Glass-Blower, Flower-Grower Star in Vignettes About Craftspeople With Eye For Detail
Optometry brand OPSM has launched a campaign spotlighting Australian and New Zealand creatives – such as a glass-blower, flower-grower, and conservationist – all of whom happen to wear glasses, and whose eyesight is crucial to their craft.
‘Everyday Excellence’ was led by OPSM’s in-house team in Milan, and directed and photographed by Flint’s Toby Dixon, who told LBB he focused on detail, subtlety, and craft to create a premium and immersive visual experience.
“The brand thread is always there, but it’s woven in lightly, so that what we’re really creating is a portrait of the person,” he said.
“For me, the magic happens when each piece sits in its own world, sensitive to the individual at its heart. That way, when the brand surfaces, it never feels imposed.”
The casting process was extensive, ultimately landing on glass artist Kate -- who says her eyes are her most important tool, because they allow her to "read the heat" -- flower farmer Nicola, and wildlife ecologist Andy.
“With Kate, the narrative was about transformation – guiding glass from raw sand, through fire, into something refined and lasting. Nicola’s story was different; it called for something brighter, more ethereal, full of colour and softness that mirrored her own delicate presence.”
In each vignette, nature is a key character. Toby explained the environment is “always the starting point” because it influences a creative’s work, including his own.
“We’re all shaped by the places around us,” he said, “the weather, the light in a room, the smell of earth when the seasons change. As creatives, we soak all of that up, and it naturally finds its way into the work. That’s why I always anchor a story in its environment. It gives the subject context, it grounds their experience, and it makes the storytelling feel real.
“When the surroundings are treated with as much care as the person, the result is something that feels authentic, something you can believe in.”
Asked how he found directing creatives working in different fields to his own, Toby noted he became a “mini-expert” in the likes of glassblowing, floristry, and winemaking. “It’s addictive, really.”
“What I’ve found, working alongside all these different creatives, is how similar we actually are,” he continued.
“Whether it’s a sculptor, a designer, or a winemaker, there’s that same restless curiosity, that same drive to keep learning and refining.”
The integrated campaign builds upon OPSM’s ‘Excellence in Detail’ brand platform and stretches across BVOD, OOH, DOOH, online, print, store touchpoints, and social across Australia and New Zealand. The films were shot across New Zealand’s Auckland, and Australia’s Sydney, Stroud, and Newcastle.
Senior producer Petra Valent said her job was to help Toby’s vision come to life in a “seamless” way.
“Coordinating multiple locations across Australia and New Zealand, a diverse cast, and a fully integrated rollout was a challenge I welcomed, and it was inspiring to see every element come together with such authenticity.”
Too often, such studies in people, place, and process are too heavy-handed, and so feel like “you’ve shoved a square peg into a round hole,” Toby added.
“That’s the antithesis of good work. To me, the brand must be subtly intertwined into the arc; otherwise, the audience calls BS and scrolls on.”
