Schleich is celebrating 85 years of play with their innovative and whimsical Power of Imagination campaign. I was honored to be able to create a series of fun, whimsical images for this campaign. A group of kids were videotaped playing with Schleich toys, and then I chose 6 of their imagined stories to create images from (watch the above video to see the exact moments the kids imagined each of the stories I used, as well as some behind the scenes of how I created the images). It was incredible to watch these kids use their imaginations and storytell so effortlessly, something we tend to lose as we get older. Encouraging real play, and the use of one’s imagination, is at the core of this groundbreaking campaign, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it! Schleich unveiled the 6 images at New York Toy Fair this past February. They had a working studio set up for me in the main lobby of the Javits Center, where large prints of the images were displayed. I gave live toy photography demonstrations there and chatted with anyone who wanted to learn more about the Power of Imagination campaign and toy photography in general.
Thank you to my passionate partners at Schleich USA Inc., who share my affinity for imaginative storytelling, and the value of play. What we've accomplished so far has been groundbreaking and fun! I'm looking forward to our next collaboration!
A walkthrough of the Schleich Power of Imagination Experiential Space