makers of cool shit
Project type:
brochure, script
Client:
Skills shown:
citizenM studio
verbal identity, copy, fashion styling, art direction
People often hit a milestone and immediately lunge for the next. The pause rarely happens. This brochure is that pause. A deliberate breath. A celebration of Brand Studio (citizenM’s in-house agency) delivered the only way we know how: all gas, no brakes.
It’s loud, outlandish, occasionally absurd on the surface – yet nothing here is accidental. Every page is engineered, every beat intentional. Threading it together is a David Mitchell-esque narrator (a UK comedian) – acerbic, hyper-verbal, delightfully unforgiving – skewering the team with satirical scoldings.
That self-deprecation isn’t a gimmick; it’s the point. It taps into the distinctly British comedic style while counterbalancing a truth: most of the team would rather do the work than talk about it. So I built a voice that does both – celebrating the work without taking it too seriously.
fashion styling
every detail a deliberate choice
The brochure is bold, so the styling follows suit. Each look amplifies the art direction, not sits alongside it. From the ‘90s skater for Buzzed, to the “flasher” of marketing materials, to the overworked designer and social media guru, and the red citizen blending into the background – each character is defined through styling.
With a tight budget, resourcefulness wasn’t optional. Most pieces were second-hand, vintage, or pulled from our own wardrobes. It’s my preferred way of working – more inventive, more authentic and far kinder on the planet.
Brand Studio teamed up with a local coffee vendor to take over citizenM’s Tower of London café – buzzed is the story behind it. Merchandise was made for the launch, including lighters, coffee cups and grinders – objects that extend the attitude beyond the cafe. For this shoot, I wanted to track the “buzz” through passport-style portraits – customers climbing from composed to fully charged. The hero image is an all-singing, all-dancing skater you can’t ignore. And bold, merch-inspired graphics tie it all together.
who did what
Joe Crowther
Emily Smith
creative direction, model
Marco Tiberio
design, photography, art direction, video
Ruby Joemai
photography, model
Paula Cernuda
model, stylist
Charlotte van der Boon
production, model
Marc Denton
production, model
Kelly Merks
design, model
copywriter, model