02/26/2026
From Freshman Concept to Commencement… Ish.
When ABC/Freeform launched Grown-ish (the Black-ish spinoff) following Zoey to college, we knew the tone had to grow up without losing the DNA.
Before talent ever stepped on set, we staged two in-house concept shoots using body doubles to test ideas. The model we cast was so great we brought her back, and ABC/Freeform later hired her as the lighting double on the real shoot. She got a little taste of fame.
The concept that won was the simplest:
Zoey, poised and sipping tea like she’s at finishing school…
except the “tea” is in a mini red Solo cup.
The entire series, distilled down to a single contradiction. With a wink.
That idea led to a major Season 1 outdoor launch shot by Andrew Eccles.
In our original pitch, we had also staged an homage to the iconic Breakfast Club grouping. The character archetypes lined up perfectly. Coincidentally, the client had the same idea for PR.
During the shoot, we were setting up that homage and Andrew gave us a slight eye roll. It turns out, he actually lit that movie poster, when he worked with Annie Leibovitz. None of us knew, as we proceeded to embarrass ourselves by explaining the idea to him.
Hollywood is weird like that.
From there, something rare happened:
We pitched and won every single season of the show’s 6-season run, including two mid-season refreshes.
Seasons 2-3: We recommended Art Streiber for large-scale ensemble set-ups (shot enough to fuel multiple pieces of Key Art).
Season 4–6: We recommended Jabari Jacobs for a tonal shift and full social character campaigns. Another major outdoor push.
Along the way we:
• Layered illustration over photography
• Cut and hand-sprayed the most intricate stencil of our careers (Zoey’s hair made of words)
• Took it from studio spray to a Sunset Strip billboard
Six seasons.
Three photographers.
Key art, outdoor, social, PR, refresh cycles.
From an in-house idea to a six-year masterclass.
Degrees earned.
Thanks for this and many other creative collaborations,
