By Filip Lau

ReD Associates started a collaboration with renowned photographer, Alastair Wiper, exploring our clients’ industrial landscapes.

“Companies are constantly being told they need to embrace new forms of technology so they will not be rendered irrelevant by the next hot start-up. But our clients all have a long history producing goods - be it toys, cognac bottles or running shoes - and we wanted to celebrate that,” explains Filip Lau, the partner at ReD who initiated the conversation with Alastair Wiper.

“Even the most mundane observations can illuminate a world, making it possible for companies to see how they can naturally fit in and become a meaningful part of people’s lives. In collaboration with art photographer Alastair Wiper, we flipped our perspective from a quest to understand everyday worlds to that of seeing the beauty of machines, materials, and assembly lines. At a time when digital seems to be all-consuming, it is an exploration of the aesthetics of raw materials and overlooked locations. These photos reveal the nuance and beauty that is hidden inside the ‘assets’ number on a balance sheet,” says Filip Lau.

ReD Associates already embraces the power of photography in every one of our projects. Consultants take thousands of photos in the course of their research and photography is always part of the final deliverables. This particular collaboration, however, was special. Using the trained eye of an art photographer, ReD wanted a new perspective on the world of its legacy clients.

“This project offers yet another layer of meaning. It gives all of us a fresh look at the core products that make up iconic companies. Maybe clients have stopped seeing these processes because they are not sources of new growth or they don’t feel particularly sexy in today’s market. These photographs remind all of us to look again. There is so much beauty and inspiration to be found in the midst of our most familiar settings.”