The GiGi gel polish campaign shoot, and the moment we saw the face of our love child.
And why your model needs to be more than a pretty face when promoting your brand.
After months of conceptual dreams, endless emails, product details, design and negotiations; to see your vision become tangible perfection feels the same as bringing a life into the world.
All three Glamour Nail Bar Directors were present at the first shoot for our range of professional gel polish GiGi, and none of us were prepared for how amazing and moving the shoot would be for us.
Initially we all just loved the venue, Chris Huzzard Studios – a multi level adventure in history, cameras, and shooting spaces at every turn. We then continued to fall in love with every aspect and person involved in the campaign.
Jacqui Brown of The Studio, who perfectly captured our heart image via champagne and chat, because we sure as hell knew what we wanted, but didn’t know how to explain it. Bianca of TMF (The Makeup Factory – incredible vegan makeup) who had a variety of breathtaking looks down perfectly, and what this girl can do just through eyebrow focus is pure magic. Add in funky braids by Kaitlan Magry of KM Wedding Designs, all photographed perfectly by the calm and zen Alan Chau of PartBlue Photography, and these brilliantistas showcased and supported our Scene Model Management model Melody Wilkinson. 
So, take the professionalism and technical perfectionism out of the shoot, and what actually made it such a sharp and clear interpretation of what was in our heads? What filled our hearts with love, and for our GiGi dreaming to become so real?
Melody. Her versatile beauty, her unending patience and her openness to suggestions from those of us trying to take thought pictures out of our heads and offer ideas.
Quite simply, a gorgeous face does a brand justice; however its the heart connection that brings it to life.
I realised that her genuine love for our brand, for us as people, and for our product, far surpassed a booking or yet another job. I realised this as I watched her laugh, smoulder, pout, smile and fierce her way through an endless number of shots; never once losing her sense of fun and professionalism. I then was led to ponder, what actually is a brand?
Because the word brand is really a brand in itself.
Originally a brand was the practice of burning, cutting or printing an identifiable mark into ones possessions, and derives from the Viking era when it was translated simply as ”to burn” which is exactly how ranchers branded their cattle with heated up branding irons in all those Westerns we may have watched.
So modern day ranchers and entrepreneurs, executives and dreamers have grouped identity, communication, awareness, personality and sales ability under the term “brand”, which promises the very best, the very beautiful, the very beneficial, and without it you may as well be awkwardly putting on cheap nail polish at home. 
GiGi, our Glamour love child is quite literally more than a brand: she is sassy, sexy, a little wicked, clever, driven, loving, kind, spiritual, adventurous and so very unique – GiGi is, quite frankly my dear, every woman amalgamated into one, and in that moment, Melody was that everywoman.
As Drake said “I would say I’m more moved by melody, even though I love to rap”, and we were moved by Melody and her sublime interpretation of our GiGi girl. Thank you sister.
Look out for GiGi, and be warned, you’ll wanna hang out with her, crack champagne, plan something wicked, book a trip around the word, rescue animals, dance barefoot, sleep in your highest heels, and maybe a t-shirt that smells like love.
For Gigi and its sweet Melody, is unforgettable.
