JAPANESE WORKS OF ART IN XXXL FORMAT ON LESS MESS STORAGE CENTRES
On 19th May 2022, some unusual works of art appeared on Less Mess Storage’s buildings in Warsaw.
The famous Japanese artist, Photographer Hal, has a style which arouses both interest as well as controversy. Indeed, he was recently the main feature of a CNN Style article: https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/photographer-hal-flesh-love/index.html
So what is all the fuss about? Photographer Hal’s core style is to place people, including naked couples, in a bag and in intimate positions and then suck all the air out to give a vacuum-packed effect. The very creation of each work requires weeks of planning, hours of set up and then only a 10-second window in which to take photographs. The bag then has to be broken quickly to avoid suffocation of the subjects inside.
How has Less Mess Storage, a company with a network of self storage centres in Poland and the Czech Republic, come to commission Photographer Hal’s art? The idea was initiated and driven by the creative agency, Mamapool, whose partners have decades of experience all over the world, and who had previously worked with Photographer Hal on a condom marketing campaign.
Being “crushed by clutter” and “suffocated by stuff”, whether in a home or business context, is a problem and stress in life which everybody can relate to, and for which Less Mess offers an easy solution. Photogrpaher Hal’s art is a way of providing a metaphor for these emotions of stress, and in exciting and colourful images.
INTERVIEW WITH THE CREATIVE AGENCY MAMAPOOL
Where did the idea to combine self storage services with the art of Photoghapher Hal come from?
Tom Pinsent, Partner at Mamapool: We were thinking about how it feels to live in an office or home when it is full of too much stuff. We were also talking about the effects of lockdown. In both scenarios you feel trapped, almost suffocated. It is dislocating and stressful. We felt that Photographer Hal’s art perfectly captured the emotion of feeling stressed, of feeling crushed by too much stuff. Of course this is an emotional problem that Less Mess solves. I worked in Tokyo for many years so was familiar with Hal’s work.
How did you meet Hal?
Tom, Mamapool: When I was Head of Planning for Ogilvy in Japan I became familiar with Hal’s work. We worked with Hal for a condom brand campaign.
Has it been your first time coordinating a project in Japan?
Tom, Mamapool: I lived and worked in Japan for many years and Hitachi was Mamapool’s founding client so we have a love of Japanese culture. But we had never done a remote shoot before. It simply was not possible to fly to Japan as non-residents, and even residents returning had to spend several weeks in quarantine. Similarly, we could not fly Hal to Poland because his wife was having a baby. So it was our first remote project with Japan. Hopefully we will be able to visit next time.
What was the creative process behind the Less Mess / Mamapool project?
Tom, Mamapool: Very easy. It’s always great when the CEO is 100% committed to a project, so much so that he wanted to fly to Japan and get in a bag! The whole team at Less Mess dedicated their time to overcome any last minute problems which is fantastic to work with and removes stress from the project. Less Mess have a fantastic vision and commitment to doing things differently and better.
How difficult was it to coordinate cooperation with so many different countries involved?
Tom, Mamapool: We are used to working across borders with global clients. The biggest problem was the remote shoot in Japan because of the language barrier. Our Japanese is non-existent and English is not widely spoken in Japan. Co-ordinating a shoot, costs, style etc. is not easy using Googletranslate. I think it is safe to say that it contributed to the mess and the stress but Hal is fantastic to work with and his whole team and the models were extremely professional. I think the results speak for themselves.
PHOTOGRAPHER HAL
INTERVIEW WITH THE CEO OF LESS MESS STORAGE – GUY PINSENT
What was your first reaction to the idea of the vacuum-sealed photoshoot?
Guy, Less Mess: I loved the idea. It is original and unusual. With the team we are constantly debating and thinking about our offer and how to connect with our customers, so as to improve continually and be the best, to stand apart from the crowd. The idea of commissioning work from a famous Japanese artist and working with the brilliant talent at Mamapool to produce the marketing images and marketing campaign was thrilling.
Do you believe Polish people are ready for such a controversial and unique campaign?
Guy, Less Mess: Yes, absolutely. The idea touches on universal human emotions: being under pressure, being stressed, being suffocated – in a metaphorical way of course – by too much stuff in the office or at home.
What are your feelings and thoughts about the campaign?
Guy, Less Mess: We of course hope this will generate interest in Less Mess Storage and improve our brand awareness. At the very least, people can enjoy the images for their artistic quality and quirkiness. Working with brilliant people on this fun marketing campaign is a source of personal joy and satisfaction.
Has the thought about the campaign being too controversial for Polish standards ever crossed your mind?
Guy, Less Mess: Yes, we did research all Polish banner campaigns that had been banned over the last decade. We discovered some pretty unpleasant material which was rightly taken down. We do not believe this Less Mess campaign could cause such a negative reaction.
INTERVIEW WITH THE MODELS – ROBERT MCGUINNESS AND ASA KUBIAK
What does it feel like to be trapped in a vacuum bag?
Robert, Model: At first, the idea of being vacuum-sealed inside a plastic bag seemed exciting, but also very confronting and potentially dangerous. I was fearful for my safety and the safety of Asa. I knew Hal’s work from the Internet, and I figured it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I didn’t want to miss, and maybe a good chance to confront my fears.
When I was inside the bag, it was strange how my fear dissipated. I felt safe, and strangely comforted by the intimacy of it. I also felt connected to Asa and Hal in a unique way, and to the team who put so much effort into making these images. An extraordinary amount of time, planning and execution goes into these photos, they are meticulously crafted.
The hardest part of the shoot was staying in position for such a long time. It pushed me physically in ways I hadn’t expected, and I experienced much discomfort, to the point that exiting the bag was very difficult because my muscles didn’t function properly from holding the same position for such an extended period.
More of Hala’s art can be admired on the photographer’s website: www.photographerhal.com
Media contact: marketing@lessmess.storage