Working to a Brief 15: Toothbrush
For our fifteenth Working to a Brief assignment, we're tasking you with producing an ad-style image of an electric toothbrush.
Although the deadline for the submissions are now closed and we are no longer accepting entries, you are welcome to still take part in it and tag us in your results!
You’ll find all the details you need to complete the brief below, as well as in the accompanying live show. We highly recommend watching this show (live or as a replay) as it may feature additional useful information and advice!
LIVE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Working to a Brief 15 LAUNCH
Watch this replay of the LIVE brief launch to get all the details you need.
Watch Now
Brief
Produce a promotional image of a green Oral-B Pulsar Pro-Expert toothbrush (also known as Oral-B Pulsar Expert Clean), highlighting the toothbrush's form and textures and including an optional toothpaste swirl on the head.
Objectives
The image must make the toothbrush look clean, sturdy, well-made and appealing to a potential customer.
© Visual Education
Art Director's visual
Items
One green Oral-B Pulsar Pro-Expert electric toothbrush (also known as Oral-B Pulsar Expert Clean).
One toothpaste swirl (optional).
Composition
The sketch above illustrates the required composition and layout for the image. Crop is at the artist's discretion but should be close to square given the angle of the toothbrush.
Mood
The mood should be clean, crisp, fresh, and clinical, implying health, wellness and well-being.
The images below don't match the brief exactly, but may provide some useful inspiration.
© Visual Education
© Visual Education
Styling
The toothbrush should be positioned at a 45-degree angle, appearing to float and leaning slightly away from the camera.
Any visible serial or SKU numbers must be removed in post-production.
The Oral-B logo on the handle must be clearly legible.
The handle grip and buttons should be the main area of interest in the image.
The background should be 10% grey to ensure the white neck of the toothbrush remains clearly visible.
The image must be pin-sharp throughout.
If you wish, you may include a swirl of toothpaste on the bristles. This is not compulsory, and should only be included if it enhances the overall image.
Lighting
The lighting should capture the different textures on the toothbrush: the glossy plastic of the base and neck, and the matte rubber of the handle.
The background can feature an optional radial or linear gradient. This gradient must not detract from the hero of the image – the toothbrush itself.
© Visual Education
Brief summary
- Green Oral-B Pulsar Pro-Expert/Expert Clean electric toothbrush
- 45-degree angle, leaning slightly away from the camera
- 10% grey background with optional gradient
- Clean, crisp, clinical mood
- Pin-sharp throughout
- Logo legible, serial numbers removed
- Optional toothpaste swirl
This brief is for example purposes only. This is not a professional commercial brief and all requirements are purely for educational purposes.
Please note all images will remain copyright to the original photographer, but Visual Education reserves the right to publish them within its website and on social media.
Submit Your Image
The deadline for entry is 17th December 2023. Karl will review all submissions in a follow-up LIVE workshop.
To view the entry form login or non-members sign-up here to join Visual Education.
© Visual Education. All rights reserved. No content on this page may be used or shared by third parties.
Comments
For yet another variation, I was working on 10% grey being 90% white, so I used LAB values of 90, 0, 0 which gives 226,226,226. I then discovered HSL/HSB where the lightness/brightness is actually a percentage and HSL of 0,0,90% gives RGB 229,229,229. Anyway, Merry Christmas. When do you think the review for this will be please?
Hi Karl. I have a question: if the RGB scale goes from 0 (black) to 255 (pure white), 10% of 255 is equal to 229.5. There’s still a difference to 236. I am ssuming the measurment is linear, correct? Thanks.
Hi, I suspect it’s not linear due to the number being calculated from three channels each with a value from 0 – 255 but I’m not a math expert at all! I can only tell you that my art directors provide me with what they refer to as a 10% grey and when measured in Photoshop it usually falls around 235-240 equally in each of the RGB channels. It could be that they have not provided a strict 10% grey but it seems to be the tone they are happiest with that reproduces in printed material as just off of white but without looking a dirty white.
Ok, fair enough.
Maybe I was trying to be too techical, but that’s what to be expect from an engineer 🙂
I agree that the most important is the overall look of it and if it’s in the same ballpark visually.
I just hope I got it close enough. Cheers.
Hi, if your RGB measurement of the grey is around 235-240 then that’s close enough for me!
Do you guys host the examples / results somewhere? Would be interesting to see what people create 🙂
Hi, yes they should be on one of our blog posts?
This sounds super and I’d love to have a crack at this. Karl, can you give me a tip on the 10 percent grey background. Does this have to be exact, i.e. perfect R,G,B values to show 10 percent grey, I mean, will you be using an eyedropper tool to check it is ‘exactly’ 10 percent grey?
Hi, 10% grey – R,G, & B all at a value of 236 = 10% grey. But it doesn’t have to be exact for this, just a guide.