Where Art Meets Business: The Making of Smartpay's Brand Campaign

When The Royals enlisted Eden Studios to help develop a national branding campaign of TV commercials, Social content and digital OOH/press for Smartpay; we had no idea how enriching and rewarding the job would be. With director Pete Moore and stylist Jacqui Hudson on board along with Christopher Miles as DOP and Adam Eden as principle photographer, our team was set.

It was essential for the content to embody the company’s core message and resonate with its target audience, all while incorporating a unique surrealist style. To achieve this, we designed and stylised three visually striking sets, each carefully crafted to reflect Smartpay’s primary colours and enhance brand identity.

We wanted to highlight the versatility and practicality of their payment solutions, so we crafted relatable scenarios featuring a beautician, a mechanic, and a café owner.

Each setting not only showcased the diversity of Smartpay’s offerings but also connected with the daily lives of small business owners, making the content relevant and engaging.  Over two exhilarating days of shooting, along with a weeks worth of set building at Eden Studios we blended surrealistic elements with realism.

One standout moment was the creative use of a hand holding the Smartpay terminal as the central hero of our visuals. This playful approach beautifully underscored the slogan, “Hands on for business payments,” reinforcing the message that Smartpay is an integral part of everyday business operations.

Our collaboration  with Smartpay was challenging as all SFX was shot in camera. This crafting method achieved a high production value to the set of films and photographs which we at Eden Studios are very proud of.