To advertise the rebranding of their agency, the executives of New York-based Viceroy Creative decided to take an unusual approach: they decided to take the bold step of getting nude in a series of ads.

In an interview with Adweek, they said they were inspired by Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh’s stunt back in 2012 when they went naked to announce their partnership. Creative Director Gabrielle Rein had been working out to get back in shape after having a baby, and suggested the agency President David Moritz give it a go. That got him thinking about how to incorporate that into their repositioning strategy.

“And then somewhere it all clicked—underwear models, intense physical training, name change, repositioning, parody Sagmeister Walsh with a twist. Take it further, make it funnier in a deadpan way, make it fashion and luxury, but self-aware. I tested the idea out on a few people and across the board, everyone loved it,” said David.

Preparing to get nude for the rebranding

In practice, it wasn’t so easy. Any rebranding has to be perfect. And more than anything, that meant getting in shape to look their best for the photos. So, to get themselves fit and fab, David, Gabrielle, CFO Aaron Bearce, and Account Manager Raegan Gilette worked out with trainers seven days a week. That training included intense cardio sessions and weight training. They also went on a strict diet of largely protein.

According to Gabrielle, on the day of the shoot there weren’t really any nerves as they’re a close-knit group. And things went swimmingly “after that initial disrobe.” However, posing naked while the rest of their clothed co-workers went about their day was expectedly awkward. 

The ads were shot by photographer Robert Wyatt. And during the shoot, the ad executives required constant touch-ups, including areas like their butts.

Click here to read more about this rebranding stunt and their interview with Adweek. And don’t forget to share your opinion on the group going nude to rebrand their agency.

Source: http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/why-these-agency-execs-went-through-hell-get-naked-these-ads-sfw-163318
Images: http://viceroycreative.com/