Sydneysiders are set to be transported to a literary wonderland with the new Sydney Writers’ Festival campaign from BWM Dentsu.

BWM Dentsu collaborated with leading commercial and fine art photographer and director, Simon Harsent, to produce the 2015 campaign for the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Launched on 4 April, the work is a reflection on the 2015 Festival theme, ‘How to Live’ and a continuation of last year’s successful ‘it’s thinking season’ campaign.

BWM Dentsu executive creative director, Asheen Naidu, said: “We wanted to capture that feeling of being totally engrossed in a great book. It’s as if nothing else matters and you’re in your own little world. Simon Harsent managed to bring that feeling to life beautifully.”

Shot near Oberon, New South Wales, the campaign conveys the sense of quiet wonder books create in people’s otherwise busy lives.

Photographer and director, Simon Harsent, said: “The collaboration with BWM was a very enjoyable one. To do something for a writers’ festival that is essentially a visual piece was a brave move. The idea that a good book can transform you led us to shooting this outside of Sydney in country NSW.

“There is something incredibly special about getting lost in a good book, it can be a transformative experience and the aim through the imagery and sound was to capture that dream like quality and sensory feeling that reading a good book can give you,” he said.

More than 400 writers will gather in Sydney for this year’s festival, sharing their stories and experiences around the theme ‘How to Live’.

This year’s line-up features speakers from all walks of life, including prize winning authors, foreign correspondents, comedians, politicians, actors and a mortician.

Sydney Writers’ Festival artistic director, Jemma Birrell, said: “BWM has again produced an incredibly creative and impressive campaign for Sydney Writers’ Festival, continuing the feel and energy from last year’s campaign theme.

“We were delighted by the stunning photography and artwork integral to the campaign by leading photographer and director Simon Harsent. The concept beautifully captures the festival theme ‘How to Live’ and the unique moment of calm and solace that reading brings and that is at the heart of the festival,” she added.

The multi-platform campaign will run across TV, cinema print, online and OOH.

 Credits

Photographer and Director: Simon Harsent

Stills Producer: Courtney Lewis, The Pool Collective

DoP: Ashley Barron

Music and sound design: Song Zu

Retouching: Cream

Cinema DCP: The Edge

BWM Dentsu – Creative Agency

Chief Creative Officer: Rob Belgiovane

Executive Creative Director: Asheen Naidu

Senior Art Director: Chris McMullen

Art Director: Felix Ettelson/Chris Johnson

Writer: Fee Millist

Agency Producers: Margot Fitzpatrick/Simon Holdaway

Group Account Director: Sophie Bogdan