‘It’s thinking season’ in the latest campaign for Sydney Writers’ Festival via BWMDentsu Sydney
Sydneysiders are set to be transported to a literary wonderland with the new Sydney Writers’ Festival campaign from BWM Dentsu.
BWM Dentsu collaborated with leading commercial and fine art photographer and director, Simon Harsent, to produce the 2015 campaign for the Sydney Writers’ Festival.
The work is a reflection on the 2015 Festival theme, ‘How to Live’ and a continuation of last year’s successful ‘it’s thinking season’ campaign.
Says Asheen Naidu, executive creative director, BWM Dentsu: “We wanted to capture that feeling of being totally engrossed in a great book. It’s as if nothing else matters and you’re in your own little world. Simon Harsent managed to bring that feeling to life beautifully.”
Shot near Oberon, New South Wales, the campaign conveys the sense of quiet wonder books create in people’s otherwise busy lives.
Says Simon Harsent, photographer and director: “The collaboration with BWM was a very enjoyable one. To do something for a writers’ festival that is essentially is a visual piece was a brave move. The idea that a good book can transform you led us to shooting this outside of Sydney in country NSW.
“There is something incredibly special about getting lost in a good book, it can be a transformative experience and the aim through the imagery and sound was to capture that dream like quality and sensory feeling that reading a good book can give you.”
More than 400 writers will gather in Sydney for this year’s festival, sharing their stories and experiences around the theme ‘How to Live’.
This year’s line-up features speakers from all walks of life, including prize winning authors, foreign correspondents, comedians, politicians, actors and a mortician.
Says Jemma Birrell, Sydney Writers’ Festival artistic director: “BWM has again produced an incredibly creative and impressive campaign for Sydney Writers’ Festival, continuing the feel and energy from last year’s campaign theme.
“We were delighted by the stunning photography and artwork integral to the campaign by leading photographer and director Simon Harsent. The concept beautifully captures the festival theme ‘How to Live’ and the unique moment of calm and solace that reading brings and that is at the heart of the festival.”
The multi-platform campaign will run across TV, cinema print, online and OOH.
Sydney Writers’ Festival takes place at various sites around Sydney from 18-24 May 2015.
Photographer and Director: Simon Harsent
Stills Producer: Courtney Lewis, The Pool Collective
DoP: Ashley Barron
Music and sound design: Song Zu
Retouching: Cream
Cinema DCP: The Edge
BWM Dentsu – Creative Agency
Chief Creative Officer: Rob Belgiovane
Executive Creative Director: Asheen Naidu
Senior Art Director: Chris McMullen
Art Director: Felix Ettelson/Chris Johnson
Writer: Fee Millist
Agency Producers: Margot Fitzpatrick/Simon Holdaway
Group Account Director: Sophie Bogdan
Account Executive: Courtney Kovacevic
13 Comments
The irony of a writer’s festival ad without a single copywriter on the credits.
Nice work CJ.
Is CJ moonlighting as an Art Director?
Sweet. An ad for a Writer’s Festival with no words.
🙂
“Hold it higher- can you stretch a little higher? Yep, all the way. Nice. Now it looks like your reading a book lying in a wheat field”
This is a dream category for good writing. Such a waste…
Wait, so CJ works at BWM now?
Nice idea. Good work.
So essentially you’re saying that to sell a car you must have a car in the Ad.
How boring and expected your work must be.
I would say the better work challenges the unexpected.
This looks good to me, not trying to hard.
It’s about reading, not making you read.
What. The fuck. Was that?
Am I missing something?
Seriously, whatthefuckwasit?
one word: horrible
sydney festivals all lost the ‘branding’ plot
i guess
you get what you pay for
Well done Ash and the gang, a beautiful and simple idea, wonderfully executed.
HEY BELGIO & SIMON
AND NOT A WRITER IN SIGHT!
LUV YA WERK BOYS
JAY DEE
Obviously the words ‘It’s thinking season’ were just too much for the critics here…….