THUMBTACK STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE
Celebrating the people at the heart of the Thumbtack platform.
Thumbtack’s 2018 rebrand was initially focused on the customer side of the marketplace. Next, we recognized the need to better connect with our skilled professionals (pros) and shift the narrative from a lead generation service to a committed partner in their business growth.
Our talented in-house creative team developed a distinctive in-studio photography style to showcase and celebrate the success of pros on the platform. I led the process for how this new photo style would scale across marketing campaigns and Thumbtack’s first large in-person event.
Develop an ownable photo/video style for the brand.
Create scalable content to fuel marketing objectives.
Host a brand event to engage the platform’s diverse community of pros.
PROJECT GOALS
MY ROLE
Video concepting
On-set art direction
Photo curation
Events design
CELEBRATING SELF-MADE SUCCESS
The Creative team set out to identify and feature top professionals on Thumbtack’s platform — the “Self Made” Pros — to share their stories of resilience and entrepreneurial success. We photographed and interviewed 60 professionals, capturing them authentically as they would appear in their everyday work, without staged uniforms or pristine tools, showcasing only what was true to their identity. This project laid the foundation for Thumbtack’s enduring photo style, emphasizing authenticity and personal narrative.
SHOWCASING PROS IN MARKETING & CONTENT
In addition to capturing the stories of the professionals, the Creative team utilized in-studio b-roll footage to develop TV spots and paid social ads, effectively marketing the Thumbtack app and showcasing its Pros to the customer base. During these shoots, the team also captured content for high-performing cost pages on the website to highlight the extensive expertise of Thumbtack’s professionals.
BRINGING PROS TOGETHER
Thumbtack hosted ~300 of the platform’s top professionals to celebrate their successes, provide support and training of the newest features, and facilitate feedback workshops. The team outfitted the event space (the Midway SF) as a freshly rebranded Thumbtack, showcasing the stories of the platform’s pros. Of the pros invited, almost 300 showed up from all over the country and from dozens of categories — tree trimmers, photographers, dance instructors, and electricians all sat together, sharing tips and stories with each other.
Serving as the entrance to the event, we converted the Midway’s main hallway into a gallery featuring hundreds of pro photos lining the walls, many of whom attendees would hear from later during the keynote speech.
