10 Product Focused Brand Photos I Created in 2021 and Why I Think They Will Help Increase Online Sales
One of my goals for 2021 was to shoot with some larger, “household name” brands and I am happy to say that I had the opportunity to work with quite a few of these brands over the course of the year in addition to some great small businesses, both local and nationally based. My goal with every brand photography client that comes to me, no matter the size of their company, is to really understand the brand on the ground level, not only what they offer, but what they stand for, and shoot images that reflect their values as well as help their products sell and their brands shine! In this blog post, I am going to share some of my favorite product-focused images that I got to create for brands in 2021 and why I think each image could help increase online sales for the brands I shot them for. My hope in sharing this with you is that you will be empowered to have compelling brand imagery created for your brand, and that in turn, it will help you increase your online sales in 2022.
S’well has been one of my brand photography customers for a couple of years now and I had the pleasure of doing a big project with them earlier this year. The goal of the project was to create some images for them to advertise to parents of school-age kids as the nation opened more and more schools back up to in-person learning in the springtime. Of course, with back to school, kids would need new water bottles and snack containers to take with them, and so it was a prime opportunity for them. S’well is not just a water bottle and food container company though, it is on a mission to rid the world of single-use plastic bottles. They also have an emphasis on healthy eating that they like to reinforce in their brand photography. This image embodies the S’well brand, first by showing a healthy snack idea to pack in their reusable to-go containers, and also by being careful not to show any single-use plastics in the image. The reason I think this image will help increase online sales for the S’nack by S’well product is because it shows a great example to customers of HOW to use the product.
Here’s a two for one! One of my new customers in 2021 was Organic India USA. Organic India sells tea infusions and whole herb supplements. When they approached me, they were particularly hoping to create simple, modern brand images that would translate well to social media posts. This brand is also focused on sustainability and fair practices. They are marketing largely to millennials who want to take control of their health. Here’s why these images are compelling sales pitches. The photo above, featuring the supplements, is super clean and simple, but still shows the product in a lifestyle situation with the glass of water nearby. The photo to the right, featuring the tea, tells a story. Showing action in brand and product photography (such as ripping open the teabag sleeve) puts the viewer (and potential customer) in the position to picture themselves in the photo, using the product.
Mixy is making craft mixology simple with their unique blends of produce, herbs, and spices that help you create the perfect craft cocktails with ease. They are a fairly new brand, just getting their feet off the ground and that is why brand imagery is so important for them! Photography is a great way to establish your brand in the online space and make sure you look professional and polished along the way. I purposely shot this image in a simple, lifestyle setting to show the product in use and to show how simple it is to use it. Images like this one are great, versatile images for use on a shop page for directly selling the product, as well as for social media campaigns.
I’d be surprised if you aren’t familiar with this classic brand. Mike’s Hard Lemonade is a playful brand, unfussy, and not over the top. They target millennials with their marketing and cater to the backyard bbq scene. Casual, candid, and light-hearted. Their light and bright aesthetic is right up my alley so I gladly accepted a shoot with them and got right to work. Although these images are very different in content and angle, they both share a fun, lifestyle vibe. One with the human element and the drink open and ready to enjoy, the other in a slightly more staged shot, showing an example of a great snack pairing. Both images invite the viewer (potential customer) into an attainable scene that makes them crave an ice-cold Mike’s.
These images were both shot for Samsonite, but for different product lines and on different occasions.
To the left, was a project, creating brand imagery for their Sarah Jessica Parker line of bags and suitcases. This fashion-forward, feminine line, has so many great details and I felt like it was important to show the details in action, like this cute clutch that comes with the backpack. As they say, “it’s all in the details!”
Above, is an image I shot for their Samsonite Solutions line, a collection of versatile lifestyle bags. They were looking for candid, relatable, lifestyle images of the bags in use. I think this image showcases that well. And again, I truly believe that lifestyle images (product in action) is a huge selling point!
Sometimes it’s really great to just show a simple photo of what’s in the box and that’s exactly what I did here with this brand photo for Smile Direct Club! Smile Direct Club is probably more well known for their Invisalign products but they also have a whole line for teeth whitening and that is what I was asked to photograph. This kit comes with everything you need for a two-touch teeth whitening. With a product that has so many little components, a flatlay was the best approach to show what comes in the box, but we also captured the product in use for this campaign to be well-rounded.
You may be noticing a theme here, but let me say it again for those in the back, SIMPLE, LIFESTYLE images SELL. WHY? Because it puts the viewer (who is your potential customer) in the frame of mind to picture themselves using your product in their life. Once they can picture that, what’s holding them back from purchasing?
The last product photo that I’d like to showcase today is a simple image for a small batch candle maker who sells her product on Shopify. If you sell exclusively online, product photography is non-negotiable, especially on e-commerce platforms like Etsy, where professional product photography will make you stand out from the numerous competition on the same site. If you want your product to be seen as high-quality and worth the money, you should definitely be investing in professional product photos.
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