsaw and Whistles. However I therefore had a little insight into H&M by using an online article published by the telegraph newspaper “Global fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) will close stores after suffering its biggest drop in quarterly sales in 10 years. The group, which owns Stockholm-based H&M as well as brands such as COS, Weekday and & Other Stories, said its sales excluding VAT fell 4pc to 50.4bn Swedish kronor (£5.94bn) in the three months to November 30, compared to the corresponding quarter last year. Analysts at Reuters had expected revenue to increase 2pc. The retailer said that sales in its fourth quarter were "significantly below the company’s own expectations".

Clearly although it is not necessarily accurate to Cos’s position played in the decline of sales it is clear that Jigsaw seems to be out of its competitors achieving a higher percentage in sales. I believe that Jigsaw can expand this and do better however, although their sales are improving I believe that a film campaign could really push them as a brand out further and get them defined fully as the brand who incorporates quality at an affordable price.

Why Are Jigsaw Not Performing Well Visually?

I believe it is crucial for me to create this film campaign to promote Jigsaw in particular getting something more out of their campaigns and getting more people aware and involved. I believe their visual merchandising currently is poor and could really promote them further. I believe they need to focus on a film that defines and represents their style, narrative and honest tone because that to me is their USP. I think it is important they aim to keep their campaigns fluent and relevant to one another in order to build a distinctive identity that consumers can easily relate to.

Social Media

I believe social media could perhaps be the biggest contributor to getting this film campaign out there and also to improve upon Jigsaws fairly dull social media sights that could do with improving. Social media campaigns are cost effective and a easy technique to build upon a larger target market and therefore get the campaign out there and spoken about and have the later result being getting Jigsaws name out and perhaps promoting sales due to this.

Further Exploration Into Brand Analysis

I then went onto explore further into Jigsaws brand analysis and in particular the brands identity. I had previously completed other research into the brands identity such as a brand identity prism and a brand key. I now needed to define elements such as the brands essence, values and personality, which will highlight how Jigsaw differentiates from its competitors in the similar market.

Brand Essence: Honesty, Independence, Inclusivity.

Brand Values: Affordable, luxury, authenticity, considered, sophisticated.

Brand personality: Honest, independent, sophisticated, determined, authentic.

Jigsaws slogan sums this essence up well: Jigsaw- style and truth.

I think this research has really allowed me to understand Jigsaw in even further detail. I believe now I am defiantly ready to begin creating a more solidified idea and concepts and therefore I will explore looking at scene selection and more detailed decisions like this to extend my research into my film.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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09.01.18

Feedback and Development

Reflection

Yesterday, I received feedback on the research task I was asked to complete over the Christmas holidays. I would be lying if I said I was pleased with the feedback received, if I am being honest I felt my idea and concept was not well received which has set me back a little as I now feel I have to start brainstorming new ideas which isn’t perhaps the stage I wanted to be in. Although to look onto the positives they liked my research, concepts and inspiration but the actual idea I had created for the film was the thing that was poorly received. I think I need to just revaluate the feedback and consider fully what has been given back to me and then work with this to construct a new idea.

Visiting lecturer Justin Barrow presented us with his knowledge and feedback on our own ideas with the intention to better our concepts and to make us consider elements that perhaps we had not yet considered. So, for myself I think the main concern that was raised was the issues of sensitivity with the idea that I had created. The concern that perhaps it may come across as if I wanted to say that Britain made him change his heritage and tradition which is obviously not the point I wanted to create, in fact the opposite. I have decided to really take this feedback on board as I understand that I am choosing to go for a topic that is quite daring and that is of a sensitive manor. I would never want to offend anyone through my film and in fact all I want to do is raise awareness and help to make a difference.

After I had received this feedback I felt fairly lost and I was concerned that the idea was therefore pretty much done for and I had to start from scratch again. However, we all then got a one to one tutorial with Justin which allowed me to then raise my concerns and get feedback on perhaps how I could tackle the sensitivity around the topic. He suggested to move away from their current immigration campaign as that was an A/W 17 campaign and he believes I should do something for the next current season. So, to begin a campaign that holds onto this sense of social concern of discrimination yet move it into a fresh, original campaign.

New Concept For Campaign

After we put our heads together and discussed various options we came to agree on a campaign that would focus on the topic of a multicultural nation that Britain is and how that inspired the collection. Take the previous campaign and make it bigger and better, for example they used from 16 countries, made by 45 nationalities, so take this further use more countries and more nationalities. I think the starting point for me now is to just brainstorm all my ideas around the concept of a new campaign for Jigsaw, and from this I hope to gain a more solid concept around how I will take the film forward.

Importance to Plan

Taken from the session was also the importance of planning for this film. I now understand that for my film the planning with be perhaps the biggest element of what I will be doing of the next few weeks. For my film to run smoothly and successfully on the filming days I will need to ensure that everything is planned to a T. He showed us how his company use a treatment list which is a collation of all the key elements of the film, it should be produced before the film is created as it helps to plan a lot of the elements that are essential for my film to run as smoothly as possible. He also showed us a document of a shot list which explores each scene and what is expected of the scenes and the details of each scene. I understand that perhaps using previous films as inspiration could really help to build upon my concepts and improve my elements. As I am new to creating films I am fairly inexperienced into techniques I could use or how to achieve results so finding films that produce results I connect to or look how I want it to look could help me achieve a higher level of standard for my film.

The Golden Circle

We were also shown a technique that is used a lot in marketing and branding: The Golden Circle which was created by Simon Sinek. Justin Barrow explained how important this rule is whenever you are creating anything, and it can even be used in day to day life. It is said to help create something successful that people believe in. The Golden circle focuses on three elements, What? How? And Why? The ‘what’ element are something all organizations have, as everyone knows what they do. These are the products or services they sell. The ‘how’ is the element that some organizations know, it is how they do it and what makes them special and sets them apart from their competition. And then the key element is the ‘why’ which very few organisations understand why they do what they do. The ‘why’ is not about making money. That’s a result. Why is a purpose, cause or belief. It is the very reason your organisation exists. Justin Barrow further explained the importance of the why behind our films. He believes that they will not be successful if there is no ‘why’ behind them. I think focus on the narrative, story and message is therefore key to make a film. I feel my campaign could really work in light of something that is very important, not only to society but to myself it is a passion I believe in and therefore is something I think I can really try and help to promote and express well. I think this element of the ‘what’, ‘how’, ‘why’ is something I really must consider. I will be creating my own golden circle in my research today to make myself clear on what I am actually trying to achieve through making my film.

Today I think I need to take my research back again and just consider all my options for this campaign I am hoping to create. I am really hoping to get through this barrier and get my concepts a lot clearer and then hopefully speak to a tutor this week at some point to explore the options and whether they prefer my new concept.

Mind Mapping

The first part of research is to construct another mind map for this new concept that I hope to explore further. Below is the mind map I have created. I felt it really gave me the opportunity just to get my concept down on paper and just expand from this and create new ideas on where I wanted to take this campaign. It is clear from my mind map the area of focus I want to base my film upon and I really want to do this in a completely positive way. I think that to promote this idea that our culture is what it is because of the diversity that it is made up from is something that is a real promotion of diversity and inclusivity. I want the campaign to be used as a something to promote going out and exploring these rich cultures that are all around us. Jigsaw will be setting the mark by using varied nationalities, materials from different cultures and using creatives that use culture identity and individuality a form of inspiration. I want the collection to offer something fresh and new for Jigsaw and their consumers. It needs to be brighter, have more colour and be inspired by the rich culture around us.

I then wanted to do some research into the golden circle technique that may help to create a defined message, belief and identity of my film. Below is my go at the golden circle in relation to my own film. I believe that this task really helped me to understand the purpose and reasoning behind my film. I think the ‘why’ element that I explored will help me to create perhaps a narrative that I wish my film to progress with. I believe I now have built a strong purpose behind the film and briefly explored the definition behind the campaign I wish to reflect through the use of the film.

Reinvented Campaign

I think the idea around a campaign could be very relevant to a brand like Jigsaw. They seem to launch different campaigns once a year and in a way, I want to expand from their immigration campaign and take it further and in a less obvious way. My feedback explained that it would be a stronger concept to create my own campaign and I do agree with this. Campaigns are strong ways to get issues discussed and bring things to light that may have not previously been discussed but are in need of discussion. The use of social media to expand and promote campaigns could be a really useful asset with regards to bringing it to light. Social media campaigns get people talking as they are easy to relate to and for consumers who may not necessarily resemble Jigsaws brand or engage with it previously may have an easy opportunity to reflect on the campaign. For Jigsaw this campaign will not be about clothing, profit or promotion for the brand. It is to promote a campaign they feel strongly about. And to employ their passion into their clothing. So, the incorporation of using materials from different countries and using creatives of different nationalities and being inspired by other cultures is what has been implemented into their collection.

Positive Feedback One section of positive feedback I received was my concept of using a director as inspiration behind my film. For me the likes of Tom Solondz and Wes Anderson particularly captured my attention during my research as I was familiar with their films previously. I think it is important that I create an aesthetic in my film that is different and recognisable. Directors like Tom Solondz and Wes Anderson in particular I feel have such strong identities through the use of colour and their clearly defined cinematography styles. I feel this is something that will improve my film as it will give it a fresh, new and different feel. This is defiantly something I am going to explore further and expand my knowledge of how to achieve this interesting aesthetic. As my film is not going to be that of a moving look book or something that focuses purely on the clothing, I want to explore style through a means of cinematography and styling of the film. This is what will keep it in line with a fashion film.

Model Aesthetic Consideration

I wanted to explore my choice of model aesthetic for the film. I will be reaching out to a professional model as I want the film to look professional and I believe that this is a strong starting point to achieving that result. I used model.com to explore potential model aesthetic as to what I would seek out to achieve from my choice of models. I know I am going to want to use diverse models as if I am to tackle the potential issue of spreading positivity in regard to inclusiveness towards multiculturalism. I have been swayed more to choose a male model for not much of a reason, but I am open to look at both. My previous project opened me up to a number of different professional models, so I will be considering reaching out to them.

Diacaria Kreminta

Jackson Hale

Montell Martin

Sup Park

Jhonattan Burjack

Luke Blake

Enzo Brumm

Nicole Atieno

Anok Yai

Mel Bles

Chen Xue

Vanessa Axente

I think it is important that the model reflects the Jigsaw consumer. I believe that although the Jigsaw consumer is of a slightly higher age demographic this style of model is a desirable and almost aspirational for the aesthetic that they want Jigsaw to give. I want the model to be natural and stripped back similar to the look Jigsaw go for in their previous campaigns. I am pleased to have established the aesthetic required as it has helped me to begin to visualise what I am hoping to create within my film.

For another piece of research, I wanted to conduct today I felt it might be beneficial to begin to brainstorm around the actual concept or ideas for the film as I am basically starting from scratch although it is defiantly possible to take ideas from my previous idea but just adapt this to the campaign I am now running and to ensure sensitivity throughout. Below is the mind map I created based around understanding and developing any ideas I may have around the actual creation of the film. I think it really allowed me just to put any ideas down and perhaps now actually begin to create an idea that has real thought and meaning behind it. I am now totally aware of the sensitivity required to go alongside the film and therefore I feel that my new concepts and ideas are highly considerate of this.

I feel like the research I have achieved today has really allowed me to explore my concept in a lot more detail and consider elements prior to our lecture that I had not even yet considered. I have taken the time to think about the process of the creation of the film a lot more and now I can expand to creating a much more considered and thought through idea that I hope I can make successful. I would say that my next stages are to solidify more of a final idea and then create story boards and similar to what Justin Barrow creates a treatment list and a shot list and the planning involved around this. I understand that I have a lot of planning to now follow through with and this is what could lead to me creating an effective film.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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15.12.17-08.01.18

Christmas Holiday Task

I felt it would be best to collate my Christmas blog posts all into one single one as the work I was set to complete was one main element which had various elements. I also wanted to ensure to write a brief blog post of the work done over Christmas, so it didn’t look as if I had done no work for three weeks.

The main task we had was to create a presentation that required to answer a selection of questions that may have previously been unanswered or not yet considered. The presentation alongside a storyboard would be presented the first Monday back, so I had a lot to consider and plan.

Prior to the holiday I had not actually had any thoughts or ideas yet on what film I wanted to create. I had selected my brand firmly but was still fairly lost about the idea. I felt it was best to actually just discuss with others in the hope of getting my creative juices flowing. I had concepts in mind such as previous Jigsaw campaign video influence and inspiration and also the fact of the message of the immigration campaign was crucial to portray. The idea I have now chosen to go with actually came to me pretty quickly and once I had deliberated on some elements slightly the final concept was created. I decided upon a story that follows a migrant who arrives in Britain, initially sticking out like a sore thumb. As he travels around the city elements of his bright traditional clothing begin to change to become typically British heritage clothing (Jigsaw wear), as he becomes to look more street savvy you follow him around the streets of London and eventually to a charity shop to which he gives away his traditional clothing. The film later follows him into a tube station where on the escalator a passer by is wearing the clothing he had once returned. The end scene displays a black screen with writing across it ‘Britishness will influence you, just as you influence Britishness. Jigsaw. We ❤ Immigration campaign’. I am actually really pleased with the concept I have created and think that if I pull it off well it could be something quite interesting and something that perhaps is also a little different. Obviously at this stage it is my first and initial idea so after presenting I will take feedback and make improvements dependent on this, so it is not certain yet.

Below are screenshots of the PowerPoint I created to display back to Karen and the group. I addressed all the requirements that were set from the week and it really helped me get down in summary what I was wishing to create. I think presenting it will allow me to understand my own idea a little better and also potentially gather opinions or feedback I can bring back to it.

I began the PowerPoint by discussing my message. For me this is actually one of the most crucial elements that I preserve through the creation of my film. In my work I am always going to try and preserve positive social messages and in particular tackling social issues like discrimination. It is something I am passionate about and therefore I want my work to reflect that.

I went on to explain why I had chosen Jigsaw as a brand in a short summary. Obviously, a lot of these questions I have answered throughout my previous research, but it allowed me to summarise which is important. So I just explained why Jigsaw in particular caught my eye and what made their sophisticated, high end style appeal to me.

I furthered my reasoning by explaining my key interest in the We ❤ immigration campaign and perhaps the most influential reason as to why I chose Jigsaw.

I then displayed three of some of the most influential film campaigns I had seen from Jigsaw. I chose them either on style and aesthetic (as they portrayed the Jigsaw aesthetic well) or on creativity and or thought (that may inspire me). I explored the lived not modelled campaign as this was something that really caught my eye in previous research, more around the concept than the actual style or aesthetic of the short films. Yet I looked at the other two films ‘leave it all behind’ and ‘Into the escape’ as more of a indication of Jigsaws creative style in their films.

I then briefly explored a recent editorial campaign they did in New York which is one of their shoots I really felt connected with and felt fresh and original from their previous content. My intentions would be to shoot in a city location like that of London, so it is important that I can be inspired by previous campaigns like this to how they adapt their typically natural and raw style of shoots to the city.

I then briefly explained my concept as in what type of film I am wishing to create (editorial) and focusing on the We ❤ immigration campaign as the message of the film.

I then explored the potential for my ‘creative team’ who I would want to use or collaborate with in order to create a film of the highest standard.

I explored both the advantages and disadvantages of using film as an advertising strategy, this is something we had been asked to do in our reading week, so the information was very similar.

I then explored potential inspiration. I decided that it would be a strong idea to follow an aesthetic from a previous director or film that caught my eye, I think it could offer something fresh and different to my campaign film. I feel that films with strong and clear aesthetics stand out more and are more memorable. I set my liking upon director Todd Solondz, I really like the gentle hues he brings out in his films, in particular in his recent film ‘Weiner dog’, the use of green and bluey tones really gives the film a unique identity, something that I am hoping to achieve with my film.

Then, although not required as part of the Christmas research task I decided to create an initial mood board that just helped to gather all my thoughts visually. I created two mood boards that are actually very different to one another, but they were just both the two initial ideas that I had.

I have created an initial story board, as I am sure I will be developing my concept further soon and this is just my fresh idea put down on paper. The story board actually really allowed me to just plan and have to solidify on decisions with the film rather than just having them floating around in my head. I am pleased I did so as I was able to consider different shots, angles and scenes that I believed could work well. I believe it is integral for me to do another one closer to the final decision and after I have had feedback on my idea.

Overall, I feel I am now at a good stage with my progression and research. I am very pleased I now have a solidified idea of what film I wish to create and the idea, campaign and concept behind it. I now am looking forward to receiving feedback and help onto how to progress further.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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14.12.17

Competitive Situation

Today I wanted to explore one out of the two closest competitors that face Jigsaw as a brand. It is an important part of research as it can perhaps show what the competition do better or what they are lacking and therefore potential movement for Jigsaw to achieve better results. I will be using a selection of techniques to explore the competitor such as SWOT analysis, basic information into the brand and previous campaigns the brand has produced. I will go on further to explore another competitor in research yet to come. However today I am just focusing upon one.

Cos As A Brand

I gained my information on the closest competition through my previous research technique of using a brand positioning map. I discovered that COS and Jaeger were closest to Jigsaw in price and sophisticated level of style. Today I will be looking into COS that offered a lower price range than Jigsaw but consequently had a lower sophistication level. I will be exploring what the brand does well, what it falls short of and previous campaigns and films it has ran.

I wanted to begin my research by briefly looking at the brand as a whole. There is something that I discovered that I actually had no previous knowledge on, which is that COS is a descendant from the well known high street store H&M. H&M consists of five individual brands with separate concepts alongside the H&M brand we all know, with COS being one of them. COS which stands for Collection of Style “launched its flagship store on London’s Regent Street in March 2007”. (Wikipedia 2017. H&M). The brand has created its name through its conceptional “minimalist style inspired by architecture, graphics, and design”. (Wikipedia 2017. H&M). COS specialises in modern clothing pieces for men and women that are less trend-oriented than other similarly priced labels. “COS makes clothing that can be worn beyond the season”. (Wikipedia 2017. H&M). COS is an ever-growing international brand, having “197 stores in 34 countries in Europe, Asia, North America, Australia and the Middle East”. (Wikipedia 2017. H&M). With quite an engaging tone, the about us section on their website helps describe themselves as a brand well. “COS is a fashion brand for women and men who want modern, functional, considered design. Offering reinvented classics and wardrobe essentials, we create pieces that are made to last beyond the season. Traditional methods and new techniques merge to form timeless, understated collections. Since launching in 2007, we have opened stores worldwide in carefully considered locations, applying an architectural design concept that preserves buildings’ original features whilst creating a modern, welcoming space”. (Cos stores website 2017).

After looking at some of this initial research it is clear that Cos actually have a fairly similar ethos to that of Jigsaws. "At Cos, we want to propose a style inspired by architecture, graphics, design and arts," explains womenswear design manager Karin Gustaffson. "To play with volume and proportion, rather than follow fashion trends. We have always hoped to create styles that last beyond the season." Creating clothing that is meant to be classical, long-lasting elements of the wardrobe that don’t follow trends they will always be current and appreciated. According to Harry Walker writing for the Independent “this sort of refreshing, customer-focused logic is another part of the reason Cos has done so well. Arriving on our shores just prior to the financial meltdown, what Cos offered was a world away from the fast fashion prevalent at that time, suggesting timelessly classic but consciously current pieces that don't date or look tired”. I think this shows truly why there are such significant competition to Jigsaw because they offer a similar ethos.

After exploring their website to look at their current products I was mainly interested in a few things. Firstly the pricing of items, I would say they offer their clothing at slightly below Jigsaws price, not dramatically though so this is not necessarily an element that makes them stronger as the difference is fairly minimal. I also wanted to explore the aesthetic of the website. It has a really clean and contemporary style to it, it is not over crowded like many fashion websites it just displays what is necessary. The choice of models is exactly what I would expect to see for a brand such as Cos, very minimalistic, natural looking models that fit the clothing really well. I would say the models do not differ much from that of the Jigsaw model look which is perhaps another area that may restrict Jigsaw. Some diversity is seen through choice of models, but I would say a lot more could be done to promote diversity and inclusiveness. "We've been told that customers see us as filling a gap that exists between designer and high street," continues Gustaffson. "We pay a lot of attention to the quality of our garments and always look into ways to innovate fabrication to feel modern and interesting." Another similarity seen between Jigsaw and Cos is that they are aiming at a very simple target in the market, being high quality but with a lower price and being between designer wear and the high street. "I'd attribute a lot of Cos's success to intelligent visual communication," says Agata Belcen, fashion editor at AnOther Magazine and a fan of the label's signature ascetism. "It shares this with labels such as Céline, Comme des Garçons and Acne, who promote themselves not just with images of their products, but by letting us into their worlds with in-house magazines and non-commercial booklets. We're given an old portrait; an interview with a florist; a guiding principle that may have inspired them or may have no direct influence, but which is just something they'd like us to know about." This is a point that Cos may have above Jigsaw, strong visual communication and thought. Although Jigsaw do have strong films and campaigns I think Cos may have more identity in their visual merchandising and produce a more interesting result.

Previous Visual Campaigns

I therefore wanted to look into perhaps two of Cos visual merchandising techniques, particularly through the use of film to compare to Jigsaws and also to inspire my own choices as I have found that watching film is one of the most important ways to discover techniques and build on my skill set.

Our Autumn Winter 2017 collection has arrived (Click here to view their film)

I think this film had a really gripping element to it. It was more to me a look book style of films as it was mostly displaying the collection. It did it in such a beautiful way however, it wasn’t just pointlessness, showing the garments in an unappealing, shoving down your throat kind of way instead it used the stunning location and scenography and allowed the clothing to do all the speaking. The choice of models was spot on for the style of clothing being worn and the aesthetic of the brand was resembled well through model choice. I think the prop was a strong piece in the film (the large cream wall) and it has made me consider the use of props to improve the scene further. I think the music has an eerie quite spooky style to it which works well with the cool blue tones that are preserved throughout. I think a really successful look book style film, which stands above a lot of current fashion film look book styles. The description taken from the Cos YouTube channel describes it as “Shot on location at the Tucson Mountain Retreat, a vast residence nestled in Southern Arizona’s San Rafael valley, the first arrivals from our AW17 collection are inspired by the turbulence of desert storms; layered, cavernous volumes in an earthy palette of golden straw, sandstone and rich burgundy”. (YouTube Cos 2017).

COS × Snarkitecture: Loop (Click here to view their film)

This was a film with a more editorial and creative style of film, it focused a lot less upon the clothing or displaying a collection, rather its purpose was displaying the model playing with the interactive ball game. I think the film has a really contemporary, clean vibe to it, the model is well suited to the aesthetic. The white blank walls and flooring with the combination of negative spacing really works well with the dark blue outfit the model is wearing as it pops out against the neutral backdrop, so it actually displays the clothing well but is not even the sole purpose of the film. I really liked the choice of music as it sounded quite like that of an arcade game which fitted the game like prop the model was interacting with. I would say personally I grew bored easily of the concept and didn’t find it that interesting but that may just be down to opinion. The description below the video reads “Drawing inspiration from COS’s love of playful, modern design, New York-based practice Snarkitecture have created an interactive installation housed in the Gana Art Center, Seoul. Loop is a series of sinuous and suspended sloped tracks that curve through the gallery creating an array of uniquely kinetic moments as the visitor’s vantage point changes”. (YouTube Cos 2017). It has a really interesting concept behind it though, and is clearly well thought out, unfamiliar for most fashion films these days.

SWOT Analysis

The SWOT analysis really helped me to gather all the information I had found today and collate it into something more visual and perhaps easier to pin point the crucial information. It has allowed me to see the strengths of Cos as a brand and also perhaps the weaknesses which could play a potentially crucial role in how I go to develop Jigsaw to be stronger than their competition which is important.

My research today has given me real insight into a potential crucial competitor for Jigsaw, I will be exploring one more competitor of Jigsaw in my research that follows.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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11.12.17

Exploration Into Market Sector

Today I wanted to explore quite an in-depth area of research. I began by looking into the topic of market sector. There are a number of different sections within the topic of market sector all of which pose quite a detailed account of research to explore. They challenge the knowledge of quite complex and important variables that may affect my film.

The marketing environment can be split into three different sections; internal marketing environment (how a company organises itself), micro marketing environment (these are the things a company can have some control over) and finally the macro marketing environment (the wider society settings in which the company operates in. Things a company cannot control). I will be mostly exploring micro and macro settings of Jigsaw for my research. For me it’s important to understand that some of these factors are controllable while some are uncontrollable and therefore would require my business operations to change accordingly. It is important to be well aware of my marketing environment to overcome the negative impact the environment factors are imposing on the firm’s marketing activities.

Micro Settings

I began my research by exploring the micro settings of Jigsaw as a brand, the internal settings fit into my research briefly here however I am not required to explore them fully as it is not necessary. Although I had explored micro settings previously in my most recent project I was still slightly unsure about the definitions of both and how I was required to examine them.

The micro marketing environment allows some control over from the company, they are the things that are closest to the company that have direct impact. Areas explored may include; suppliers, customers, competitors and distribution. Exploring the micro environment can be more easily achieved by using a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats). It will effectively allow me to accurately capture the internal strengths & weaknesses of the organisation and also examine the external threats & opportunities.

I first just wanted to briefly explore the factors that are relevant to a micro analysis and then I would go onto create a SWOT analysis of Jigsaw as a brand.

Competitors: Exploring areas such as who are the competitors? What is their present business strategy and business objectives? Who are the most powerful and aggressive competitors? To find this information out I need to do some research into perhaps Jigsaws two main competitors on the market. I need to explore these questions to make Jigsaw stand above them regarding the marketing of the film. From my competitive brand positioning map, I have discovered that Jigsaws two nearest competitors are Jaeger who range slightly higher in price, but slightly lower in sophistication and Cos who lie below in price and below in sophistication aesthetic. I will be doing a SWOT analysis on both competitors in further research to gain this crucial information. Competitors play such important roles regarding how I will be creating my film, referring to style, genre, techniques may be altered to accommodate.

Employees: Is perhaps not an element that really affects my work but regarding my own level of employees I need to explore who I will work with in order to make the film to a very high standard. I will need to consider collaborative methods to achieve a strong result with my film as I feel if I do too much on my own the result will be poor as full effort will not be maintained throughout all elements, I am also not specialised in a selection of areas and gaining support and help will improve this.

Customers: Customers- who are the customers and what benefits are they looking at? With reference to research undertook yesterday I am in quite strong knowledge to who the Jigsaw customer is. Male and Female, millennial and beyond age range 25-55. What are their buying patterns/ habits? The Jigsaw consumer has a mid to high purchasing amount so therefore they are not restricted much by cost and would probably shop at Jigsaw ones a month. Difference between customer and consumer? A customer – purchases and pays for a product or service A consumer – is the ultimate user of the product or service; the consumer may not have paid for the product or service.

Distributors: Perhaps not an element relevant to myself, although it might be interesting to see where Jigsaw do distribute their products and whether this may affect the outcome of who my consumer is, or whether I choose to just focus in Britain but with social media and globalization this may be hard so may be something I want to think about. Also, how I want to distribute the film what websites or forms of social media will I use to display them film.

Suppliers: Considering what may be available for me to use such as props for films, outfits for styling of the films etc.

SWOT Analysis

My SWOT analysis really allowed me to look into Jigsaw in quite an evaluative form which although I had done previously in my research but not to this extent. It allowed me to explore perhaps what position I can take in as a result of these findings, what things I must be concerned with to achieve maximum result.

Macro Settings

I then looked into the macro settings, which are the wider society settings in which the company operates in. Macro setting consists of a broader set of forces over which the company has limited or no direct control. It is important that the company understand the extent to which various factors affect the company, and understand how the environmental pressures can be related to the company.

I will be using PEST or PESTLE analysis to look into the macro settings involved for Jigsaw as is one of the most useful tools to help understand the MACRO environment. I will briefly look into some sub components before doing a PESTLE chart.

Political & Legal Factors- Taxation policy, Trade regulations, government stability, unemployment policy, government legislation, government policies, government stance on competition, relevant laws, international relations.

Laws that may affect my film include: Copyright law, exploitation and contract, moral rights, content liability.

Media- Innovations, technological changes, speed of technological changes, research and development expenditures, improved communication and transfer.

Areas that may affect me: surge of social media and using that, technological advancement (rising competition).

Health and safety legislation- laws. Areas affecting the creation and product, ensuring safety to the people making the items and also the customers.

Population change- Age distribution, education level, income level, population growth, life expectancy, religion.

Carbon neutral- Trying to achieve an environmentally friendly creation and distribution of the product.

Green technology.

Recession

Inflation

The PESTLE analysis helped me to look into quite a particular area of research that was required to create a stronger marketing strategy.

I now need to expand my research over to the competition to Jigsaw as this will lead me to be more successful as I will be aiming to step beyond the competitors levels.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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10.12.17

Who Is the Jigsaw Customer?

For todays research I was planning to extensively look into the Jigsaw consumer. I wanted to be able to be slightly more creative in my research today than just collecting and writing down information. A customer profile can be a really creative and visual piece of research and I think it is the best way for me to explore my consumer. I also want to explore segmentation variables of my consumer I will be writing a small piece on the consumer just to work along side the visual representation of the consumer, but my research today will be largely creative based, which I must say I am quite pleased about. This research is key in order to create a film that is relevant to the Jigsaw customer.

Segmentation Variables

I began my research by looking into the segmentation variables of the Jigsaw consumer. This would allow me to almost draft in writing my consumer profile and then find visuals to represent the information I had gathered. This style of research allowed me to explore quite in-depth qualities the Jigsaw consumer may have and get quite a clear picture of them. I explored four main sections: demographic variables, physiographic variables, usage and benefit variables and geographic variables all followed by sub sections with relevant findings and information. I now believe that I have explored my consumer in quite a detailed way, which is crucial in setting the scene for them. All my findings will help me link the film towards their lifestyle, likes, dislikes and preferences which will ultimately benefit the viewers experience.

Consumer Profile

I then went on to explore my consumer through a more visual means by creating a consumer profile. I love this element of research as I would say although written elements of research play such a crucial part of findings, I am defiantly a visual person so activities like this really help me to engage with the consumer. By using the means of WGSN in the hope of using unique images and some from Pinterest I felt I had created a fairly uniquely identifiable profile.

I wanted to create a piece to go along side my consumer profile just to explain it in a little more detail for those who it may not be directly obvious to. The Jigsaw consumer is a male or female whom wears the brand to portray a sense of sophistication, independence and a chic sense of style. The consumer is a fashion-conscious individual, someone who wants to display their own identity through cloth. They are not one to slavishly follow trends, perhaps more of an individual who dresses to impress through their own style and not the ‘trends’ of others. Frequent touches of a laid-back sense of elegance come through, with classic tailoring and strong silhouettes that fit loosely against the body. The Jigsaw consumer prefers a wardrobe of neutral shades, with small pockets of colour seen by using vibrant accessories such as bags, scarfs and shoes. The Jigsaw consumer is entering a perhaps daunting stage of life, no longer are they at an adolescence stage, they may want to reinvent themselves after perhaps a new job, marriage, or the beginning of their own new family. Although they are entering this stage of life they by no means want to give up their sense of style, but perhaps are moving away from the slightly quirkier and hip sense of fashion. The Jigsaw consumer is aware, they involve in political and social goings on and have a strong opinion on most issues. The Jigsaw customer is looking for a relaxed and quiet personal life, perhaps something quite different from their busy work life. They engage in meditation, Yoga and Pilates, to free from stress and as a less demanding form of exercise. Some enjoy eating out, exploring the best reviewed restaurants in their area, others enjoy cooking from home and see it as an ‘experience’ rather than a chore. They host social gatherings regularly, inviting close friends over to trial their Nigella Lawsons take on a traditional Sunday lunch. A weekend is fulfilled by visiting independent coffee shops whilst sipping on their chai tea latte, enjoying reading the Sunday times focusing mainly on the style, culture and travel sections planning for the next big thing in their life. Many Jigsaw consumers enjoy walks in parks with their loyal canine companion, kitted out in doggy designer coats with a matching lead and collar. Their homes have a hint of rusticness with a contemporary twist, the Jigsaw customer is a strong advocate of wood burning stoves, adding a sense of cosiness to their homes. They enjoy spending free time reading the latest talked about novel, curled up in a brown leather arm chair in front of their fire place. For the most Jigsaw is their staple brand, with luxury items of the idealised clothing brand Burberry coming through. Ultimately the Jigsaw consumer lives a refined sense of lifestyle, they enjoy the finer things in life, relying upon a relaxed personal life to see them through the hectic work week.

My research today has allowed me to fully immerse myself into the Jigsaw consumer, it has played such a vital piece of research as previously I have not been very aware of Jigsaw as a brand and therefore was quite unsure about the consumer but now I feel very confident in that I understand the Jigsaw consumer. Although I keep reiterating this it is so so important for me to know the Jigsaw consumer, inside and out, to create a film that is not only accurate to the brand but also to the consumer, as the consumer makes the brand. From here I will now need to explore the market sector and where Jigsaw fits in relation to a number of complex issues.

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yokodesignidentity-blog · 7 years ago

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09.12.17

Exploration Into Identity

After deciding upon my selected, final brand- Jigsaw, I was now ready to delve into a lot more detailed research into my brand. I hadn’t yet explored details such the Jigsaw consumer, their previous social campaigns, the brands position in the market or carried out a model of brand analysis and explored their brand essence and proposition. Therefore, this was necessary as I need to fully immerse myself into Jigsaw as a brand to create a film which is true to their identity.

Brand identity/ essence

I wanted to begin by discovering more of the brands overall identity and personality. I wanted to consider a few features of the brand such as; their brand identity, essence, values, personality, style and their market segmentation. It is very important for me to think about these concepts of the brand as it will allow me to develop such a richer understanding of them and define who Jigsaw is as a brand. This is a step I must take before I can begin collating any ideas I might have, because without an understanding of this my film would not represent my brand well enough. Obviously, I have not got the ability to gain their true accounts of these features, so I have created them as close to what I believe they would be for the real brand.

Jigsaw Statement of intent:

At Jigsaw we firmly believe that fashion is temporary, but style is permanent. We demand and strive for change. We believe fear, isolation, and intolerance will hold us back. Whereas compassion, openness, and alliance will take us forward. Our designs are timeless, independent-minded and fun. We are uncompromising when it comes to style. We promise our products are reduced by nothing because they stand for something.

Jigsaw Branding Essence:

Beautifully crafted, sophisticated, stylish clothing, at affordable prices. We cherish the opportunity to make something beautiful, meaningful and lasting that you can wear for years. We use the best fabrics from the best factories to produce clothes with designer quality and detailing but at high-street prices. Making you feel pride, independence and left feeling aesthetically refined.

Jigsaw Branding Values:

Jigsaw is a clothing brand with its own personal autonomy. We prefer not to slavishly follow fashion trends at the demands of an ever-growing capitalist society. We do our own thing and set our own trends. Jigsaws independent autonomy is carried through to their many social campaigns, we stand against the majority, focused on fighting for the minority. We do everything we can to make sure that our materials and products are sourced responsibly.

Jigsaw Branding Personality: Practicing mindfulness, integrity and fortitude combined with a sense of flair, sophistication, and a touch of British nostalgia. We are truly invested in creating something of true beauty united with concealed meaning.

Jigsaw Branding Style: Concerned with the matters of inclusivity, diversity and openness. Jigsaw obtain a multifaceted direction towards their identification. We do not discriminate. With models varying in ethnicity, race, gender and culture, we set up no barriers in fashion.

Jigsaw Market Segmentation: Jigsaw places itself on the high-end level of the high street market. Producing well crafted, high quality and long-lasting garments at affordable prices. I think this was such a key piece of research I have conducted, and I am pleased I did so as I feel I have had an opportunity to get familiar with Jigsaws tone, values and the personality of the brand. The features I have mentioned above need to be delivered within my film for it to be representative to the brand. My previous and current research into these elements of the brand have now provided a very strong connection with myself and the brand and being able to create my own content that it suited to the brand allowed me to delve into Jigsaw as a brand a lot more.

Previous Social Campaigns Considering Jigsaws previous social campaigns was a crucial piece of research I felt I had to undertake. For me this is perhaps the biggest component of Jigsaws brand that made me choose it. I wanted to look at their previous or maybe current campaigns for either inspiration for my own campaign or perhaps to reinvent one they had previously aimed towards or are currently doing. I wanted them to focus on honesty, diversity, sustainability and display a sign of importance towards current social, political and environmental issues, something I know Jigsaw tackle with pride.

Style and Truth Ethos Campaign Back in 2014 Jigsaw made a move to centre the brand around having a social purpose as part of it’s “style & truth” ethos. Since 2014, when Shailina Parti arrived at Jigsaw as its creative director, the stalwart store has been getting back into form. Sidestepping obvious trends, it offers understated, contemporary separates with clean lines, great fabrics and occasional metallic flashes. Totally unfussy, it’s striving to make its collections something to be treasured. It changed Jigsaws identity as a brand and what they strive towards. So clearly the ethos has been enforced for 3 years is therefore a fairly fresh concept in regard to how many campaigns they have developed. It seems like their campaigns are biannually as they have only created three as of yet. It is important to me that they are continuing to run these campaigns and they are not one off in order to gain publicity or promote sales.

Heart immigration campaign Jigsaws most recent campaign displays their beautifully, capturing Autumn Winter 2017 collection. The result of this pro-immigration ad campaign is “in response to Brexit and ideas about so-called “British values” being lost through the movement of people between countries”. (P.Ekall 2017). A concept that shares strong similarity with my most recent project- Movement magazine which also celebrates the multicultural movement in Britain.

Looking further into Jigsaw they have “been praised on social media for the “brave, clever and different” campaign that doesn’t shy away from politics”. (P.Ekall 2017). Something important to me, clearly this isn’t just a one-off investment or campaign, the fashion brand clearly identify with a number of social concerns. The actual campaign prides itself upon not only a positive message but the process behind the collection. Peter Ruis, Jigsaw’s CEO, explained the thinking behind the campaign, which highlight the fact that “their Autumn/Winter 17 collection was sourced and manufactured in 16 countries, as well as being designed by staff hailing from 45 different nations”. (P.Ekall 2017). For me it is very well a brand promoting a message but Jigsaw actually acting upon it and using techniques to implement the message and create a positive outcome is key to me. CEO Peter Ruis comments: “Fashion doesn’t operate in a bubble; it plays on a broader psyche,” he said. “We could just talk about clothes, but with what is going on around us it seems hypocritical and superficial to not accept the debt we owe to immigration in its broadest sense.” Ruis continued: “Be it people, cloth, the stone floors in our shops, the film to shoot our campaigns. We are all part of a vibrant, tolerant, global Britain. These are things we believe in as a brand.” (P.Ruis 2017).

Jigsaw published their own manifesto on their website and on a selection of their social media pages. I think it is a really beautifully constructed and well written piece that in short describes their values, beliefs and intentions for the campaign. “British Style is not 100% British. In fact, there’s no such thing as ‘100% British’. Or 100% Dutch, French, American, Asian or European. Whatever your opinion, at some point in your ancestry someone moved in and unsettled the neighbours. Because none of us are the product of staying put. And we’re no different. As a clothing brand we couldn’t do what we do if people weren’t free to move around. Without immigration, we’d be selling potato sacks. We need beautiful minds from around the world. Working with beautiful materials from around the world. To make beautiful things for people around the world. Fear, isolation, and intolerance will hold us back. Love, openness, and collaboration will take us forward”. (Jigsaw Website 2017. Manifesto).

Speaking to HuffPost UK, Ruis explained that he believed it was important for brands to address issues in their advertising. “Advertising can be a bit like wallpaper,” he said. “Maybe we [Jigsaw] have been guilty of that in the past, I’m not pretending that we haven’t. But it’s surreal to not be conscious of immigration. “We knew it would be controversial, but why should it be when it’s something so positive?” (P.Ruis 2017). The honest tone they have and the realism they present is refreshing for a high street brand. I like that in a way they took a gamble with this campaign it proves that it wasn’t about image, success or promotion, it was to actually spread something they were passionate about.

Jigsaw also interestingly have teamed up with Ancestry.co.uk and invited staff to take DNA tests to support a separate campaign. This was something that really connected with my own brand identity and ethos as I had previously looked into Ancestry.co.uk and is even mentioned in Movement magazines manifesto. The article found from the Ancestry.co.uk website initially asks, “What do you think of when you think ‘British style’? A classic trench coat? Some well-loved Wellies? Artful layering?” (K. Hyde 2017). The article goes onto explain that “British style is as diverse as the people who call the nation home and gives as much of a nod to cultural and environmental influences, as it does to the nation’s diverse and dramatic history”. (K. Hyde 2017). The intention of the collaborative campaign between Jigsaw and Ancestry.co.uk aims to challenge the traditional notion of ‘British’ style “by celebrating the people and cultures that have contributed to making Jigsaw a ‘Beautifully British’ brand since 1970”. (K. Hyde 2017). The article further goes onto explore Jigsaw itself as a brand like many that relies on immigration dating back to the beginning. “It was a humble Afghan coat that first started the brand, brought into the country by Jigsaw founder, John Robinson in 1970. Now, the company employs 45 nationalities across the business. Immigration and cultural diversity has become a defining aspect of the brand and has influenced what we now know as ‘British style’ on the high street”. (K. Hyde 2017). The Ancesstroy.co.uk side of the campaign provides a slightly different element; “At Ancestry, we also believe that diversity is stitched into the fabric of who we are. To support Jigsaw in their campaign, we invited the staff to take AncestryDNA tests to learn more about the people and places from their past. We are also collaborating with a group of fashion designers who will each use their AncestryDNA ethnicity estimate as inspiration for a bespoke fashion piece”. (K. Hyde 2017). When I read about this campaign it really almost touches a nerve with me as it is just such a beautiful concept for such a large brand to concern themselves with and I think it spreads such a beautifully positive message.

The campaign took a further approach than just its website advertisement. Mirror article explains that “If you live in London, then we suspect you may have already have seen it, as it includes a full takeover of Oxford Circus tube station in London and The Times website, as well as print, social and digital activity”. (A.Graafland 2017).

I believe that the brand, whose strap-line is: “‘Beautifully British since 1970’, has used this new campaign as an opportunity to define what exactly they mean by that”. (R.Boddington 2017). They have really reinvented the concept of diversity in fashion from this campaign in my opinion. The campaign not only is informative and crucial, the clothing and style of the collection is beautiful which is important. I would love to expand upon this campaign as they do not really have a proper fashion film yet created for this campaign and I feel it could offer a really important strategy to spread the word and message of the campaign.

For life not landfill Jigsaws AW15 range took a clear position upon the age of ‘fast fashion’. The London clothing company, couldn’t put forward their key message ‘For Life Not Landfill’ any more effectively in their AW15 campaign if they tried. The campaign and the advertising bring to life the lasting quality and timeless styles Jigsaw’s garments have. A collection created “by styling items from their 2015 range with their more vintage pieces, donated by customers”. (C.Smith 2015). I think the truely inspirational campaign is something that I believe all fashion companies should take note of, especially in this current dangerous position we face in regards to the environment and global warming. The campaign was further “launched into a new print and digital ad campaign to promote the brand’s autumnal and winter range”. (C.Smith 2015).

Peter Ruis, the CEO of Jigsaw, said: “We wanted this campaign to build on the success of our ‘Style & Truth’ platform by celebrating the truth that Jigsaw clothes last beautifully and are still as wearable today as they were the day they were bought. Also saying “We design and create products for life, and that is reflected by the number of our customers who still wear vintage Jigsaw clothing with pride – 30 years later.” (C.Smith 2015).

Typically light most advertising campaigns run by fashion brands the campaign began with print ads in fashion magazines, such as Vogue and Elle and followed similarly to he later Heart Immigration campaign by a takeover of Oxford Circus tube station. “Shot by high-fashion photographer Venetia Scott, the bright coloured clothing against the gloomy landfill background truly encourages consumers to choose investment pieces that enrich your life, not just your wardrobe”. (C.Smith 2015).

Uniquely and interestingly by borrowing much-loved and worn items from their customers, purchased from over the past 25 years, and fashioning them with their current collection, the campaign reveals how beautifully the ageless pieces come together to last for years. Tom Ewart, founding partner at The Corner said: “The success of our ‘For Life Not Landfill’ campaign last season threw up an interesting response from Jigsaw customers: they started sharing classic pieces with us that they are still wearing 10, 20, 30 years later. He also said “We borrowed their items and styled them with the new collection, creating the perfect antidote to the endless trends and disposable fashion culture whilst emphasising the longevity, quality and timeless style Jigsaw is famous for.” “Jigsaw has always had a reputation as more of a classic heritage brand, but in recent years it's undergone a stylish revival under the leadership of Peter Ruis, ex-head of fashion at John Lewis. Like many retailers, the brand's ethical policy is clearly displayed on its website, but it's less clear how far their code of conduct is actually implemented and even more worrying that the brand lists "reputational risks" before "the interest of our suppliers" at the top of its sourcing principles page”. (The Green Scene 2015).

Again it shares the importance I have for brands to actually implement their practices into their brand. It is all very well stating a message but actually doing something with it is very different.

The autumn/winter collection itself comprises of stylish sustainable layering and sophisticated tailored silhouettes, making for a collection of must-have versatile, luxurious and timeless staples worth investing it that will last a lifetime”. (C.Smith 2015). I feel that Jigsaws ‘For Life and Not Landfill’ is such an important example of (a still independent in style) high street retailer embracing slow fashion. Another example of Jigsaws interesting and crucial campaigns that aim to create change not only at a fashion level but out towards greater society.

Lived Not Modelled Another inspiring campaign delivered by Jigsaw, its ‘Lived not modelled’ spring/summer 2016 push furthering its ‘Style and Truth’ brand message which was launched in 2014. The campaign is well described by CEO Peter Ruis who explains; “We believe strong in the idea of truth and permanence in the face of fashion’s superficiality and short-termism,” he continues “Our aim is to be an honest, clear voice amongst the clutter and fads.”

The campaign was shot by the fashion photographer Tim Barber, Barber was tasked with shooting the models over the course of a week “with a simple brief of shooting them living in the clothes anywhere and everywhere”. (G. West 2016). Tom Ewart, founding partner at The Corner, added: “We wanted these ads to speak for themselves – reflecting the ‘Lived not modelled’ message by showing the clothes being worn in normal situations, in contrast to the highly-styled fashion shots everyone expects to see. We gave the models and photographer freedom to just ‘get on with living’ during the shoot and I think this delivered a really authentic final set of images.” I absolutely love the concept around this campaign and I think it is so important. We are living in quite a fake and superficial world that has lead to so many unrealistic expectations which have had such negative effects on society, campaigns like this can help break these expectations. I think it is quite an innovative and individualistic campaign something that isn’t seen much as this makes them stand out as a brand in my eyes.

Again, like all of Jigsaws recent campaigns Lived Not Modelled took over Oxford Circus Tube station in London for the clothing store's autumn/winter 2016 campaign. Six-sheet and four-sheet posters were featured throughout the station. The campaign naturally also advertised in fashion magazines including Elle, and national titles including The Sunday Times Style and The Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazines, throughout October of that year. I think Jigsaw have demonstrated another really important style of campaign, this campaign perhaps focused on something a little lighter than the other topics discussed. However, it spreads such a positive message and demonstrates the brands values, ones that are really important to me.

Models of brand analysis For me this element of my research was also such a crucial component for me to complete. It gave me a visual representation of previous areas of exploration as well as opening up new areas I hadn’t yet uncovered.

I decided to use the ‘Brand Key’ model as a form of brand analysis. The brand key model can be used to position any brand in a way that can be universally understood, therefore ideal for me to gain an understanding of where Jigsaw fits. I will be using a Brand Key as a tool to think about my brand as a real person, who has personality and image. I will be discussing areas such as potential unique selling points, the essence, value and beliefs of the brand. Showing consumers why they shop at Jigsaw or support the campaign. The brand key can also allow you to establish the areas that the brand may in fact need to work on to develop a more effective strategy, defining what value the brand will bring. It’s a system that helps guide not only where the brand is today, but also where it should go an important feature for myself as I am focused on the future of the brand, working on future advertisement strategy.

Another section of my research led me to creating a brand identity prism, offering quite similar results to the brand key although some different areas where explored which is important. The higher knowledge I can gain of the brands identity the better results I will achieve. It provided a simple visual display of key areas of Jigsaws brand identity and stretched me to explore areas that I hadn’t discovered through the brand key.

I also conducted a competitive brand positioning map, previously a fairly untouched area of research so I had a lot to discover. I wanted to explore Jigsaw as a brand compared to its competitors. I decided to look at price- whether a brand is high or low in this area, as this is a key feature of Jigsaws brand (designer quality with low price) and also exploring how sophisticated or basic the brands aesthetic way (as another key contributing feature of Jigsaws identity. It helped me to discover perhaps Jigsaws largest competitors with similar to their own identities. From the research I have decided that Whistles, Jaeger and COS are perhaps the most imposing of brands in the similar market to Jigsaw. This information will help me to perhaps look into their marketing strategies, what they do well, what they don’t and how I could create something stronger than what they produce and make Jigsaw stand out against competition.

I feel like I have made a lot of progress today in my direction of research as I have specialized it down a lot more by focusing purely on Jigsaw. I have learnt a lot of things and expanded my knowledge a lot further. I have used different techniques to try and fully understand Jigsaws brand identity. I will now take my research further by exploring the Jigsaw consumer and submerging myself into the habits, likes and dislikes of the typical Jigsaw consumer, this will benefit me greatly in producing a film suited well to the Jigsaw customer.

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