BRIEF OVERVIEW
Abbey Road Studios partnered with the creative team at Blackstar to launch their inaugural Music Photography Awards (MPAs) - a celebration of the best in music imagery. The brief was to create a cutting-edge design identity that felt alive, energetic, and approachable, appealing to both emerging creatives and industry veterans.
CREATIVE PROCESS
The creative process began with extensive mood boarding, exploring the intersection of analogue craft and digital culture in music photography. This research informed the development of a bold visual world that fused lo-fi, tactile textures - such as scanned paper, grain, and graffiti with virtual elements like digital interface graphics and software tabs. This contrast helped shape a unique and dynamic brand identity for the awards.
Building on this foundation, I led the creative direction and execution of a series of promotional and ceremony broadcast videos, including How To Enter, Category Announcements, Meet The Judges, The Craft, and an Awards Round-Up, as well as short-form content for social media to sustain engagement post-show.
MEET THE JUDGES (SOCIAL STILLS)
A set of impactful still visuals developed to introduce each judge across Abbey Road’s social platforms, ensuring a cohesive look and feel across campaign touchpoints.
CATEGORY ANNOUNCEMENTS
A bold, animated video series created to announce each award category during the ceremony. These played live at the Music Photography Awards, adding energy and momentum to the event, while also serving as engaging social content in the lead-up to the show.
HOW TO ENTER
A clear and visually engaging instructional video outlining the submission process, ensuring accessibility and encouraging wide participation from emerging and established photographers alike.
THE CRAFT
Short-form, educational content for Abbey Road’s The Craft series - offering insight, inspiration, and practical tips from industry professionals, aimed at helping aspiring photographers break into the field.
MEET THE JUDGES (MOSES SUMNEY VIDEO)
A thoughtful video feature diving into the creative world of judge Moses Sumney, spotlighting his unique perspective and adding depth and credibility to the judging panel.
EVENT ROUND-UP
A dynamic wrap-up video capturing the most memorable moments from the awards ceremony, crafted to celebrate the winners, the energy of the night, and extend post-event engagement online.
PROJECT IMPACT
The inaugural Abbey Road Studios Music Photography Awards 2022 successfully positioned itself as the first major awards dedicated to celebrating music photography, attracting both emerging and established talent. The campaign achieved a 14.8% lift in ad recall, a 3.9% increase in brand awareness, and a 3.9% boost in recommendation, demonstrating its strong audience impact.
The event, judged by industry leaders including Rankin and Abbey Road Studios' Managing Director Isabel Garvey, gained significant recognition within creative communities, with features in NME, Creative Review, and Music Week. The campaign’s strategic blend of dynamic promotional content, immersive visuals, and social media storytelling played a key role in making the MPAs a landmark event for the music and photography industries.
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