shots Iconic Covers: Deutsch

To celebrate 25 years of shots we’re looking back at some of the iconic and memorable imagery that has adorned the covers of the magazine in that time.

This week, Deutsch North America's CCO, Pete Favat, takes over to tell us about his shoot for the company's feature in our special on the city of Angels in which he involved the whole creative team.

Kitted out in orange boiler suits and frozen in action on a bus with Favat at the wheel, the cover - for shots issue 155 - was a striking one and below the chief creative officer explains why it was important for the portrait to be a team effort and reveals the direction behind the idea for the pose.

When you were approached to be featured in the LA special of shots and briefed on producing a creative portrait, how did you arrive at your idea?

I'm a big believer in the idea that "without tension, no one pays attention". That has always pushed me to come up with ideas that will stand out. It also occurred to me that no one cares to see another picture of some CCO taking full credit for all of the blood, sweat and tears that went into his or her organisation's success. That’s not how I roll and I actually wouldn’t have been interested in the portrait if I had been limited in that way.

Can you tell us the context and explain the situation of what’s happening in the image?

The photo represents a group's escape from ad prison. People in this industry feel stuck, trapped. We have constant urges to try new things and take new directions. And we want to break out. So the idea of stealing a bus and getting the hell outta there made sense. I think a lot of people are feeling this way.

Why did you decide to involve the whole team in the portrait, even though you were the one being asked the questions?

That's simple: advertising is a team sport. This isn't about me. Success comes from great talent all around you putting out powerful work. The days of imperialistic creativity are over. The reason I am where I am is because I have chosen to work with wonderful and talented people over the years and have built teams that love to work in collaboration. There's no room on this bus for selfishness.

How did you select the specific people to feature?

Everyone chosen for this picture has a different skill set. Deutsch believes in the "T" shaped employee and that the best way to creatively solve business problems is to surround those problems with solvers that have diverse backgrounds and talents. This photo represents talent across creative, design, strategy, tech, art, copy, music production, UX, integrated production and more.

Where did you get hold of the orange boiler suits?

I can't tell you that. 

And what’s the story behind your “you need an enemy” knuckleduster?

Knuckleduster. Love that term. I gave a talk at Cannes two years ago with artist Shepard Fairey called 'You Need an Enemy’. It's a philosophy that is ingrained into my creative process. It’s a way to engage people. And, its focus is to identify the antagonist or tension in a brands' story. Art needs resistance so it gives you something to push against. We use it a lot.

How many shots did it take for the photographer to get the final image and tell us about the direction involved in getting everyone to strike the correct pose?

Gary Land is a great photographer, so it didn't take many -- probably 20 shots. Dana Commandatore, EVP, director of creative and print services, produced the shoot and directed us through the windshield – although she should really be in the shot! If you can’t tell from the final image, we had a lot of fun with this.

What feedback did you get when the issue was released?

There was a lot of positive energy around the issue. My Facebook and Twitter pages got very excited. I think it made people happy. We live by a mantra at Deutsch: "invent the most original and shareable work in the world." I think the reason this cover was shared so widely is because it is unique, original and truly represents our organisation.

How would you sum up the image and memory of the shoot for shots 155?

I want to live in that moment forever. That's what it's all about for me. Being with people you love and making things you care about.