QuickBooks Brand Photography

Background

QuickBooks annually develops a photography library that complements its core brand campaign. The library is designed to reflect the company’s customers—business owners with dreams of growth and success. These images are used across various channels, from social media posts to web landing pages, showcasing real businesses and their owners, telling their unique stories.

For the FY25 library, the focus was on repositioning QuickBooks as an end-to-end platform, highlighting its growth potential for solopreneurs, small businesses, and mid-market companies. This required showcasing a diverse range of business owners and incorporating key visual storytelling elements that aligned with QuickBooks’ updated photography principles.

QuickBooks annually develops a photography library that complements its core brand campaign. The library is designed to reflect the company’s customers—business owners with dreams of growth and success. These images are used across various channels, from social media posts to web landing pages, showcasing real businesses and their owners, telling their unique stories.

For the FY25 library, the focus was on repositioning QuickBooks as an end-to-end platform, highlighting its growth potential for solopreneurs, small businesses, and mid-market companies. This required showcasing a diverse range of business owners and incorporating key visual storytelling elements that aligned with QuickBooks’ updated photography principles.

Art Direction

I collaborated with the creative team to develop an art direction that would embody QuickBooks’ ethos of supporting business growth at all stages. We focused on capturing authentic, warm moments of small and mid-market businesses in action—whether they were engaging with customers or using QuickBooks products in real-time.

Each image needed to feel natural, highlighting the confidence and aspiration of our subjects while integrating product moments without feeling staged. I ensured the storytelling came through with dynamic perspectives, close-up shots that created an emotional connection, and natural, in-action moments that gave life to the customer’s day-to-day operations.

I collaborated with the creative team to develop an art direction that would embody QuickBooks’ ethos of supporting business growth at all stages. We focused on capturing authentic, warm moments of small and mid-market businesses in action—whether they were engaging with customers or using QuickBooks products in real-time.

Each image needed to feel natural, highlighting the confidence and aspiration of our subjects while integrating product moments without feeling staged. I ensured the storytelling came through with dynamic perspectives, close-up shots that created an emotional connection, and natural, in-action moments that gave life to the customer’s day-to-day operations.

Pre-Production

During pre-production, I collaborated with the team to source real businesses in Toronto and Los Angeles, ensuring we had a diverse representation of industries, demographics, and business stages. We conducted extensive scouting and casting to ensure authenticity, working closely with the QuickBooks team to select real users of their product.

We mapped out the visual storylines for each business, from their interactions with employees and customers to their back-office work. I worked on shot lists, ensuring a mix of both QuickBooks moments and non-product scenes, giving each business its own narrative flow. My goal was to emphasize the day-in-the-life stories, highlighting QuickBooks’ role in their growth journey.

During pre-production, I collaborated with the team to source real businesses in Toronto and Los Angeles, ensuring we had a diverse representation of industries, demographics, and business stages. We conducted extensive scouting and casting to ensure authenticity, working closely with the QuickBooks team to select real users of their product.

We mapped out the visual storylines for each business, from their interactions with employees and customers to their back-office work. I worked on shot lists, ensuring a mix of both QuickBooks moments and non-product scenes, giving each business its own narrative flow. My goal was to emphasize the day-in-the-life stories, highlighting QuickBooks’ role in their growth journey.

Production

During production, I worked closely with the client and other department heads to bring our vision to life on set. My main responsibility was providing on-site art direction, ensuring that the photography principles were followed. This included directing the flow of each scene to ensure authentic interactions and emotions were captured.

I briefed department heads on the specifics of each shot and regularly collaborated with the client to refine creative decisions. Throughout, I ensured that storytelling remained at the core of every image, capturing a balance of product integration and business activity, all while making sure the visuals were warm, authentic, and aligned with QuickBooks’ evolved brand positioning.

During production, I worked closely with the client and other department heads to bring our vision to life on set. My main responsibility was providing on-site art direction, ensuring that the photography principles were followed. This included directing the flow of each scene to ensure authentic interactions and emotions were captured.

I briefed department heads on the specifics of each shot and regularly collaborated with the client to refine creative decisions. Throughout, I ensured that storytelling remained at the core of every image, capturing a balance of product integration and business activity, all while making sure the visuals were warm, authentic, and aligned with QuickBooks’ evolved brand positioning.

Launch & Results

Launch & Results

The project successfully launched and the photography assets were immediately put to use across multiple platforms. The imagery resonated strongly with the client, capturing the spirit of small and mid-market businesses in an authentic and impactful way.

The photography library now serves as a versatile resource for the brand’s ongoing campaigns, showcasing QuickBooks' ability to power business growth at every stage.

The project successfully launched and the photography assets were immediately put to use across multiple platforms. The imagery resonated strongly with the client, capturing the spirit of small and mid-market businesses in an authentic and impactful way.

The photography library now serves as a versatile resource for the brand’s ongoing campaigns, showcasing QuickBooks' ability to power business growth at every stage.

Role: Creative Director
Agency: Thinkingbox
Client: QuickBooks
Director: Jacob Hinmon
Photography: Chad Kirkland
Locations: Los Angeles & Toronto
Scope: Brand Photography Library & Testimonial Videos

Creative Director

Based in Vancouver