GLAMOUR REEL MOMENTS PROJECT
Challenge
Glamour Magazine had been in existence for over 65 years, but was looking for an opportunity to strengthen their brand. Read by one in ten women in the US, the Glamour readers are spread throughout the fifty states, but the magazine's management was looking to expand their connection to Hollywood, to increase their celebrity quotient without diluting their focus: empowering women, and telling real women's stories.
Campaign Idea
The principals of Freestyle developed a short film series with Glamour magazine. This program was differentiated from many other sponsored programs by working to put celebrities behind the camera instead of in front of the camera, to give the talented women of Hollywood a chance to direct. No one thinks twice when Ron Howard, Mel Gibson, or George Clooney takes their turn behind the lens, but how many actresses do we know that do the same thing? Only 7% of the directors in the Directors Guild are women, and we set out to work with Glamour to do something about this.
Leveraging our production experience and talent relationships, we set out in the first year to produce four short films. Staying true to Glamour's ideals, the short films were each based on a story submitted by Glamour readers in a competition held in the magazine.
Results
With the program currently entering its fourth year, 14 films have been produced to date. By giving directorial debuts to talents such as Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Kirsten Dunst, Bryce Dallas Howard, Courteney Cox Arquette, Demi Moore, Rita Wilson, Trudie Styler, Kirsten Smith (writer: Legally Blonde), Jenny Bicks (writer: Sex and the City, Men in Trees), and Carol Leifer (writer: Seinfeld), the press generated has been outstanding, with over six hundred million media impressions, including appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Ellen Degeneres show. The films have also been critically acclaimed with acceptances to the Sundance Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, the HBO Comedy Fest and more than 25 other festivals. In addition to the celebrity directors, actors participating have included: Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, Virginia Madsen, Chevy Chase, Winona Ryder, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Rosario Dawson, Robin Wright Penn, Kris Kristoferson, Alfred Molina, Lauren Graham, Kerry Washington, Laura Dern, Rosemary Harris, Anna Faris, Ron Livingston, Brittany Snow, and Rumer Willis.
With this type of response, Glamour magazine ‘s presence in Hollywood has expanded dramatically. The women involved in the program have been given a path to test the waters of a new outlet for their artistic expression, and audiences have responded positively to the quality filmmaking of the program. A winning solution for all parties involved!
Watch the Films