Banks does TV and print for Hugo Boss' new campaign

The full array of talents behind bicoastal U.S. creative production company Stardust Studios are on display in a new print and television campaign for Hugo Boss Green debuting worldwide. Together with the brand's marketing executives and the creative team from Paris-based Callegari Berville Grey, Stardust’s owner and creative director/director Jake Banks helped to create the new look for – while also designing and directing – the breaking cross-media campaign's bold print and TV ads, which star Golden Globe-winning actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers and introduce the new cologne for men.

Hugo Boss Green - Launch (2006) 0:30 (France)

The campaign's ads feature Meyers and the distinctive Hugo Boss Green bottle in a stylized blending of live-action elements with 3D designs and flowing motion graphics. "We came up with the unique visual aesthetic to unify the personalities of Jonathan and Hugo Green, with an overriding theme of irreverence," Banks explained. "In this world we created, everything is possible, and Jonathan is taking control. It's a simple story, told in a way that is visually stunning."

Banks directed the print and live-action shoots in Paris throughproduction company Les Télécréateurs, with renowned photographer Rankin shooting the stills, and
cinematographer Simon Chaudoir serving as director of photography on the three-day 35mm film shoot. The motion picture film was transferred by colorist Didier Lefouest for assembly of the live-action footage by Home Digital Pictures' editor Sophie Fourdrinoy into several different versions of the spots. In the U.S., under the supervision of Banks and VFX/CG supervisor Doug Purver, and with conceptual guidance from LA design director Brad Tucker, Stardust’s team created the environments and the animation while Banks designed the campaign's print ads.

"In the illustrations, we show the world we created for Jonathan," Banks said, "and those turned out to be sort of a storyboard to determine the look and feel of where the TV needed to go." Stardust's team then artistically composited together all the live-action and animated elements to create the finished :30, :20, :15 and :10 TV ads.

"With full credit to the many great talents involved," Banks added, "I really see a lot of myself in these pieces, as they are exactly the kind of work I love doing. With our reputation spreading around the world and the many opportunities we are constantly handling – each of which, by definition, must push forward the cutting-edge of fashion, lifestyle and music – this was a project where I could really get into it and passionately apply myself."

Banks, Purver, Tucker and their Stardust colleagues used Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop for design, Autodesk Combustion for keying, Adobe After Effects and Autodesk Maya for animation, and After Effects for final compositing.

The agency's project team included art director Hélène Bremont, copywriter Corinne Assuérus and producer France Cebron.