shots Iconic Covers: Paul & Linus

Linus Karlsson is creative chairman at Commonwealth/McCann and chairman/chief creative officer, MING Utility & Entertainment Group. Boasting an illustrious agency career that has seen him become one of the industry’s most respected creatives, for issue 122’s The Way I See It feature for shots he and then Mother New York co-founder and CCO, Paul Malmstrom, went all out to deliver a brilliant sequence of portraits.

Getting into costume and character as an eccentric pair of circus performers, the result was a series of weird and wonderful shots to accompany their in-depth interview and the series was so good that one was selected for the cover of 2010's Cannes issue.

Now, in shots' 25th year, we're delving back into the archives to find out more about some of our most treasured imagery to feature in the magazine since its inception. 

Below, Karlsson looks back at the day he swapped scripts for spandex to bring out his creative streak and reveals more about how the unique set of images came together and what the reaction was like following the issue's launch.

Tell us about the idea for your creative portrait for shots issue 122…

We wanted to be classic guys. I’m a dwarf and Paul is a contortionist and we work at a circus with classic circus equipment.

Was the idea yours or Paul Malmstrom’s and did one have to convince the other it was a good idea?

Who comes up with what ceased to exist a long time ago between us. During the 21,466 hours we worked together over 20+ years, it’s gets incredibly blurry in the most fascinating ways. We rarely disagreed on things (except one thing), because when you’re in a team, who comes up with this, and who comes up with that, is not important. So I have no idea.

What was the one thing?

God.

Were the props and costumes hard to get hold of?

The brilliant photographer Josh Alsimer pulled it all together after briefing him on what we wanted to do. The shoot itself took place on the top floor of Mother in New York.

How was your beard extended for the piece?

I didn’t have a beard. And if I recall correctly, the make-up people who Josh hired had just come off a job with Tim Burton, so we just let them do their job. It was easy but it took hours to get that beard on. They kept gluing piece by piece until my face was pretty much covered. However, my favourite facial feature is my “smoky eyes”. Several women in the office told me it was “super-hot”.

Do you remember getting any other feedback and what was the reaction when the issue launched?

The issue came out right before Cannes, and I remember arriving in Cannes and people saying, “Oh, congrats on the cover - you are so much taller than I thought!” It was interesting and weirdly amusing how many people thought I was a hairy dwarf in real life.

How well do you think the image fit with the feature and the tone of the interview?

It’s a complete disconnect on one level, and a complete connection on another. Even though we said a bunch of fairly provocative things about marriage but also compared kids to dogs, people only remember pictures. It’s how it is. We mostly remember picture and smells. Words change in memory over time unless they are written down.

What did you say about marriage?

“Most people marry for the wrong reason – because they’re in love. That only works a little bit less than half of the time, if you believe in statistics. Instead, if you took love out of the equation and married someone who had qualities you didn’t have, you’d be significantly more successful. Additionally, if you gave up the idea of trying to control the other person, you’d be very successful. If you stopped constantly thinking of being loved all the time, you’d be married forever.” [Read the full interview from issue 122 here.]

Tell us about your career since the magazine came out and the strides you’ve made…

I’ve been part of an extraordinary journey in rebuilding McCann in the last few years, and literally re-designed McCann New York with my friend Tom Dixon. I’m creative chairman for Commonwealth/McCann running Chevy globally and recently started MING Utility and Entertainment with Brian DiLorenzo and Tara DeVeaux. Life couldn’t be more interesting right now. I love it.

If you could do the shots shoot again, what would be the concept?

I would probably do something more fashionable. Perhaps I am laying on a sleek beige daybed in the Hamptons, in a white room with white sheer curtains, playing with my iPad, dressed in JCrew clothes. Just laughing/smiling. Happy.

What are your memories of the day the image was shot?

I remember taking the subway home with the beard and hat on. It’s NYC, so no one really paid attention. They probably thought I was just a regular guy with a huge beard and a Leprechaun hat, with smoky eyes and thick mascara on his way home from work - which was totally true.

How would you sum up the image and the time it was taken?

The picture sums it up. I think it’s a beautiful portrait of us.