Esquire Magazine

For years, the cover of Esquire Magazine was graced by their signature mascot Esky. Until he went missing in the 1980’s, never to be seen again. What happened to him? My advertising campaign “Get with the times” for Esquire gets out a cork board, some red string, and connects the dots.

the brief

The brief outlined by HEARST UK was to create a brand identity and present creative concepts for a watch to be launched by Esquire, one of the world’s most sophisticated men’s style, culture and lifestyle magazines. They were contemplating a potential licensing project. Me and my fellow students at CSVPA were asked a question: “If Esquire was a watch, what would it look like?” A key part of the brief was also to propose an existing company within the field of timepiece production with whom Esquire could collaborate to bring this new product to fruition.

slide from my final pitch presentation

the concept

I drew inspiration from the history of Esquire and its link to literature. My research followed the mystery of the disappearance of Esquire’s mascot Esky, and reintroduced him as the gentleman narrator of the advertising campaign for a luxury watch titled “Get with the times”.

It touched on topics like cancel culture, toxic masculinity and what it really means to be a man in the 21st century.

the campaign

At the end of my pitch, we solve the mystery of Esky’s disappearance - he was cast out because he represented outdated values of masculinity. In my campaign he comes back as a changed man and a proper gentleman, ready to encourage all of us to reflect on our past mistakes as well. The main goal of my ad campaign was to encourage men to open up, to share their struggles and their stories. To create a community and a safe space, to lift each other up. To encourage change, transformation and personal growth, saying that it is never too late to get with the times.

the timepiece

I also researched timepiece brands that Esquire could potentially collaborate with. To make sure the brand would perfectly fit within the concept I had created, I looked for three key qualities:

  • a luxury watch brand

  • a longstanding history of producing quality timepieces

  • proven ability to change, reinvent itself and evolve through time without losing quality

I then also mocked up my own Esquire watch design to pitch to the board. It followed a classic watch design, but was fully monochrome to make the design feel more modern. It also had the symbol of Esky subtly worked into the face of the watch.

An illustration I created of Esky helping Mr. Darcy out with his proposal

the pitch & feedback

The huge, glistening HEARST office meeting room at Leicester Square in London felt straight out of The Devil Wears Prada. There I stood in front of a panel formed of Alex Bilmes, Editor in Chief of Esquire, Lauren Jones, Art Director for Esquire, and Sharon Douglas, the Managing Director of Brand Diversification. I presented my design concepts, revealing my inspiration, discussing research and explaining how it has informed my creative decisions.

Sharon Douglas thoughtfully noted my pitch was “really emotional” and commended my “empathy with man and what it’s like to be a man today”. Alex Bilmes recognised my “deep and thoughtful ideas on masculinity and cancel culture” and said that the pitch has “blown him away”.

I am very grateful to both Hearst Magazines and to CSVPA for this wonderful opportunity.

See the full pitch

Read through “Get with the times” below.