The Story Behind the Holiday Campaign

Between Covid lockdowns, a grueling election, the economy, loss of loved ones, not to mention our very human spirit—this was going to be a very different Holiday Season.

The collaboration between Estee Lauder and fashion illustrator Izak Zenou has brought back the magic and joy — literally transporting us to a place of seasoned delight and nostalgia. Here is the story behind the story...

"I was so excited to work with Estee Lauder this campaign. The packaging and in-store campaign was completed more than a year ago. And then Covid hit! With the difficulty in shooting photography, it became apparent that creating a holiday animation using the inspiration of the art I created for them would be an amazing solution.

Working with the right animation team was key. It’s been exciting to see my illustrations come alive with motion. Having other hands implement my work, keeping the integrity of it was the challenge. I produced renderings depicting each character, with elements such as how the hair should move how the dress should float, and details of style, as well guidance on how to reach the closest expression of my style. Many zoom meetings, renderings, and refinements later, all the watercolor backgrounds scenes were created, and the characters were coming to life—we achieved something miraculously charming and dreamy.

I think this is exactly what people need now—something beautiful, cheerful, and happy. At Estee Lauder, everybody had a smile on their face and for me, it was a success. All my gratitude to the fantastic team—Matthew Parr (I want his hair!), Liz Flynn, Stephanie Spodek, Phillip Riina, Tatiana Cantarovich, Jamie Freedman, Lainey Lee, Marcus Armitage and Sharon Titmarsh from Studio AKA, and my amazing Traffic team, especially Michelle Edelman, who was the glue that kept it all together. Now let’s celebrate!" — IZAK

”Izak’s artwork was loose and instinctive. It was challenging to capture that feeling, while also making it move. I had a great team of animators and art workers who brought these designs to life. It was incredibly exciting to watch as each layer of detail and color was added. I loved working with Izak’s elegant designs. There was so much fun to be had, animating the flowing hair and dresses. As we put the characters into the beautiful watercolor backgrounds suddenly everything clicked into place and became a rich and exciting world.” —Marcus Armitage