OUGD602 - Work Experience - Day Two: Core Range Assets

6A2 / 6B2.

Core Range Assets:

Core range refers to the most popular products which Autoglym sell, separated into three categories with three products in each category: internal, external and wheels. It is important to update photography for these assets in creating consistency in design, especially product shots on the website, as well as allowing these to appeal in the current market.

Screenshot from current website showing their old and new photography techniques for product assets - shows how these need to be updated to produce consistency amongst all product images.

As a way of managing these assets, the marketing team introduced a method called "search and spin" whereby one person from the marketing department is called to present new ideas on how to improve outdated photography through exploring current photography styles and trends. The technique they currently use they named "The Jesus Effect", whereby they shoot the product from below and at an angle, rather than their old 'head-on' approach, since they found that this elevates the product and gives it more of an impact since this is not a typical angle you would view something, giving it some sort of superiority as an object.

As well as individual product shots, they also show product in use shots in order to show how each product is effectively used and how it works. Within this, one other update consideration Autoglym have is the car models they use for product shoots. These have to be current and relevant, and appeal to a wide audience of car lovers and enthusiasts so that certain demographics do not feel alienated. Often Autoglym use their brand influencer's cars or borrow new cars from local garages for these product in use shoots.

Meeting The Photographer:

In further showing me the importance of updating these photography assets and how they go about doing this, I was introduced to their product photographer, Brian, who gave me a tour of his studio and explained parts of his practice. In taking product in use shoots, Brian explained the importance of small details, such as reflections. All of these small, subtle considerations which you may not even notice initially are what makes up a brand's identity.

Demonstration Videos (part of core range data assests):

As another part of Autoglym's data assests, they also produce demonstration videos on how to use each product, which feature on both their website and YouTube. Like their photography, Autoglym are constantly thinking about ways these can be updated in order to appeal to a wide audience of car lovers so that certain demongraphics of theirs do not feel alienated.

In these videos, Autoglym used to have a presenter showing how to use each product, however realised that this only appealed to a specific demographic. For instance, if the presenter is a white male in his 30's then it may target this audience more and other consumers may feel alienated and like they are either too young or old to be using Autoglym's brand of products. For this reason, they looked at adapting a new video style. This new style was inspired by videos by Primitive Technology, whereby he does not use any additional music or instructions, he simply uses the natural sounds of the environment and materials he uses, as well as close-up shots to show clearly what he is doing to achieve his result. It was considered by Autoglym that this style appeals to more people since, for instance, if a certain music style is used, this may then only appeal to those who enjoy that certain style of music, whereas if the natural sounds of an object or process are used, then more people can relate to this.

This new style of demonstration videos were also inspired by videos from Freitag, a brand which use stopmotion methods to show products in use in an environment which is natural to it.

The new video style takes elements from both Primitive Technology and Freitag. The videos simply use the natural sounds of the products and processes being used, such as the sound of the pressure washer and the sound of product being poured out of the bottle. The videos have also been shot in an environment which represents the brand and products, shooting these in a warehouse/factory setting, with metal floors and background elements. These then use on-screen instructions rather than their old way of having someone speak through the process, meaning that its inclusive to everyone, not just consumers from a certain demographic, whilst this also means the videos can be watched without sound too for those who are unable to watch with sound.

Storyboards:

In learning about this process of updating data assets, I also learnt about the process which happens before these kind of videos are created. Shaun starts by sketching out the subject at various different angles and creating cutout pngs of these to be used in the storyboarding process. Some considerations were:

• Keep it simple to allow for change and flexibility, otherwise a vision might be too resolved and therefore make it hard in the production of the video, and cause challenges if this vision is not able to be achieved in the way it was initially thought.
• Use simple sketch lines for camera and motion movement to differentiate between the two.
• Try to stick to one page.
• Write notes underneath as guidance instructions.

Meeting The Digital Printers:

Throughout the day I also got the opportunity to meet the digital printers which Autoglym use to print any advertising media or product packaging, who gave me a tour of their workshop, and explained some of the print processes and equipment they use. One of these pieces of equipment was called the 'Indigo Press', which works by electronically firing an image onto paper, recreating this same image individually in CMYK. This process allows the print quality to therefore be exactly the same no matter how many runs were produced, from one to one thousand. As a part of this print technology, the printers also have a special program code which allows the image to be personalised on each print in just one run, without having to print separate layers in two or more runs - a process good for tickets, personalised products, etc.