Solène Debiès > Lifestyle > The visuals of the operation “Sales and The City” for the city of Cannes
illustration 3 women walking in Cannes

Creating illustrations for an international campaign

At the end of last summer, I received a message from the Palais des Festivals in Cannes. They had discovered my illustrations and wanted to study a collaboration for an advertising campaign. At the time I was still on vacation in Quercy, and the return from the summer holidays was getting closer… So I happily prepared everything, imagining myself drawing my characters in the dream setting of the Croisette boulevard, under the French Riviera sun. The film festival red carpet still wasn’t for me, but I was still very proud.

Imagery to promote Cannes as a shopping destination

The city of Cannes wanted to assert its position as a regional and international shopping destination for winter sales, like London for example. Like the British capital, the city offers a multitude of brands, leisure and high quality hotels, but also performances and fashion shows, but with the Mediterranean! (The river Thames is nice, but it’s a no for swimming and sun).
They were looking for imagery and an artist to embody and spread this message on the Côte d’Azur but also in certain European countries, especially in the United Kingdom.
The communication service of the town hall had were thinking of a trio of girlfriends in full shopping activity, with obviously the Croisette boulevard in the background. Hmm… 3 girlfriends? The sea? The Croisette? That’s for me!

advertising illustrations Cannes French Riviera
posters women french riviera

The pleasure of winter sales on the Côte d’Azur

I proposed 2 sketches that put these 3 characters in this dream scenery: a first drawing represented the 3 friends walking on the Croisette boulevard, with as a backdrop a glimpse of the great iconic Cannes palaces, including the Martinez and the Intercontinental Carlton. These 3 friends are looking both chic and very casual. The scene takes place in winter, but winter in Cannes is not winter with fluffy after-skis and gray coats. No winter in Cannes, we simply add a small scarf which matches our stilettos and off you go for the sales!
You want to take a break between 2 stores? You can go eat an ice cream or have a drink on the terrace just taking care to turn to the solar star to heal your complexion. Or you can go for a stroll on the beach, even lay down and bask quietly.

2 drawings: the 3 female friends walk, then they’ll bask in the sun of the French Riviera

I first created a first drawing where our 3 women are in the foreground and are talking while walking on the beach. They’re carrying their bags full of fashion items, beauty products or jewellery … We can distinctly see the Croisette boulevard in the background.
In the second drawing, our 3 girlfriends are lying on the sand, enjoying this dream setting, waffling on and enjoying a well-deserved rest. This shopping escapade between friends simply needs to become an annual appointment that combines the useful and the pleasant. Forget the internet and the screens that give us headaches. Forget the greyness. And now let’s think of Cannes to go winter sale shopping!

women beach south France

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