Models

When looking at the Mango website and Instagram pages, you can clearly see that most of their female models are very European looking. 

When casting for my models I need to look for those who fit one of the following ethnicities:

• British
• Scandinavian
• Polish
• Dutch
• Swedish 

Their models all seem to be in their mid 20s to early 30s and have a youthful look to them. This is important to consider when choosing my models as I don't want them to look too young.

I also want models who have natural looking hair, which isn't overly dyed/ processed or damaged. And I'd also like models which suit more natural make-up rather than heavy looks, as this is appropriate for the brand. 

They usually seem to look quite edgy and unique; rather than sexy or typically pretty, although they do still look approachable and relatable. 

Location ideas

From analysing the recent Mango campaigns, you can clearly see that they tend to use natural, open spaces for their shoots which fit the seasons and colours. Occasionally using buildings and studios for some of the images.

As spring/ summer is seen as the regrowth of the plants and animals I think a woodland location would be suitable. 

Since I live on the Isle of Wight there are lots of green areas and fields I could shoot in. However I love the New Forest as it is so vast and has horses, deers and other cattle wandering freely - this could help connote the sense of a new year and season in the horizon of the photos. The New Forest also allows for stunning lighting most of the day. 

Shooting in the New Forest would allow for the use of earthy tones as well as some colour - similar to their current campaign, so will fit the overall aesthetic of their brand and website. 

GIF idea

Mango occasionally uses GIFs on their website, but usually only of landscapes rather than their actual garments. In November 2015 for their 'The great outdoors' campaign they had 2 gifs running alongside their images of a waterfall and some reeds blowing. 

They do use a lot of film for their campaigns; usually in the headers above their advertorial images. 

Since my GIF needs to be of accessories I think Mango would maybe have the location backdrop moving and the accessories staying still. I want to do the opposite - have the backdrop still and the accessories moving as it would help to promote them more. 

My idea is to have heeled shoes and boots in a row with some facing forwards and some facing backwards then the GIF will have them changing direction so you get front and back images of each shoe. The colour scheme will go along with my campaign images so that they look like they are from the same advertorial. 

When filming my actual GIF I want it to film so they turn back around again on a loop - so that they all turn round once, then it goes back the other way, and then repeats. 

Campaigns

Mango usually releases a new campaign each month, which means they have multiple SS/AW campaigns throughout the year - rather than just 2. This means that each month there is a new look which suits the current weather and natural landscapes.

The campaigns are usually shot with a film and then advertorial images below showing other outfits from the season. 

Their current SS17 campaign is 'Beyond the mirror' and features some of their more expensive garments from the newest collection. When you visit the 'discover the collection' page this has all the garments including those which aren't as expensive. The campaign is mainly earthy tones with an 'unpredictable landscape' (Mango's Instagram). 

There isn't a specific SS17 trend in the campaign, however they have managed to create their own look which is almost sci-fi explorer with a bit of colour and pattern thrown in here and there. There's also both casual and dressy looks within the collection and the pieces could be styled differently to fit different tastes and occasions. The company describes the overall look as 'oneiric' (dreamy) which is understandable the location and mirrors juxtapose each other and create an uncanny overall feel. 

On Instagram they often post images which relate to their current campaigns, they have recently posted 3 images which could also be part of the SS17 collection but in a different, more urban location. 

Captions left to right: 'Fawn hints.', 'Just like art.', 'Warm and golden new tones.'

Their campaigns are usually shot in open locations with colours which match the garments. 

One of their AW16 campaigns which was released in November they shot in the highlands which they described on Instagram as 'an imposing landscape' in which you can 'blend into the nature and explore it in its purest form' which related to the styling which they described as 'a polished take on sportswear.' 

Another AW16 campaign which was titled 'The dusk club' and shot with both men and women was released in December featuring more evening looks and garments suitable for the festive period. This also featured shots taken inside the location, although the same applies for the colours of the clothing matching the colours and aesthetics of the surroundings. 

They also did a December edit which featured looks for Christmas and NYE, this was mainly shot in black and white on location, then colour in the studio. 

From looking at their current and past few campaigns, the main things I have noticed are: 

• The locations are very open and natural
• The models seem to be european
• The colours of the clothes match the colours in the locations
• There is a lot of movement 
• The hair and makeup is very relaxed and untamed

Website layout

The Mango website is laid out to appear very minimalistic, similar to their style. The home page has the buttons to navigate the site and then the main page as you scroll has 3 landscape images from their current campaigns (Womens, mens and kids) and then 1 for the sale. This is effective as it gives an overview of the current trends and what to expect from each collection. 

Homepage: http://shop.mango.com/GB (11/02/2017)

If you scroll to the bottom there is all of their social media links, the option to subscribe to email notifications and then other options which you find on other websites. 

When you click on the campaign images on the homepage they lead to the video at the top - this is the same the women's and men's sections, but the kids video is at the bottom;this could be because when you shop for yourself it's more appealing to see how garments move, whereas when shopping for children this is less of a priority. The videos are shot in a way which seems quite candid and very up close and personal. 

Below or above the video is the actual campaign photos which feature still images of the shots from the video, and also some other garments which are part of the collections. The women's images are all landscape and either spread across the entire length of the page or at least over halfway. Although the men's and kids sections have some portrait images. When scrolling down on a laptop the portrait images are won't all fit onto one screen - you have to scroll up/down a little to see the entire image as shown below. 

Then at the very bottom of the page there is a 'view the collection' button which takes you to all the garments and where you can actually buy them with the ecommerce images. 

 This section is laid out similarly to above - either landscape images or 2 portrait images together. 

The images are of the models wearing them, then when you scroll over them it goes to a flatlay image of each garment. This is effective as you get to see how the garments look on as well as a full picture of each. 

Customer profile

Name: Elisa Tothova

Age: 28

Ethnic background: Half Ukrainian, quarter Swedish, quarter British

Characteristics: Shoulder length, choppy and wavy bleach blonde hair, hazel eyes and pastey skin. Strong facial features with prominent cheek bones and bushy eyebrows. Minimal makeup with a strong lip colour. Simplistic style with a muted pallet, featuring some statement pieces which are more graphic or colourful. Usually seen in stone washed denim mom jeans, a nude or white top and leather jacket with court shoes or trainers and delicate layered silver jewellery. 

Current location: Croydon, London

Education: BA Hons Fashion Communication with Business Studies at Brighton University - Graduated in 2011 with a 2.1 - As a foreign student. 

Employment: Currently works in central London as a fashion forecaster for Zara, following on from an internship she undertook at Harvey Nichols. 

Interests: Enjoys eating tapas food and drinking gin and slimline tonics in an evening around central London after work to soak up the culture. Goes to yoga classes on a Saturday morning to socialise with friends and focus on her mind and body. She listens to indie rock music and her favourite band is Arctic Monkeys. Spends days off visiting exhibitions and local markets. Passionate about different cultures and often daydreams about travelling. Reads Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan each month, and romantic novels in an evening before bed. Posts regularly on Instagram and has a large following of over 50K, uses this as a way to show her personal life in a stylish way which seems desirable and aspirational. 

Income before expenses: £27k per annum. 

Disposable income: £825 per month. 

Average spend in Mango per month: £60-£90 based on 3 visits per month. 

Mango history and ethos

Mango was founded in Barcelona during 1984 by brothers Isak and Nahman Andic, the first store was opened in the city of Barcelona and 5 more stores were opened over the following year.

Despite being a Spanish brand and having multiple stores in Madrid, the country with the most stores is actually Istanbul. 

'We can be differentiated for having a highly-defined concept. The MANGO concept is based on an alliance between a quality product, with an original design and a coherent and unified brand image. Dressing the modern, urban women for her daily needs is the formula we have analysed, adapted and applied in all the countries in which MANGO is present: it has been and remains one of the keys to our commercial success and international prestige.'

http://shop.mango.com/iframe.faces?state=she_006_IN

There are currently 2,731 stores in 105 countries across the globe(07,02/2017), and almost 13,500 employees - almost 10% of their employees work at the Hangar design centre in Barcelona. 86% of their staff is female and the average age is 29 which reflects their target market. 

The company has taken steps to help protect the environment by considering the effects of their manufacturing and doing what they can to reduce these. Figures are available at  http://shop.mango.com/iframe.faces?state=she_006_IN