FOOD+BEV

It all begins with nailing the unique tone of the KFC UNIVERSE. Building upon our last campaign, let’s dream up a BOLD VISUAL WORLD that OOZES with energy and excitement at every turn. It’s reality, but turned up a notch. It’s playful and exciting, and it pushes the elevated realism in an intentional, curated direction.

Needless to say, we’d be honored to bring another piece of KFC history to life - embracing the innovative visual style you’ve so expertly created, creating a camera language that keeps our audience on their toes, and, most importantly - showing off KFC’s latest menu additions to the world with IRRESISTIBLE FOOD SHOTS. YUM.

IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE…

Indulgence is fiercely celebrated. Where women feel free to be totally themselves, owning their unique power & never apologizing for it. Imagine a world where cravings are met with a sense of wonder, rather than judgment. Where Boston Cream Pie is part of a sacred daily ritual, and the pleasure of flavor reigns supreme. Thanks to Light + Fit's ‘Fierce Flavors,' this bold world is within reach- and I couldn't be more inspired to bring it to life!

Through the journey of our fearless heroine, we have the opportunity to create a cinematic universe all our own- celebrating feminine power, and the satisfaction that only comes with knowing exactly what you want... And getting it. Armed with a distinct point of view & undeniable confidence, we're turning the idea of “diet culture” on its head, unlocking a new perspective & proving that making healthy choices can be FUN. Pleasurable. Powerful.

We’re evoking a world of enjoyment and indulgence, but make no mistake, this isn’t some stuffy “pinkies up” affair with a bunch of dour glamazons. This is a real, in-the-moment celebration of everything that we love about drinking with friends. Like being caught in the midst of a moment that is so perfect, so utterly joyful and beautiful, that you never could have planned it. You can only notice it, appreciate it, and run with it!

So my goal is to create setups that facilitate this kind of joy and serendipity. Then within each setup, I can find opportunities to capture the heart and soul of these little moments.

Part of this will come from careful planning. Setting up the lighting just so, getting the right mix of people who look amazing and have great chemistry, dialing in the color palette so that every surface and prop element fits our look and complements the product.

But the other part of it is all about seizing the moment. Capturing a moment of genuine connection between people that I never could have asked for, or a play of shadow on a glass that turns a simple bottle into an architectural marvel.

It may sound counterintuitive, but I always find that when you control the setup enough to set yourself up for success, you create more opportunity for play. That’s what I’m after here. Because when an image is infused with real joy and spontaneity, the viewer can do more than see it—they can feel it.

For the reasons I’ve described, I think iconic 70s cinema is a great reference point for this. It’s nostalgic, cool, and perfectly complements Dillon’s “mysterious hero” character. Plus, it feels

feels like a natural evolution of past campaigns—still in a similarly cinematic register, but elevated in a way that makes sense for a big launch like this one.

So, think warm color palette and rich skin tones, but with a modern crispness that keeps our stories current (and keeps the product looking great). The edit and composition will play into our 70s look, too, with key closeups that establish our hero and his adversarial relationship with Regular Beer (think 70s Western movie face-offs).

To achieve this cinematic look, we’ll pair some classic vintage lenses like the highly coveted Canon K35’s or the Arri Super-speeds with the Sony Venice II or Arri Alexa LF. These are great for creating warmth without taking things into “period piece” territory.

For the most part, our set feels timeless and classic — an endless Riviera summer. However, our wardrobe gives us the opportunity to bring in a modern touch. Our hand models should be wearing clothes (sleeves, really) that imply late afternoon leisurewear. Let’s keep the textures soft, luxurious and comforting — silks, satins and linens. The styling should be contemporary.

The color palette of our wardrobe needs to include a few subtle accent pieces in contrasting colors so they’ll pop against St.-Germain’s color palette, since that will be represented strongly in our set. I’m imagining red painted fingernails to stand out from the greens or a purple watch to stand out against yellow. Our hand models’ nails will be manicured and painted to add an element of whimsy.

We call it sobremesa - it's the party after the party that makes for nights to remember.

Sobremesa is a mood- and one we're going to capture at one big turn up as we roam through every little bit of conversion, celebration, and passion- complemented by Rémy Martin throughout, of course.

Hard to describe, but you know sobremesa when you're in it...

It's the sweat of a simmering summer night under the tinge of dusty tungsten light- basking the evening in an orangey, monochromatic glow.

It's feeling the pulse of Reggaeton in your chest as you pack onto the afterhours dancefloor.

But most importantly, it's the night's endless possibilities that signal that the celebration is just getting started, conversation is about to flow, and the highlight of the night can truly get under way.

When it comes to the main course, it's all about anticipation. The build up to that first bite as dishes are passed around and plates are loaded up with all your holiday favorites. Let's capture that anticipation, passing of plates, and overall energy.

We'll start this section as we left the previous one — matching the action of our transitional dish to perfection so as to make the wipe seamless and invisible. From there we get right into the action of the main course as we continue down the table.

Hands and plates are passed around in a manner that naturally pulls our camera along — coming and going at the perfect time while highlighting Sun•Maid dishes accentuated in warm golden light. We'll ensure those are the ones that capture our audience's attention through staging, movement, and light — no one wants to be upstaged by a holiday ham.

As someone who LOVES to eat, I’ve gotten to know many chefs around the country. Do you want to know what one fancy-pants French Chef de Cuisine recently told me? That every restaurant kitchen’s dirty little secret… is a MICROWAVE.

I also love to cook, especially Mexican food. I’ve been known to whip up some mouth-watering homemade carnitas. The key to the incredible flavors is that the meat must be slow-cooked in lard and braised with Mexican Coke. But how long does it take to prep and cook that dish? HOURS. And after a twelve-hour day shooting on a Friday night, the last thing I want to do is head to the stove.

That is why it’s so awesome that Herdez has a WAY easier option with slow-cooked carnitas in less than five minutes. You just gave me my whole night back, where I get to drink a Mexican Coke instead of braising with it. That’s some microwave magic right there. I think Herdez and that fancy-pants chef are onto something.

This product IS a star, and I plan on giving it the full star treatment. Dramatic angles, epic visual camera moves, and blockbuster cinematography will properly show off the sweet perfection of the Reese's cup. This might be a dramatic dolly-zoom, pushing in and pulling out on the product, creating a striking and eye-catching frame. Or, it could be directional lighting that effectively exaggerates the cup, helping it jump off the screen. Additionally, we'll heighten the filmic feel by layering atmospheric elements that will add drama and grandeur to the imagery. We'll use lens flares, fog, fine particles that give depth and texture to the footage.

Because there's not one single approach that will fit all the various creative demands of each shot, we're going to employ several different techniques in order to maximize the cinematic potential of our visuals. For example, we'll use photogrammetry to capture a wide shot with choreographed Reese's cups falling perfectly in slow motion, while the camera spirals 360° upwards, showing off every detail of the cup's 46 ridges.

I’d love our camera also to define a playful tension between subjective and objective vantage points – times when the shot feels euphoric in the throws of our characters ‘wiggle' and other moments where we’re watching the wiggle from the outside (from a neighboring diner booth, or through a security camera). We can also explore a move from cinematic fluidity to a more handheld sway to underscore a shift from subjective to objective (i.e., smoothly orbiting Sophia in the Office as she wiggles with abandon- then cut to a handheld shot from across the office to contextualize the absurdity).

We’ll be leveraging state-of-the-art equipment, like a large format cinema camera, for that buttery movie magic. With a large sensor, these cameras capture tons of vivid pixels, helping us accommodate any VFX (green screen) work and reframing for various aspect ratios. Their large sensor will also enhance the saturation of our scenes. Color will be a useful tool in energizing our frames and directing the viewer's attention. So, let’s maintain a fresh separation of pigments in the color grade to further distinguish between our diverse characters and allow the food to pop. It all needs to be rich - and lit with that warm, optimistic California sun.