August 19, 2010
Poor vision continues to plague undeveloped areas of the world where finding an optician is costly and time-consuming. Danish optometry chain Nyt Syn, or “New Vision,” strives to make a difference with their “Glasses for Africa” program. Nyt Syn collected eyeglasses from more than 70,000 people in Denmark. Six opticians and a nurse then traveled to low-income areas of Gambia and Senegal to administer eye exams and fit them with the collected glasses. Joachim Ladefoged accompanied them on their journey to villages around Africa, shooting video and reportage-style images to document the trip.
As people finished their exam and were given a pair of donated glasses, Ladefoged was there to take each person’s picture. The portraits are featured on Nyt Syn’s website, in store displays, and the corporate magazine. The print campaign has been shortlisted for a Creative Circle Award. While the portraits show people sitting still and refined, their visible reactions of the joy and awe of being able to see clearly are captured in Ladefoged’s video footage.
View Joachim Ladefoged’s documentary film and more images from his time in Africa
June 10, 2010
Gatorade took a new turn in its branding strategy last year by renaming itself “G.” Its latest offering is a line of performance drinks called “The G Series.” A set of 3 drinks aims to help athletes perform their best – 01 Prime is meant provides a boost of energy before activity, 02 Perform is the Gatorade Thirst Quencher taken during movement, and 03 Recover helps athletes rehydrate and aids muscle recovery after exercise.
Joachim Ladefoged worked with TBWA\Chiat\Day to photograph the print campaign. The first round of advertisements released include three-time Olympic gold medalist and record-setting sprinter Usain Bolt, NBA all-star player Dwight Howard, and NFL quarterback and 4-time MVP Peyton Manning. The black and white images of the elite athletes shows them imbibing the performance drink while training and competing.
Says Art Producer Debra Rosen, “Working with Joachim was an unbelievable experience. We had very little time with the athletes and Joachim still managed to capture beautiful, poignant imagery in every single shot. His positive attitude makes him a joy to work with and his incredible talent makes for flawless artwork.”
View more from the Gatorade G Series campaign
December 8, 2009
Representatives from the 192 countries that make up the United Nations are currently gathered in Copenhagen for the Climate Change Conference, also known as COP 15. Ten days of talks are scheduled until December 18th, aiming to establish official guidelines for reducing emissions from greenhouse gases.
Last September, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon reached out to global advertising agencies for support. After three rounds of intense reviews by the International Advertising Association and the United Nations headquarters in New York, OgilvyEarth’s compelling “Hopenhagen” campaign was chosen as the voice of the conference.
Ogilvy invited several photographers to participate in the project, but there is one in particular that is catching the eye of people around the world. Joachim Ladefoged’s photograph of two boys flexing their arms as Earth’s bodyguards is displayed prominently on a billboard in the center of Copenhagen Square.
Seen already in several news outlets such as BBC News, the image is being picked up by the media and distributed around the world. Ogilvy Creative Director Michael Paterson says, “We think it will become one of the iconic images of the conference.”
Find out who the boys are in the interview with the creative team at Ogilvy and Joachim Ladefoged
