Everything has a story. Hence, everything delivers an opportunity for storytelling. Our approach to marketing is based on the fundamental desire to identify and showcase the story behind every project. From the wrapper on a package, to the journey of an emerging artist, we strive to communicate the meaning and value behind the subjects we have an opportunity to showcase.
For Scalp Micro USA, we wanted to get to the essence of the incredible stories behind the life-changing experiences of their clients. By offering a product which touches on the sensitivity of healing, confidence restoration, masculinity, emotion, and personal intimacy, the opportunity to create truly unique, individual visual media products was immediately apparent.
Our initial consultation sessions with the Scalp Micro USA team allowed us to first establish a common goal for the product presentation. Immediately, we and the client understood that what we wanted to do was to tell authentic stories relevant to the experience of each individual client, and highlight the benefits of the product procedure and its’ inherent effects on each treatment recipient.
Each patient comes from a unique background, and the stories relevant to their journey with hair loss couldn’t be more diverse. We wanted to ensure that these personal journeys were at the heart of each film, while still maintaining the integrity of cinema and product marketing without scripting something inauthentic to each featured subject. Our project structure was now defined in three parts; Product advertisement. Personal testimonial. Visual cinema.
The variables inherent to individual personality are inevitable factors. Going into the project, we knew that each respective media product would be a unique reflection of the subject featured. Thus, the tone, production, and editing style would be driven by these factors. Once we had an opportunity to meet with, and get to know the personalities of each of the two patients that would be the focus of each film, it couldn’t have been more apparent that these films would have a completely unique tone, and it would be our task to ensure a sense of product and brand cohesion between the series.
This is where the exercise in personal creative restraint and discipline come into play. You are now gifted with this huge, wide open opportunity to explore a single product presentation from disparate creative lenses! These are the beautiful challenges you hope for in projects. Presenting a variety of lifestyle, personality, quality of living, emotion, and have it all tie-in and relate to a single point of reference. Cue the internal happy dance.
With this set identification of the individual lifestyles, journeys, and challenges, I knew exactly how I wanted to guide our production, and direct our team to achieve the tone for each presentation. One film would be driven by a slower dramatic pacing, while the other slightly more upbeat.
Effective storyboarding was essential to setting the tone immediately for each presentation. It was important that the viewing audience had an instant, clear relation to the subject on screen. This was crucial to not only drive the remainder of the story that was to follow, but also showcase how the product itself connects with and touches the variant lives of many.
This is where getting to know the client’s patients really paid huge dividends. While telling authentic stories, we were able to plan and script scenes that would help to draw the audience into this intimate moment of shared vulnerability, while painting a fairly complete picture of the journey, personality, and why this product was so valuable to their life experience.
It’s a no-brainer that music was going to have a huge role in this project. A part of the driving force to establish the tone, and communicate the personality of each protagonist was the underlying score which compliments the journey of their respective stories. Much like the visual presentation, it was imperative that the sonic score helped to set the tone, as well as ride with and respond to the shifts in the storyline as we progress.
Ultimately, we want to resolve to a common point in each story, and the lead into that climax within each presentation will originate from opposite points of tonal initiation. With a goal of cohesion, it was imperative that those moments of transition felt identical, while remaining true to the overall intent of the product advertisement. The music was a crucial part of the success of this pursuit. One film’s tone began with a dramatic score, and the other began with a tone of levity and optimism. They both needed to get to the same place without dominating the show. The end result saw (or heard) a successful moment of transition within each film that blended the on-screen visual along with the score which carried everything into the final act. Brief, and poignant.
The final result delivered exactly what we wanted. Showcase the Scalp Micro USA product, and gently tug at the personal strings of emotion that connect the real-life experiences with those affected by a common plight. Even if the viewer might not be a candidate for their product, the effectiveness of the treatment is undoubtedly communicated.