Cannes Film Festival Empower Cafe
Brand / Art Direction
The WACL Empower Cafe awarded a pitch by Kaitlyn Powers and Mallory Cross to bring their concept 'Stubbornly Succeeding' to life and be shown at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
The video would run on loop at the cafe, and graphics featured in the official programming. Connected social content in three sizes were also made.
'Stubbornly Succeeding' pointed out the double standards womxn often face in the workplace, and how womxn continue to thrive despite the opposition. Each stereotype has a flip side strength. Why just be bossy when you can be the boss?
As a strapping 5 person team agency-side, I was brought on to develop the brand, execute social graphics, and direct photography and style models on set. We partnered with Crybaby Kingdom to produce the film and photography, and I worked post-shoot to provide critique and make final selects.
A sample script about the stereotypes was used to build out the surrounding visual world. From this, I selected typefaces, a color palette, and curated the visual treatment for all photography.
A bold sans serif took on the persona of the stereotypes, reflecting their rigid and imposing nature. A handwritten, playful script was chosen to add in the element of individual strength and personality each woman uses to flip the script. Colors are flashy, demanding attention in a world that would rather they be silent.
(There was a minor shift since the physical set and wardrobe took on the look of the primary colors after sourcing materials, and so the secondary colors took over when it came to the later added type/graphical elements.)
To communicate the vision to Crybaby Kingdom before the shoot, I made a sample series using the brand.
The final film and select social content
Behind the scenes from shoot day and the Cannes Festival, including the panel discussion Kaitlyn and Mallory gave where they talked about the project.
Other Team Members:
Executive Producer: Jessi Aylward [also modeled]
GCD: Liz Agans [also modeled]
Senior Social Strategist: Mallory Cross [also modeled]
Senior Copywriter: Kaitlyn Powers [also modeled]
Production Partner: Crybaby Kingdom
Director: Kristin Wellmer
Producer: Victoria Najmy
DP: Julia Kupiec
Gaffer: Claire Halloran
Audio: Amelia Palmer
Photographer: Eve Mahaney
Editor + Colorist: Julia Kupiec
Talent: Alston B. , Jaiyla Robinson, Sara Jabbari , & Alex Kavege