In this edition of Behind the Idea, we sit down with Rianna Read, Art Director at TwelveA.M., to delve into the creative process behind ALIGNE’s Spring/Summer 24 campaign, featuring professional footballer Lucy Bronze MBE. The campaign, a striking fusion of fashion and sport, highlights female empowerment through a partnership that feels as authentic as it is luxurious.

Rianna shares the behind-the-scenes journey of bringing this bold vision to life, from conceptual brainstorming to the meticulous production, crafting a seamless narrative that celebrates both the world of high fashion and the strength of women in sport.

What was the brief?

As a female-led, brand with a luxe approach, it was completely natural for ALIGNE to partner with professional English footballer Lucy Bronze MBE as the face of its Spring/Summer 24 campaign.

We were tasked with bringing the partnership to life for a fashion-forward audience with creative assets for use on digital and OOH. The aim was to create confident and strong photography with a high-end feel, alongside videos to showcase the collection.

What was the process behind ideating the concept?

The process always begins with a deep dive into the brand, the talent and what is unique about them, their target audience and the core message the brand wishes to convey. During this initial phase, there was a good deal of rich brainstorming and in-depth research into the brand and the talent (and the affinities between the two) to define the key objective for the campaign and potential storylines.

Then, we crafted a series of visual mood boards which are an essential part of our ideation process and a way of helping us showcase our visual references and articulate concepts for the client. In this campaign, the idea we alighted on through doing the work above focused on the seamless merger of fashion and sport with a sense of strong and empowered femininity. 

What was the production process like?

Shot in Barcelona, the team meticulously crafted each shot to ensure the best result for Lucy and the brand. We keep sets very calm and professional on shoots so that everyone can be relaxed - it’s part of our signature approach and having worked elsewhere in the industry we know it’s not always the case.

We always do everything we possibly can to build a strong sense of co-collaboration between a brand and the talent at the centre of the campaign because we know from experience this results in more authentic and richer content. 

This can even involve asking the talent to bring in objects that are meaningful to them, for example, a book, piece of music, art etc so that we can better understand what ignites their passion and make a natural connection to the story of the shoot.

We are in contact with our talent ahead of the shoot as much as possible so they are comfortable with the set, run of the day and can give feedback with any personal recommendations. We make sure we give the talent a sense of creative control, so they feel part of the narrative and are a seamless part of the campaign.

What was the biggest challenge during production? How did you overcome it?

Striking the balance between showcasing Lucy within a fashion setting while still celebrating her profession as a female footballer was something we worked hard to navigate so that neither the fashion nor the sport message risked being diluted or misrepresented.

To address this, we brainstormed a series of different concepts and narratives, finding our inspiration in sports locker rooms. For the campaign we seamlessly incorporated props that speak to the world of football but through an elevated lens that added a touch of luxury. This approach allowed us to showcase Lucy’s authentic self within a fashion setting.

What is one funny or notable thing that happened during production?

Our approach to working with Lucy meant spending as much time as feasibly possible with her ahead of our shoot, via calls and more often with talent via Whatsapp messages, voice notes etc to build rapport. Equally on the day we ensured we spent time with her throughout, not just while on camera, which helped make for a relaxed and smooth process, so everyone feels comfortable.

Lucy told us about her background, sharing stories about women that have inspired her; including her mum, auntie and grandma, who all worked in industries that were predominantly male. They taught her to be confident and to make people listen.

She told us she felt empowered and confident on set on the day, which might not have been the case a few years ago. It was extremely important to us that she felt comfortable enough to share these personal, intimate stories, a proud moment for the team which ensured a successful campaign narrative.

What’s the main message of this project and why does it matter?

ALIGNE has a long-standing strategy of creating connections through women in sport, so the partnership with Lucy was a good  fit. The campaign brings female fashion and sport together to champion female players in a way that male athletes have been celebrated for decades.

Lucy embodies the brand values and the partnership represents everything they both share and stand for: femininity, strength, and empowerment. It’s rare to see partnerships of this kind within the world of luxury fashion and this was a great opportunity to celebrate and support females.

Can you describe the creative spark or inspiration behind the initial concept? Was there a specific moment or insight that ignited the idea?

Being respectful of talent is central to our approach. We wanted to showcase Lucy as her most authentic self, not in a light that didn’t feel natural for her. The decision to bring in elements of the sports locker room in an elevated setting was a perfect match, showing how personable she is and serving as a way to merge football into the fashion setting.

How did you ensure that the concept aligned with the brand's values, goals, and target audience?

We keep communication between the team and client very close. Keeping the brand in the loop about creative concepts from the very first stage of research, to initial ideation and right through to final production, ensures that we’re hitting all of those objectives and goals.

This approach keeps values aligned so that we can create concepts and content that resonate.

Were there any alternative concepts or ideas considered during the ideation phase? If so, what led to the selection of the final concept?

We normally share at least three different creative concepts for client work. The final concept was chosen as it felt the most natural and authentic way to showcase Lucy in her best light as the face of ALIGNE. As a female-led brand, ALIGNE stands for empowerment so making sure the talent partnership and content is in line with the brand identity and empowerment message made this concept stand out.