M:ID Photography - Showcase Real Men Competition

We want you to showcase real men, who like to take care of themselves in everyday, candid situations through a photo set of 4 shots.

Alongside these images, we want to showcase guys enjoying themselves in their daily lives, could be in nature, cooking a meal, having fun with their friends or family.

Not the perfect models you see on the usual advertising campaigns, but real guys, that feel comfortable in their skin and hair, who enjoy their looks even if they are not perfect.

The photos won’t include M:ID Products since they are Lifestyle visuals and we recommend to not include any other product.

M:ID is a newly launched hair & scalp care brand which aims to introduce a new paradigm for male beauty-care in Germany. M:ID products are personalized to men’s unique hair & scalp needs and a tailor-made routine is provided to each person through a product finder questionnaire on the website. Men can subscribe in order to receive their products directly at home, every 30, 60 or 90 days.

M:ID understands men’s diversity and values their individuality.

Their focus is on providing superior performing products that take care of specific needs such as hair-loss, dandruff, intensive care, through expertise and knowledge.

M:ID also aims to create a space where men feel comfortable to discuss their needs and issues, and where no topic is taboo: where men are liberated to be themselves.

YOUR MISSION

Your mission is to create a set of at least 4 lifestyle photographs of real guys (well-groomed but not models or perfect), looking around 30 to 40 years old, in two type of situations:

in their bathrooms or bedroom, taking care of themselves or getting ready for the day while feeling confident and comfortable. (You need to submit at least 2 shots).
in lifestyle situations, could be in nature, in the kitchen cooking, having fun with friends, participating in athletic activities. (You need to submit at least 2 shots).

They should look like they are relaxed, not taking themselves too seriously, enjoying the moment and having ‘fun’ with a laid-back approach.

We want you to portray what it means to be a man today, not in the stereotypical way we see in advertising, but through a candid look into masculinity and how it is evolving. We encourage guys to embrace their individuality and showcase it through these images.

M:ID is a hair & scalp care brand and we want these images to be connected to this topic. We are not looking for perfect model shots, but for real guys looking good and feeling good.

Other subjects may be in the photographs (wives/girlfriends, boyfriends/husbands, children and friends), to convey the concept of ‘what it means to be a man today’ and if it helps portray a normal, real-life moment of interaction.

We’re excited to see your images and are open to seeing multiple photo series submissions!

REQUIREMENTS AND USAGE

Images will be used on M:ID social media channels (Instagram & FB), for these channels we are looking for vertical shots that can be easily adapted to square format (Instagram Feed and Stories usage). They will also be used on the M:ID website and other digital properties.

DO’S

Creators should retain their original files in the highest quality possible but photos must be submitted in JPEG or PNG.
Our products are shampoos, conditioners, tonics and hair-supplements. The images need to be related to these products (no application of skin- care products, no shaving products, no body-care products)
The men portrayed must look between 30 and 40 years old
We need a multi-racial representation
The men portrayed must have good looking hair, they don’t have to be perfect but cannot be shabby
Also men that have receding hair-lines/thinning or few hair/grey hair should be portrayed
If shots are taken of men coming out of the shower, only use a white towel, no colorful towels
If the man in the photo is wearing clothes, they need to be stylish, following suggested styles (no colorful clothes, no clearly branded clothes, no clothes with clearly recognizable or colorful prints)
- Talent should not be wearing visible logos, or images should be photoshopped later to remove logos before final presentation.
A wife, a husband, girlfriend or boyfriend or a child (or a combination of these) can be in the picture, but in a very natural way
We would like photos with friends, more than one guy together
Photos need to look candid, representing real life situations
Photos need to convey emotions
The overall tone of the images should be uplifting, positive, enjoyable, fun, realistic, approachable but at the same time curated and inspirational
For colors, style and locations, get inspired by the mood board provided, M:ID website and IG page.
M:ID would appreciate to have also some GIFs format content taken from the shooting day, showing men preparation and haircare. GIF should show men in all kind of situations (bath / bed room, showcasing need or lifestyle, showcasing attitude). This is an optional request.
Please fill out a talent release for all talent that appears in your images. Blank talent releases are available for download in the Materials and should be filled out and attached to your submission at upload.

DON’TS

No photos of people looking straight at the camera
No perfect, set up situations
No portraits
No ‘Christmas’ family style photos
No classic model shots
No model poses
No perfect looking models
No products should be visible in the photos
Do not share your Submission on social media until after the winners have been selected and announced on the Zooppa platform. Sharing on social platforms will disqualify your Submission.
Do not submit images licensed from stock content websites.
Do not act out any violent or inappropriate scenes or gestures.
Do not imply the use of drugs or alcohol.
Do not harm or endanger people—PLEASE follow your local government’s guidelines on Social Distancing and the prevention of the spread of disease.
DO NOT put yourself and/or others at risk in the process of creating your submission.

Photographic direction: Please refer to the mood-board included in the “Materials” section for art direction, M:ID website and IG page.

AWARDS CRITERIA

33% Production Quality
33% Originality
33% Capturing the lifestyle experience of M:ID product

UPLOADING INSTRUCTIONS

The first requested file in the submission process will be a PREVIEW fileshowing the 4 shots together (you will find an example in the materials section).

Once you have prepared the set of 4 photos, put them all in a folder, provide the related description, and compress the folder. You should then assemble the 4 shots in a single preview image which you will need to upload as the first file.

Please export your slides/image grid at a minimum of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

After this first step, you will be able to upload a .zip file that contains the 4 single photo files in JPG or PNG format in vertical orientation.

Once winning proposals have been selected, we will contact the creators for the original RAW project files. Winners will be asked for the individual shots in RAW format.

Awards:-