Willow Sawyer’s ambition is to be a special effects makeup artist, transforming people’s faces and bodies to bring fantastical stories to life. So for the 17-year-old Brit School student, the chance to meet Raphael Arcadios, whose innovative work with costumes, body art and makeup has been featured on catwalks and in magazines such as the Face and Vogue, was a dream come true. “It was amazing to meet them,” says Sawyer. “Being able to talk to them, ask them questions and hear their advice was so inspiring. It made me even more excited about pursuing my ambitions.”
Sawyer is in her third year at the Brit School studying production arts, encompassing everything from set and costume design to lighting and sound. She won the opportunity to meet Arcadios after participating in a recent Mastercard creative challenge, along with 180 other students. Mastercard, which has been the headline sponsor of the Brit Awards for 26 years, also partners with the Brit School to champion the next generation of creative talent. For the challenge, the students were given the task of reimagining the Mastercard sonic, a “logo” in the form of a unique, six-note piano melody, which plays at the end of the company’s adverts, in any art form of their choice.
When Sawyer first listened to the sonic, “I thought, how am I going to turn this into makeup?” she says. But the students were also urged to consider how emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) could play a part in their concept, and that sparked Sawyer’s idea.
“When you’re at a school that’s so involved in the creative industry, it’s hard to look at AI in a positive light, because often it seems to be taking away from people making art,” she says. “But I started thinking about how it also gives us so many new opportunities to be creative.
“I found the sonic’s melody uplifting, and I wanted to look at AI in a positive way, too. I came up with the idea of flowers growing to represent being happy and optimistic about change happening, and I wanted to do them in the Mastercard colours, coming out of my face and brain to show growth, imagination and creativity.”
When she discovered she was one of 14 students chosen to have their ideas developed and turned into an advert to be shown on television during the Brit Awards, and on billboards around the O2, she says: “I was so excited. I couldn’t believe I was going to get the opportunity to work with renowned artists to bring my concept to life, and that millions of people would see it when it was finished.”
The winning students had the chance to learn from talent including singer and rapper Young Athena, a Brit graduate and Mastercard ambassador; content creator, dancer and choreographer Nifè; designer Dame Zandra Rhodes; and Vince McSweeney, an AI expert at McCann Worldgroup global.
For Sawyer, working with Arcadios, who also goes by the name Candy Puxe, was as exciting as meeting a celebrity. “They are so talented and successful, so it was an honour to have them make my vision real,” she says. “I loved watching them make prosthetic flowers and using acetate and Vaseline to melt them on to my skin and blend it all in, so it looked as though they were coming out of my face for the billboard photoshoot. Then, for the filmed advert, they used real flowers too.
“I got to ask questions as they worked, which was great. They gave me excellent advice about not comparing my journey to other people’s – they were 25 when they started doing makeup, which made me realise I have plenty of time. They said I could contact them in the future if I have questions or need advice, which was so kind.”
The television advert was directed by Anthony Rubinstein and took place over two days, which Sawyer describes as “one of the best things I’ve ever done. Everyone came together, so I got to experience all the creativity that went into it – the people working on costumes, the music, the choreography, everything. Being part of this team all working together to create something was really energising and inspiring. I realised that all 14 of us had different ideas, but we could find ways to make them work together to make something bigger.”
Talking to the experts, including Rubinstein, was a highlight of the experience. “I learned so much – not just from their work, but also their attitudes, because they were really open and positive and made it fun, putting on music and dancing with us. People talk a lot about how risky it is to go into a creative industry, because it isn’t seen as a steady, reliable way to earn a living, but all the people I met are proof that it’s possible, which makes me feel a lot less nervous about leaving school and starting work.”
Sawyer and the other 13 students will be attending the Brit Awards in March, and will get to see the finished creation air for the first time. “I haven’t seen it yet, but the idea we’ll see it at the awards, and that my family and friends will be watching at home, is crazy,” she says. “To have this as my first professional piece in my portfolio is an opportunity I’m so grateful for. It’s given me confidence in myself and my ideas, which I can carry forward with me.”
The BRIT Awards 2024 with Mastercard will take place on Saturday 2 March – watch live from the O2 arena on ITV1 or catch up on ITVX. Mastercard is proud to sponsor the BRIT Awards and support the BRIT School. Discover more at mastercard.co.uk/BRITS
