The challenge
27.9 Fragrance was preparing to launch three scented candles, Saphir Blanc, Nuance and Bohemian Leather, together with a new website. Tyrone, from the brand, pointed us to the Rolex homepage: centered products, calm background colors and soft shadows. Everything else stayed minimal, on beige and neutral backgrounds.
The brief asked for three images per candle (blue, grey and charcoal), one of them a homepage banner, plus a group shot of all three candles on marble. Two details mattered most. The gold plate on each candle had to look glossy and stay crisp when magnified, because the images would be shown large on the site. And each candle had to keep its own color, even where strong light hits it.
The process
We spent four to five hours building the candle in 3D, including the material Martin calls "crazy": several materials combined to match the candle's glittery surface. We also gave the model a flame that can flicker, and made a test animation right away. In motion the glitter looked too grainy, so we refined the material before going further.
Feedback came from three time zones: Tyrone in the United States, Martin in Europe and Denis, the 3D artist, in Siberia. Notes in e-mails got mixed up, so we moved all comments into the review slides and Tyrone started sending short Loom videos instead. His videos made the open points clear: the grey candle had turned almost white under a strong light, and the gold plate looked pixelated when zoomed in. Martin and Denis spent a couple of hours reworking the catalog lighting until every color kept its true tone, and the plate was refined until it stayed sharp at banner size.
The outcome
27.9 Fragrance received ten still images: three minimal shots per candle, including the Rolex-style homepage banners, and a wide group shot of all three candles on marble. They were made as the main visuals for the brand's new website.
For the launch we also planned a 16-second teaser in four parts: a light tracing the candle's silhouette in its own color, the box design, the gold plate and the candle's name, ending with the logo. It was built so the scenes can be swapped for each candle, which turns one edit into three videos.
