‘My Tattoo, My Story’
tells the story of
a Chicagoan
who transformed a
breast cancer
scar into a
work of art
Media saturation is top of mind in our current climate. With endless video content being watched, shared, liked, and reshared, it’s important to tell a story in a way that makes people stop and take notice.
Big Teeth Films of Chicago was tasked with creating one such story with global brand ghd and UK ad agency Southpaw centered around their My Tattoo, My Story campaign featuring tattoo artist David Allen transforming breast cancer mastectomy scars into art.
All too often brand content is solely focused on selling rather than connecting with the audience, so what was particularly special about this filmmaking experience for Big Teeth was the trust and collaboration from their partners and client to let story lead over product.
BIG TEETH FILMS | ghd | SOUTHPAW
MY TATTOO, MY STORY
The campaign, now live in every major global market, finds its Chicago connection by highlighting the work of local acclaimed tattoo artist David Allen.
The documentary was filmed over the course of three days in December 2018 at Allen’s tattoo studio located in the Ravenswood neighborhood. It showcases ghd’s “Ink on Pink” line of hair straighteners that help generate funds for the non-profit breast cancer organization, Living Beyond Breast Cancer.
The campaign film and documentary were directed by Big Teeth’s Elise Jaffe, who says that the experience inspired the cast and crew to “laugh, cry, and form a bond that will last forever.”
“The amount of love, compassion and empathy in the room was enormous,” she recalls. “The team behind the campaign — from ghd and Southpaw, to David, Grace, Molly and our whole crew — turned what we knew would be an incredible experience into the pinnacle of my career and, by far, the most impactful for Big Teeth in its almost 14 years.”
ALSO READ: Reel Women: Elise Jaffe, Executive Producer
Senior Big Teeth Producer Mike Trivisonno added, “It’s not often you get to work on a client project that has the perfect balance of style and substance. Our connection to this campaign will forever go beyond just producing a brand film for a client.”
The
Credits
Client: ghd
Agency: Southpaw
Creative Director: Glenn Smith
Creative Producer: Sam Jones
Senior Account Manager: Zara Camble
Tattoo Artist: David Allen
Starring: Grace Lombardo
Featuring: Molly Weingart
Production: Big Teeth
Director: Elise Jaffe
Producer: Mike Trivisonno
DP: Patrick Lewtschanyn
Photographer: Kirsten Miccoli
Gaffer: Ryan Kolegas
Grip: Sean O’Leary
Makeup: Kate Johnson
Wardrobe: Jessica Sheehan
GHD Hair Stylist: Christina McCarver
Production Coordinator: Shivani Goel
Production Assistants: Jackie Frole, Colin Boie
Photography Assistants: Kassi Cork, Stephen Sloan
DIT: Bryan Ward
Digital Creative/Editor: Liam Hayes
Designer: Ben Kemp
Retouching & Artwork: Scott Wackett
Special Thanks: David Allen, Grace Lombardo, the Lombardo family, Molly Weingart, and the Weingart family.
About Big Teeth Productions
Big Teeth Productions is a creative production studio producing video content for brands, agencies and all people with good taste. In 2018, Big Teeth introduced Big Teeth Films and Big Teeth Animation, two separate creative entities with shared energy and resources. With a wide range of clients in a variety of industries including technology, higher education, food & beverage and more, Big Teeth continues to grow while remaining true to our core founding values of joy, family, and resourcefulness. To learn more and view featured work, visit www.BigTeeth.tv.
Send your campaign updates to Reel Chicago Editor Dan Patton, dan@reelchicago.com.
