The Challenge
Food photographer Edward Pond came to us with a growing problem within his industry: showing his work and getting face time with creative directors had become next to impossible.
The Approach
In 2011 we solved this problem by creative Edward Pond’s Creative Chef: a cook-off between 12 the top creative directors in the country. Although the feedback and business results he received exceeded all expectations, for 2012, Edward wanted more. He tasked us with getting him even more face time. So this year, we extended the Creative Chef concept to include a preliminary round of qualifiers entitled “Show Your Roots”. 22 Creative Directors signed up to cook Edward their signature dish in the comfort of their own home. This allowed Edward to spend an entire evening with the same people he couldn’t get ten minutes with before. Eight of those individuals were then selected to compete in the finals.
The Results
Once again Tickets to the final event sold out in under a week. At the event, Edward was able to seamlessly promote himself to both the contestants and attendees. The promotion culminated with a Creative Chef Awards Annual documenting the event. Edward’s billings are up over 50% and he has now become one of the most recognized photographers in the country.
