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II. Of Muse & Myth



Stylised landscape of five Aesop gift kits, featuring products and illustrations by Giovanni Garcia-Fenech.

Concept and copy for ‘Of Muse and Myth’—Aesop’s worldwide holiday campaign for the 2019-20 gift-giving season.


Stylized product shot of 'The Humourist' Gift Kit featuring a playful orange-toned set with spheres and arches.

Inspired by Aesop’s twin interests in Greek history and the arts, we ( playfully) paid homage to five of the nine ancient Greek Muses—the goddesses of the arts, honoured since antiquity as inspirations in culture, literature and creativity.

Animation of the campaign concept, showing quick snapshots of mood boards, write-ups and creative process.

Alongside set design by Sonia Rentsch and photography by Robin Stein, we commissioned New York-based artist Giovanni Garcia-Fenech to create a suite of original illustrations of the iconic Muses of music, dance, history, comedy, and epic poetry, alongside their associated symbols.


Playful illustration of Thalia and her signature comedic mask. New York-based artist Giovanni Garcia-Fenech’s original illustration of Clio, the Muse of history, and her symbolic historical book.. Illustration of Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance, and her accompanying lyre.

A green-toned illustration of 'Calliope' the ancient Greek muse of epic poetry; she holds a stone tablet and stylus. Stylized illustration of the Muse of music, Euterpe. She is reclining and playing an 'aulos' or double-flute.

Inspired by early modernism and the ancient Greek ceramic-painting style, his playful figures brought delight to the eyes and smiles to lips, mirroring the mischievous side of the mythological gods.


A Product detail page for the Humourist gift kit, showing directions, price, and pairings.

Storytelling amplified across in-store, online, and social with joyful extensions that celebrated the power and potency of a smile in navigating not only the holiday season, but also the ups and downs of daily life. 

 
Playful animation of 'The Reveller' Muse of dance - moving through arches. In-store visual merchandising installation featuring peach-toned spheres of different sizes resting on a podium. An instagram grid featuring imagery from Aesop's 'Of Muse & Myth' holiday campaign. An email featuring small Aesop gifts and stocking stuffers A thematic email for gift giving based on skin and personal care categories like home, face, and body. In-store visual merchandising installation featuring gift kits on shelves with architectural arches and stairs made from painted plywood Playful animation of 'The Orator' Muse of epic poetry - writing on her stone tablet. A store-front image highlighting a display of hanging green spheres with a campaign vinyl: 'Five Mythical Gift Kits' Playful animation of 'The Humourist' Muse of comedy - playing with her comedic mask. A green-themed product image of 'The Orator' Gift Kit featuring spheres, Aesop products, and a reusable amenity case.


Copy: Jack Ball-Smith
Art Direction: Camille Legrand
Project Manager & Producer: Jessica Galvan
Photography: Robin Stein
Illustrations: Giovanni Garcia-Fenech
Set Design: Sonia Rentsch
Visual Merchandising: Carolyn Jackson
 Animations: Romain Verdier