Philly Spring ‘25
PHILADELPHIA CREAM CHEESE
ONE DAY. EVERY proportion. ZERO SURPRISES.
Commercial food photographer Suzanne Clements was tapped to produce the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spring 2025 campaign for Kraft Heinz.
The brief called for a tight asset library tasking a limited number of shots to seamlessly span multiple proportions. Narrow horizontal web banners, vertical social posts, and digital ad placements had to fit the shots, all while showcasing the joyful moment that spring finally inspires us to throw open the door, revel in the warmth and sun, and gather around a backyard patio spread of three hero recipes guaranteed to make anyone hungry for the creamy satisfaction of Philly.
All on a carefully managed budget. There was no room for guesswork and no tolerance for post-production fix-ups. So the solution was engineered before we ever touched a camera.
THE SOLVE
Pre-production began rooted in the agency creative deck. Pulling the inspired aesthetic and sunny intent, Suzanne began to arrange each hero dish, lock-up, logo, and hero pack using the campaign proportions and camera sensor footprint as her guide. Overlaying each outline over the artboard, she carefully arrived at solutions that would account for every requested format.
These hand-drawn sketches are equal parts technical document and creative vision. They map crop proportions, product placement, and logo lock-up zones for every deliverable on the brief, while simultaneously laying out a full visual strategy for how each scene would unfold. Composition was choreographed to guide the viewer's eye through harmonious color pops and dynamic arrangements, landing first on that first bite of the hero recipe and then naturally on the product pack, reinforcing both the flavor and the brand behind it.
The sketches also drove every downstream creative decision: which pasta shape would photograph best, whether the berries would be sliced or whole, which crudités would add the right color and texture contrast, how props and set design would support the spring story without competing with the food. Each setup was fully resolved on paper before a single prop was sourced.
This approach, combining a graphic designer's spatial instincts with a photographer's compositional craft and an illustrator's drafting skill, eliminates the most expensive problem in commercial photography: discovering a format conflict after the shoot wraps. Here, it did something rarer, it made sure every creative decision served the brand story from the very first sketch.
ON SHOOT DAY
Warm sun, a patio table dressed in Philadelphia Cream Cheese's trademark blue, and enough pink, yellow, and green to make winter a distant memory.
Three dishes brought the spring story to life: a puff pastry with a light creamy base and fresh berry topping, a spinach dip surrounded by crisp vegetables and crunchy crackers, and a bright creamy lemon shrimp pasta.
Hand talent joined select setups, and low-res quick proofs went to the designer in real time throughout the day to vet and evaluate. By wrap, layout work had already begun using actual assets.
"Best shoot ever." — Philadelphia Cream Cheese client team
THE DELIVERABLES
2 setups covered all campaign needs across three hero dishes: two individual proportions, vertical and extreme horizontal, plus a group shot in three proportions, vertical, narrow vertical, and horizontal.
7 alts covered clean set and shadow passes on every setup, plus talent and no-talent where applicable, and a selection of pack and prop alts to support any post-production layout changes.
This was a single-day commercial food photography production engineered to serve every placement on the brief, from digital banners to social stories, without a single frame wasted.
ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, & PRODUCTION FLOW
Our team managed every touchpoint, from shot list and casting to wardrobe and final delivery. With just a four-hour shoot window to capture everything we needed, precision and collaboration were essential. Here’s how we made it happen:
Casting
Local talent was sourced through trusted connections and a regional talent consultant. We focused on women aged 55 to 65, a group whose presence in outdoor sports is often overlooked, yet absolutely real. Skateboarding, a male-dominated sport, became our canvas. Placing these women in this context made their presence even more unexpected and powerful.
Wardrobe
Stylist Leslie Ramos took inspiration from the era when our talent first started skating, the 1990s. This shoot imagines lifelong friends doing what they love, so Leslie infused the styling with nostalgia, character, and cohesion. Her choices brought the story to life with charm and intention.
Hair & Makeup
Kellielynn Dreher worked with incredible speed and care to get each talent camera-ready. She communicated closely with me throughout the day, aligning with the vision and staying alert on set to keep each look fresh and genuine. Her role was essential in keeping everything real and polished.
Props
To keep things lean and agile, we brought in Lisa Malott for a “prop & drop.” She sourced skateboards, stickers, and helmets to round out the scene and give the set a lived-in, authentic feel.
Lighting
For stills, we embraced the sun. Direct light and pavement bounce gave me everything I needed. On the motion side, Dustin Blanton, our DP, softened the look with silks, reflectors, and select lighting, supported by gaffer Daniel Bostrom and assistant Martin Restrepo. The result: two cohesive aesthetics that complemented each other beautifully.
Location
We shot on location in Lakeland, Florida, using a color-blocked wall that provided a vibrant, stylized backdrop. It gave us a strong visual identity that didn’t compete with the talent or product—just enhanced it.
Production Coordination
Producer Carol Matlock built a tightly coordinated schedule, balancing hair and makeup timing, talent arrivals, and overall pacing. She managed arrivals and kept the flow steady, giving Dustin and me the space to get our stations set up and ready to go. Her presence on set made the day smooth, efficient, and focused.
Direction, Photography & Creative Direction
As both photographer and creative director (and occasional spritz bottle operator), I moved between still and motion sets throughout the day. Since I couldn’t be in two places at once, Dustin used my prepped animatic and shot list to execute our motion plan flawlessly. Once stills were complete, I jumped in to work more closely on motion. This kind of trust and teamwork is what makes a tight-timeline hybrid shoot like this possible.
DP/Video Capture
Dustin Blanton of Blanton Creative came to set ready to hustle. He supplied all video gear, lighting, and most of the grip, with additional support from N-Focus. He led his team, built his lighting setup, and captured clean, intentional footage throughout the day. His experience and adaptability were critical to the success of the motion side.
Post Production
I handled initial selects for our stills library and completed final post-production on the photo assets. From there, I dug into Dustin’s video clips to find the pacing and personality that would bring the edit to life. I color graded for punch, texture, and cohesion, bringing the stills and video together into one seamless, energetic final piece that feels bold, stylish, and effortlessly cool.
RECOGNITION
Huge thanks to the entire team who helped bring this imagined campaign to life.
Photographer: Suzanne Clements
Agent: Erica Chadwick, Etc. Creative, Inc.
Executive Producer: Philip Pavliger
1st Assistant: Naomi Chu Arguinzoni
Digitech: Timothy Blokel
Production Assistant: Kelsey Oenick
Food Stylist: Christina Zerkis
Food Stylist Assistant: Nina B.
Props: Kate Loskalzo
Camera/Lighting: ProGear
Studio: SEEYOUSOON
TALENT
Dominique Perry