The black-and-white portraits by Pino Gomes showcase more than 100 rising stars worldwide in fields spanning from music to fashion and gastronomy, chosen because they embody the spirit of the campaign’s new tagline,"Realize Your Dream."
Some of the images feature in the ad campaign. Guests enjoyed performances by five of the featured artists, including Italian concert pianist Maddalena Miramonti and Spanish saxophonist Big Dani Pérez.
Guess and Gc founder Paul Marciano said the new campaign was designed to infuse more emotion into the Gc brand, whose communication was previously centered on product. Gc Watches is operated by Swiss company Sequel AG, a division of Timex, which also holds the license for Guess watches.
"To me, black and white photography is as powerful as a movie. It allows you to create images that tell a story," said Marciano, who famously launched Guess with monochrome campaigns featuring the likes of Claudia Schiffer and Anna Nicole Smith.
Gomes said he enjoyed creative freedom on the project, which took him to 38 destinations on four continents. "It was clear that it wasn’t just a commercial assignment but an ambitious concept that respected one’s vision," he said. "My idea was to capture the emotions that lie underneath daily situations — the exact moment they lose themselves with passion in a task they had been practicing for years."
The print ads broke in newspapers earlier this month and will be rolled out worldwide through print, digital and outdoor platforms.