Dr Teal’s: Soak it in
Overview
Dr Teal’s is an industry leader in bath products like Epsom salts and skin lotions, available in almost any grocery store and pharmacy.
We were thrilled to partner with their agency, Curiosity, to bring their 2022 campaign to life. It’s centered around the idea of taking a moment to stop, breathe and soak in life’s finer moments, a message we all surely need to hear after the last few years.
The brand had a very heavy assets list to capture to support their efforts, featuring spots for two kinds of products, four flavors of each product, three lengths of edits per flavor, all done in three different aspect ratios (16x9, 1x1, 9x16), so we were challenged to be able to shoot enough content over the course of three days to meet this ask, without sacrificing quality or variety.
Process
The scope of the ask required that we work creatively across all departments.
In terms of directorial approach, we thought one ingredient that was essential was a sensory feeling, one that immersed the viewer in the sounds and sights of being in a tub and not having another care in the world.
We employed ASMR-like sound design, textural inserts, and a transition device that put a button on the connection between taking time to unwind and enjoying life throughout your day.
With the connection between the two made clear, we sought to contrast the soothing feelings in the bathroom with naturalism, handheld camera, authentic-vibe shots. The logic here was that the relaxation you do in the bath gives you energy to tackle your day.
Because we had so many spots to fill with unique shots, we decided to forgo use of planning specific shots and instead gave the talent a loop of actions in the bathroom. This allowed our amazing DP, Sherman Johnson, to mine a wide range of unique looks at a fast clip.
Logistically speaking, we had a series of requirements stacked on top of each other that were very complex. We needed a free-standing, architectural tub in a house where we could pull out at least two lifestyle setups. These locations were few and far between and were not in production-friendly places in terms of access. We needed to show the outdoors, but not the native flora. We needed bathrooms flipped by lighting and art to look like other bathrooms.
It was a tour-de-force of logistics that resulted in no missed shots and happy clients.
Results
This project produced nearly 150 deliverables, featuring two core products in four flavors each, at 16x9 and then social-friendly 1x1 and 9x16 resizes.
Artex was responsible for the directorial approach, the entire production, and all the post-production.
We look forward to working with Curiosity and Dr Teal’s on other brand campaigns soon.
