jim salzano and another collaboration with fcb

James Salzano says that every time Lauren Naima of FCB Health gives him a call, he gets excited because he knows it will be for something both interesting and challenging. The most recent project was for Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.’s Don’t Take Gout Sitting Down campaign.

The assignment was to shoot an unusual creative execution of people with gout who are normally tied to their favorite chair, ‘standing up’ to their affliction. The images would be used in print ads, on billboards, online, and in company brochures.

“One of the challenges when you have this disease is how difficult it is to move around. Your chair becomes your prison,” says Jim.“This medication has been addressing this issue very successfully to get people up and out of their chairs.”

The idea was to feature a person standing on their chair, dominating the prison they’re normally attached to. There were three scenes chosen; a backyard, an airport, and an auto repair garage.

Salzano’s team started researching locations that could satisfy all three scenarios. “We went to Florida in part because you can close down a whole portion of the airport for shooting. Finding the perfect location is part of the process that I love. That’s the fun part,” says Salzano.

The challenge was to figure out how to put an adult on a chair without crushing the chair. They finally shot the portrait with the model standing on a hard surface that replaced the cushion on the chair, and then shot the chair with the cushion separately. Very little post-production work was needed apart from marrying the cushion with the portrait.

The creative team included Lauren Naima as executive vice president and creative director, along with Senior Art Director Rebecca Park and VP Associate Creative Director Julia Glick. Thanks team for another fantastic collaboration.