Maui Jim

The brief was to create some fun, fashion style content in line with the laid-back vibes of the Maui Jim brand in collaboration with Manchester United FC. This particular campaign was for Christmas, to stand out as a little more laid back than their previous campaign. Maui Jim specifically asked for creative transitions and song suggestions to help guide the editing team with the overall direction. And as is the nature of a shoot with sports teams, there was limited time with the players which meant being nimble with the execution of the creative.

Director Craig McLaughlin has a lot of experience directing football players, who tend to move from set to set. So the biggest challenge was to keep their attention and get the best performance when they may be fatigued from previous shoots. Craig maintains a relaxed atmosphere on set and keeping things moving quickly, and he has a knack for choosing poses and shot ideas that suit the players’ style and personality, especially on the fly.

Craig’s aim was to depict the fourth wall breaking style, shooting outside of the boundaries of the set; an authentic fashion shoot trope. Utilising an extreme wide-angle lens to showcase the backdrop and accentuate the sunglasses in close-up. The red and green lights were selected for their association with Christmas as well as filming with a DV tape camera to emulate a slight hint of nostalgia.