Mariko Ogata is a multi-talented copywriter and creative director at ad agency Hakuhodo. One of her biggest clients is the department store LUMINE, for which she designs and shoots ads that are composed in an old-fashion style but generate eye-catching results. She relies heavily on intricate, carefully thought-out backdrops that are transported to location and then photographed with a model or celebrity. Aside from adding text, there’s very little digital retouching or manipulation that goes into her creations. Here’s a selection of some of her work:
For a recent summer campaign Ogata designed a multi-paneled backdrop that was hand-assembled and then painted in pastels to create a summery feel.
Ogata and her staff created an over-sized bird’s nest and eggs (actually painted balloons) and carried them on boat to an island for the shoot. The ad reads, “If I’m to be reborn, I want to be me again.”
For a 2014 Spring ad that was supposed to convey the impression of asserting yourself in an open manner, Ogata and her team traveled to Phuket (Thailand) to shoot this colorful flags blowing in the wind. The ad reads, “The wind is always to my back. It just depends on which way I’m facing.”
For a “Boho&Grunge” (a sort-of hippie chic look) photo shoot, Ogata draped numerous crystals from the ceiling and had her model (Ai Hashimoto, of Amachan fame) stand just right so that two of them appeared to be tears falling out of her eyes.
For a Christmassy, “Festive Mood” shoot last winter Ogata prepared several plants and trees to be brought into the photo studio. LED balls of light help to create an unusual yet eye-catching Christmas tree.
A fun mix of simple patterns and textures turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. The ad reads, “It’s not sleep deprivation or bad mouthing, but boredom that’s making me ugly.”
Below some more photographs Mariko Ogata directed (find out more about each shoot in this list of her recent work):
