9 May 2023. Fifteen films for NIVEA Men’s Black & White campaign with Real Madrid. A new partner for us at the time, and one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Everything went to plan. The campaign was approved and about to flight. Then Real Madrid told the agency Eden Hazard was leaving the club, and his face couldn’t be used anymore. The agency was looking at a reshoot, or pulling the campaign.

1. 01

   Proposed a fix that kept the approved campaign intact: no reshoot, no pulled media.

2. 02

   Painted Hazard out of the films.

3. 03

   Replaced his key visuals with the shirt, so the campaign kept its hero image without the player.

Delivered on 28 May, on time. The campaign went out as planned, and everyone was happy.

It sounds simple. But when everyone is panicking, the simple solution is often the hardest one to see.