Burberry Angers Photographers With Decision To Let Brooklyn Beckham Shoot New Campaign

Burberry Angers Photographers With Decision To Let Brooklyn Beckham Shoot New Campaign

Fashion house Burberry outraged photographers who worked their butts off to become pros when it invited Brooklyn Beckham, 16-year-old son-of-David, to shoot its latest fragrance campaign.

Leading photographers say the decision devalues both the skills and training of actual professionals, with the label announcing the news on its Instagram account, encouraging fans to follow the shoot live via the hashtag #THISISBRIT.

But not before little Brooklyn could make the announcement on his own Instagram feed, posting this on Friday:

Excited to photograph the @Burberry campaign tomorrow. Watch it live on their Instagram & Snapchat #THISISBRIT

A photo posted by Brooklyn Beckham (@brooklynbeckham) on

Fashion photographer Chris Floyd told The Guardian that Burberry’s decision to employ the inexperienced Beckham was a “devaluation of photography” that failed to show respect for hardworking photographers who do this for a living. The 47-year-old, who’s most renowned shots include portraits of celebs like Stephen Fry and Paul McCartney, also said Brooklyn’s leap into the big leagues of pro photography “goes against everything his parents represent”. “David and Victoria Beckham represent sheer willpower and graft. Especially her, she’s climbed that mountain all by herself,” he added. “They represent hard work and then their 16-year-old year son comes along and it’s sheer nepotism. He hasn’t done it from hard work, which is counter-intuitive to what his parents represent.”

Making Polaroid selects of @LivMasonPearson @BrooklynBeckham for #THISISBRIT A photo posted by Burberry (@burberry) on

Floyd did admit it was a “clever” decision on Burberry’s behalf, given the kid has almost six million followers on Instagram, but said it had nothing to do with producing good photography.

“Part of me takes my hat off to Burberry and says that’s clever, but the photographer side of me says for god’s sake,” Floyd told The Guardian. “Brooklyn Beckham’s got however many million Instagram followers, that’s what’s attracted Burberry. The people his age are Burberry’s target market or the future target market.”

Jon Gorrigan, a photographer who has worked with Esquire, Grazia and the Observer and with models such as Alexa Chung, told The Guardian he expected Burberry would have the entire setup ready so that all Brooklyn had to do was click the button.

“He’s obviously not going to be doing the lighting, he’ll have no clue of the programmes, the cameras or Photoshop,” Gorrigan said. “It’s going to be so well managed – he’ll have the best hair and makeup, the best models, the very best equipment, so that the chance of any risk is greatly reduced.

“It infuriates me because I learned my trade and other photographers learn their trade but he’s not learning his trade. I can understand why they’re doing it, getting the younger generation interested in Burberry. It definitely annoys me. Names sell, don’t they?”

He’s the second golden child of the Beckhams to work with Burberry, with little bro Romeo appearing in the label’s 2014 Christmas advert that drew 11 million views within 48 hours of launching.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the snaps to come out of the shoot so far, and if he has in fact done all the work and taken these shots, they’re not too shabby at all.

Location change, shooting @maddiedemaine1 @BrooklynBeckham for #THISISBRIT

A photo posted by Burberry (@burberry) on

Shooting @Heliml96 for @Burberry Brit fragrances @BrooklynBeckham for #THISISBRIT

A photo posted by Burberry (@burberry) on

First shot done @benmfrees @BrooklynBeckham for #THISISBRIT

A photo posted by Burberry (@burberry) on

Live in London with @Carvell_Conduah @BrooklynBeckham for #THISISBRIT

A photo posted by Burberry (@burberry) on

Rooftop with @LivMasonPearson for @Burberry @BrooklynBeckham for #THISISBRIT

A photo posted by Burberry (@burberry) on

 




Latest News

PubMatic Study: Advertising On Retail Media Is 50% More Effective Than Social Media
  • Advertising

PubMatic Study: Advertising On Retail Media Is 50% More Effective Than Social Media

PubMatic has released a new study examining the influence of digital media on shopper behaviour at the top and bottom of the funnel. The research found that retail websites are approximately 50 per cent more effective at driving a response from shoppers than social media. Commissioned by Inside Retail and conducted by PubMatic, 500 Australian […]

From MOWING to life GROWING:  Jim Penman launches ‘Life Coaching’ services
  • Marketing

From MOWING to life GROWING: Jim Penman launches ‘Life Coaching’ services

Jim Penman, founder of the Jim’s Group, has officially launched Jim’s Life Coaching and intends to help millions of Australians live their best life. “Life coaching is a powerful and effective way to achieve success in business and personal life. It helps people to set their own goals, and then work out how to get there. It has […]

Budweiser Brazil Turns Songs That Name Drop The Iconic Brand Into Spotify Ads
  • Campaigns

Budweiser Brazil Turns Songs That Name Drop The Iconic Brand Into Spotify Ads

Budweiser has created a new way of advertising on Spotify to ensure that ads don’t ruin the vibe of your favourite playlists. UninterruptAds: a pioneering initiative, converts songs that mention the brand’s name into targeted ads within the platform in Brazil. When the Brazilian team identified that their name is present in more than 500 tracks […]

Effie Worldwide Strengthens Board With 6 New Members
  • Marketing

Effie Worldwide Strengthens Board With 6 New Members

Effie Worldwide, has announced six new members to their Worldwide Board of Directors, alongside three new co-chairs of the Future Council; a powerful injection of fresh talent as the organization evolves across all its programs to expand its mission to champion marketing effectiveness. The Effie Board contributes to the non-profit’s mission to champion effectiveness through […]

Special Enlist A Penguin Named Nigel In Latest Energy Campaign For Contact
  • Campaigns

Special Enlist A Penguin Named Nigel In Latest Energy Campaign For Contact

After introducing “Flatties” a couple of weeks ago, Contact and Special have now enlisted the help of rule-stickler penguin Nigel to motivate all Kiwis to reduce their energy consumption during peak hours. Contact is investing heavily in creating more renewable energy sources to lead the way in decarbonising New Zealand, but to make an even […]

Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth & George Miller Ignite Sydney For Epic Mad Max Launch
  • Campaigns

Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth & George Miller Ignite Sydney For Epic Mad Max Launch

The global promotional tour for Universal’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, the much-anticipated return to the iconic dystopian world Academy Award-winning mastermind George Miller created 45 years ago, kicked off in epic fashion in Sydney yesterday. Anya Taylor-Joy returned to Australia, joining Chris Hemsworth, George Miller and producer Doug Mitchell at a fiery media call […]

IAS Launches First-To-Market Integration With Roblox To Provide 3D Immersive Measurement

    IAS Launches First-To-Market Integration With Roblox To Provide 3D Immersive Measurement

    Integral Ad Science, a global media measurement and optimization platform, today announced a market integration with Roblox, a global immersive platform for connection and communication. Available for advertising campaigns on Roblox later this year, IAS’s Viewability and Invalid Traffic (IVT) Measurement products will provide advertisers increased transparency into the quality of their Immersive Ads within […]