Changing the Lens: Exploring new Perspectives
Nike: Photography Challenge
Nike UK’s Sportswear brand team were looking for a fun, creative activity for an afternoon in Central London.
The Brief
The team had a morning of business workshops and were looking for something entirely different for the afternoon session.
Brand Director Alex Whitcher suggested the idea of a Photography experience for his team. The team are a creative, energetic group made up of marketing and brand professionals in their 20’s. A key focus was to keep their group’s attention throughout and ensure the session is focused on fun.
What Did We Do?
The day began with a Photography Crash Course under guidance of a group of professional photographers. The theory taught was linked to the challenges the team faced so they could apply what they learned.
The teams were then by divided into 3 groups of 4 and turned theory into practice by hitting the streets of London for the 5 Photo Challenge. Here, each group was equipped with a professional photographer to provide support as well as a DSLR camera provided by City Academy.
Each group took into account techniques including composition, subject, story and depth of field to apply to the challenge.
Sample briefs included:
- Shoot a Nike sneaker using shallow depth of field (blurred background with the product in focus)
- Use reflection to show an athlete in motion (eg. Skaters at Southbank)
- Use composition to give a unique impression of the area
- Bring a Nike brand guideline to life (eg. “Everyone’s an athlete”, “Question Everything” etc)
By exploring various approaches to the tasks, individuals flexed their creative muscles and worked together before meeting back at a prearranged location. They then submitted their photos to a Photography tutor who chose a winning team.
"Massive thank you to City Academy for putting on an amazing day for our team that was fun and educational all at once. Peter and all the tutors were fantastic."
Alex Whicher
Brand Director, Nike
