Behind the Brand

What was the initial inspiration behind AziMD’s February Valentine’s Day campaign?

AziMD Skincare’s campaign “Love Your Skin the Way You Love Your BESTIE” was first born from my desire to create an inclusive Valentine’s Day celebration that touches on the love that stems from friendship. Not everyone is in a romantic relationship, but it’s safe to say that most have experienced platonic love. As any girl knows, true friendship entails sharing everything you love with your bestie including your skincare secrets. Essentially, the idea was for two besties to share Dr. Azi’s skincare tips throughout February as if the brand’s audience was also their bestie. 

At AziMD we’ve made an effort to place education at the center of our brand by empowering our community to learn about their skin and how our scientific-backed products can help target their specific skin concerns. Our CEO, founder, and Dermatologist Dr. Azadeh Shirazi always emphasizes the importance of learning how to use good skincare. In fact, this entire company stemmed from her mission to show her patients that expensive products didn’t always mean good products. Instead, the key is using effective, yet comprehensive products. But it all starts by learning what that even means in the first place. 

Despite being a Dermatologist, Dr. Azi is an advocate for all things fashion. I wanted the colors, outfits, and overall aesthetic of the campaign to be a direct reflection of the skincare brand and the personality of the derm behind it. The brand is very clean, luxurious, and effortless, while Dr. Azi is the kind of woman you can’t miss. She’s bold, fun, and always ready to pull off any look. 

As a fashionista myself, I knew she would appreciate my vision to execute a photoshoot that consisted of two besties in red tights, black blazers, and sleek stilettos holding AziMD Skincare. A look that came from my love for editorial and monochromatic outfits, which would effortlessly blend into the bright red backdrop. And lastly, combining it with sexy, yet classy product shots taken on a gray background and surrounded by red petals. 

How do you navigate the journey and challenges that come with turning creative vision into reality?

Over the years, navigating the challenges has gotten easier and easier. Not because I’ve gotten better at nailing it on the first go, but because I’ve learned that bringing a vision to life is ever-changing. In this business, you get used to pivoting and finding a solution no matter the problem. Whenever I encounter a setback, I try to relax and see things from an outside perspective. You’d be surprised at how much clarity you can gain simply by removing yourself from the situation. 

Even in moments when the vision is clear, it may not always come to fruition. That’s when a creative is challenged and provoked to think outside the box. For example, during the Valentine’s Day Campaign, I had a specific idea of what I wanted the pictures to look like. However, half of the concepts didn’t end up happening, and instead, we captured poses that were decided in the spur of the moment. Doing this led to one of my favorite pictures of the entire campaign, the Lift & Renew Serum sitting at the sole of the stiletto. An iconic image that stemmed from a not-so-iconic and stressful moment.