Ogilvy Paris explains: That photo printed with an Epson birthed another idea

Everyone and their uncle has seen the Ogilvy Paris uses same image for Dove and Epson campaigns by now, so lets hear what Ogilvy Paris has to say on the matter, shall we?

To straighten a few things out - yes the image taken by James Day was re-licenced for use in the Epson ad. And yup, the Dove ad was never run as a campaign for Dove.

The portraits in the Epson work were originally shot two years ago for effectivement another campaign, conceived proactively for Dove. But it was rejected. The ads never ran, and were never entered into any competitions, award shows or festivals.
The campaign’s three portrait shots were shot by the photographer James Day. And even though the ads were not bought, the shots themselves appeared on his website as good examples of his work. They were even sent to some creative industry publications.
And although the agency’s initial client had refused the campaign idea, the shots themselves inspired another completely different one.
James Day also uses Epson digital prints to review his work. Many were used to review his shots with the team at Ogilvy. As the shots were intricate and detailed, Epson digital prints were the perfect way to judge them. They’re incredibly precise, and their colours never fade.
The shots, in fact, were a perfect demonstration of what Epson Digital Prints could do. So here lay a campaign idea in itself.
Epson accepted it, and the work has run in magazines and Epson dealerships. The shots are now even available on the Epson Digigraphy database (Digigraphy is Epson Technology for Art Prints).
It’s for us an interesting story of how a photographer’s images and an observation of a product’s benefits can inspire a powerful new idea.

For those who want a better view, try the really large closeup of the Epson image "memories of men" where you can see the text in the lines, things like "giggles" and "the love of my life" are written in her wrinkles. The campaign for Epson which has 3 executions has been published in Foot Hebdo and Sport Hebdo - French sport magazines They've also been exhibited at boulevard Beaumarchais in Paris at Profot.