CASE STUDY
London Calling: Storyboard & Marketing Illustrations for Ben Sherman's "Sports Meets Streets" Campaign
Brief | Interactive Fashion Ads with Storyboard Precision
Ben Sherman enlisted me to develop storyboard fashion concepts that would animate their “Sports Meets Streets” campaign. The goal: create custom fashion ad artwork that would seamlessly blend their latest sportswear line into dynamic, urban environments while maintaining an emotionally resonant tone.
AT A GLANCE
Challenge: Create storyboard concepts for Ben Sherman's "Sports Meets Streets" campaign featuring athletes in iconic London locations (Carnaby Street, Victoria Station, Tower Bridge).
Solution: Developed dynamic scenes showcasing athletes (football, BMX, golf) wearing the latest Ben Sherman sportswear lines.
The Challenge | Bringing Sport and Street Together
We envisioned three unique scenes that highlighted Ben Sherman’s fusion of sport and street fashion:
- London's Fashion Hub: Footballers in action on bustling Carnaby Street, seamlessly blending with the city's shoppers.
- Urban Acrobatics: A competitive BMX biker navigating the dynamic setting of Victoria Station.
- Teeing Off in Style: A golfer taking a dramatic swing from the iconic Tower Bridge.
Each scene aimed to resonate with modern consumers while emphasizing sustainability-focused illustrations and marketing visuals.
Process:
- In-depth research of each location for accurate representation.
- Varied sketching styles to suit each scene (loose for Carnaby Street, angular for Tower Bridge).
- Collaborative approach with Ben Sherman team to refine compositions and character outfits.
- Final artwork with detailed backgrounds, refined characters, and grayscale colouring.
Urban London scene: Footballer makes a play on bustling Carnaby Street.
Tee time in style: A fashionable backswing on Tower Bridge.
London grind: BMX chic takes flight at Victoria Station.
Behind the Scenes | Creating Emotionally Resonant Storyboards
Research & Concept Development:
I began with extensive research on each location. Visual references and site studies informed every sketch, ensuring the backgrounds felt authentic while supporting the interactive fashion ads narrative.
- Carnaby Street: I adopted a looser, more fluid rustic ink style for the background. This drew focus to the foreground action, allowing the footballers' energy to dominate.
- Tower Bridge: Here, chunkier lines and angular forms mirrored the bridge’s iconic structure, creating a dramatic, grounded composition that elevated the custom fashion ad artwork.
- Victoria Station: A lower viewpoint captured the bustling energy, with sharp, clean lines emphasizing the movement and rhythm of the scene.
Testimonial
"Ainsley proved invaluable in helping to capture and clearly communicate our project. Her experience was clear as she helped to guide the project and ensure that everything was complete within timeframes despite a few changes (from our end) along the way. I hope to work with Ainsley again in the future. Would recommend."
- Ben Sherman Marketing Team
The power of line-work: Bringing Tower Bridge to life in illustration.
Dynamic duality: Straight lines & verticals fuel fluid figures.
The Artwork | Sustainability and Style in Harmony
Once the mock-ups were approved, I refined each scene with an eye for detail, ensuring the athletes' outfits perfectly showcased Ben Sherman’s sportswear. Every character was designed to convey personal, emotionally resonant storyboards that aligned with the brand's sustainability values.
Subtle Greyscale Depth:
To add dimension, I used a restrained grayscale palette. This not only highlighted the sustainability-focused illustrations but also maintained visual cohesion, reinforcing Ben Sherman's commitment to conscious fashion.
Triumphs & Impact | Interactive Visual Storytelling
The final storyboard series achieved a dynamic balance of sport and street fashion. Through carefully crafted interactive fashion ads, Ben Sherman’s campaign stood out as both innovative and relatable, enhancing their brand identity while emphasizing the emotional depth and sustainable ethos behind their latest collection.