Posted by
Ryan Watts
on
24/02/2017
Those of us who work outside the farming community are not always mindful, or even aware, of the scientific advances that have been made in farming techniques. Herbicides, in particular, have been transformed into ever more environmentally-friendly synthetic products which function at the molecular level to give farmers the control that they require over their crops and the weeds that inhibit them.
With this in mind, we worked with UK ad agency The Point on a campaign for Dow AgroSciences, whose herbicide, named Arylex, is currently revolutionising the farming industry. In short, Arylex combines the enormous advantages of increasing farmers' productivity, following decades of biological breakthroughs, and having a minimal impact on the environment, due to its efficiency at low dose rates and its ability to break down rapidly into the soil at the end of its working cycle.
Our concept, then, was to create images which would highlight the double-edged peace of mind of farmers who use this product, knowing that they are maximising their output while minimising their environmental impact. We did this by digitally inserting a model, representing a farmer, in various meditative poses, onto a lush green field - a technique known as comping. This lends the images a lightness of touch, and even a little humour, which compounds their impact on the viewer. Exactly what the campaign required.