How To Star In Your Very Own Luxury Brand Advertising Campaign

Not Dressed As Lamb Mock Hermes Advertising Campaign
Ever wondered how celebrities get those high-end luxury brand campaigns? Is it their name, their face, their box office pulling power, their ability to look good with a little plastic surgery and a lot of Photoshop…?


It’s probably all of the above, but as someone who is the same age as Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz (both 41 and both stars of campaigns for perfume and watches), I thought it would be fun to create and star in my very own advert for a luxury brand. I already had the photographic equipment – a DSLR, tripod and flash – and set out to create a mock up of what I thought could be my big advertising campaign – and prove it’s not all that difficult to look super expensive!


How to Star in Your Own Campaign in 5 Easy Steps:

  1. Get those rollers in your hair (your hair can’t be too big for this) and get your make up done (contour like crazy and ensure you have plenty on)
  2. Choose your luxury brand product to advertise – I chose the Hermès Arceau watch from The Watch Gallery to match my hair
  3. Set up a little studio with your camera and tripod in your kitchen or somewhere with a blank wall
  4. Use a ring flash to blast your face with even light and iron out wrinkles and blemishes
  5. Superimpose your luxury brand product over your image in Photoshop… voilà!

So it just goes to prove that with the right lighting and make up we can all look polished and worthy of an advertising campaign – believe me I don’t look anywhere near this glossy in real life (plus I’d never wear such heavy make up, but you need it for the photos). And if you also had the added benefit of a little nip and tuck and a lot of Photoshop, it’s no wonder we see 40-something celebrities as these age-defying creatures of wonder. I did this in my kitchen with my DSLR and a ring flash, plus a bit of Photoshop auto levels adjustment and stray hair minimising just to add a touch of gloss (I won’t deny there was a bit of tweaking, but that was the point – to add gloss). I could have gone a lot further with the Photoshop than I actually did.


So – if money were no object, would you consider buying a luxury product as a result of my advert? Have I convinced you this could be a real advertising campaign…?! Let me know what you think in the comments!
Catherine x

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P.S. This was in part a response to the Mumsnet thread that mentioned me and got a few of you riled on my Facebook page (thank you my little lammies!). I’ll give her “she looks closer to 50 to me”, pfft…!


I have written this post in collaboration with The Watch Gallery. All content is original, however, and any opinions are 100% honest. I am also not suggesting that the celebrities mentioned have had plastic surgery, just to be clear(!)


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30 Comments

  1. 12 October 2013 / 11:51 am

    Don't you just LOVE photoshop? If I Ccould choose any campaign, I would definitely opt for one of those Bvulgari campaigns where there are cabochon emerald necklaces as big as a dinner plate.

    Oh, and I have a giveaway on the blog this week, so if you and yours want to get in on the action, have a look see. I think you would ROCK the jersey wrap dress that is part of the prize πŸ™‚
    K.

  2. 11 October 2013 / 6:17 am

    LOL! I'm sure you have fun doing this shot though! =D
    I'm pretty convinced that you are actually advertising for Hermes! You did well with the photoshop I guess.

  3. 8 October 2013 / 10:36 pm

    Hope I look as good as u in 10 years time Catherine! 50 my arse!! X

  4. 8 October 2013 / 9:05 am

    PS you should do a make-up tutorial as your make-up looks lovely, especially the contouring, I have tried as advised by my 13 year old daughter but never quite get the effect I'm after. x

  5. 8 October 2013 / 9:03 am

    Wow Catherine you look amazing, particularly like your hair and eye make up. Ask Mrs Mumsnet what she thinks now !!!

  6. 8 October 2013 / 9:02 am

    You look amazing Catherine, love our hair and eye make you really are very photogenic, ask Mrs Mumsnet what she thinks now !!!

  7. 7 October 2013 / 5:04 pm

    You certainly sold me. Your makeup looks AMAZING! What color lipstick is that?

    • 7 October 2013 / 10:24 pm

      Thanks Kristin – there's a ton of it on me!!! I'm actually wearing mostly lip liner and a bit of balm – the make up range may not be available in the US, but it's the Natural Collection lip liner in Plum which is only sold via boots.com, a bit like Walmart. I tend to wear two lipsticks and a lip liner or sometimes even blush on my lips, so I'm not the best person to ask what colour lippie I'm wearing πŸ˜‰

    • 7 October 2013 / 10:21 pm

      That's really kind of you, Toni – thank you xx

  8. 7 October 2013 / 10:39 am

    Fun post! And you are gorgeous with or without photoshop:)

  9. 7 October 2013 / 3:59 am

    Don't be surprised when you get a call from Hermes begging you to work for them. :o) And yes, they should at the very least give you a watch for all the free advertising they're getting here!

    http://www.dressupnotdown.blogspot.com

  10. 7 October 2013 / 1:25 am

    Haha. This is a fun post. You look great… with or without the make-up and light photoshop;)

  11. 6 October 2013 / 11:04 pm

    This is so beautiful you look amazing! I'm 100% following all your tips πŸ™‚

    elissex.blogspot.com xx

  12. 6 October 2013 / 10:55 pm

    Omg. I love this! Hermes would be foolish not to hire you for an actual campaign!

  13. 6 October 2013 / 10:12 pm

    Wow Catherine! Looks like Hermes just got a new ambassador πŸ˜€ this image could go on the billboards any day, you look fantastic! Kisses xxx

    Beata

  14. 6 October 2013 / 4:21 pm

    Fun! I need that flash for everyday life : > You look glamorous and gorgeous.

    • 7 October 2013 / 10:19 pm

      I need it too, Patti!! Seriously I don't look like that, but that was the point I was trying to prove :)) And thank you x

  15. 6 October 2013 / 4:03 pm

    You know i think you look AMAZING! You just can win with some people. No matter what anyone's age is, if they look and feel great, that is all that matters. Quite frankly, I'm fed up of people judging women by their size/age/hair colour/anything they can find to nitpick…etc. You look beautiful with red hair, and you can most certainly pull it off! xx

    • 7 October 2013 / 10:18 pm

      Wow – that's really well put, Sarah. Thanks so much xoxo

  16. 6 October 2013 / 3:44 pm

    Bloody hxxx, you look fantastic. I hope they have remunerated you for this post with that watch, as I so want to have that now. LOL

    • 7 October 2013 / 10:18 pm

      :))) thank you, Greetje! (See the bottom of the post for the answer to your question…!) xx

    • 8 October 2013 / 5:56 pm

      I did read that you had been "compensated". I just hoped they compensated you with that -no doubt- very expensive watch haha.

  17. 6 October 2013 / 3:29 pm

    Who needs Gwyneth, Cameron & Co if we have Catherine?? Wow, you look so glamourous!
    And your chosen watch is really great.

    Annette | Lady of Style

DISCLOSURE: Items marked* are PR products (I never accept anything I wouldn’t choose for myself) and my opinions are 100% honest. I also use affiliate links where I may earn commission if you click through and buy, at no cost to you.