Center Parcs
Bringing the magic of a forest Christmas to life
About Center Parcs
Center Parcs is a leading leisure and holiday brand, renowned for creating memorable family breaks set in the forest. Their seasonal campaigns require imagery that feels authentic, emotive, and true to real family moments, while still aligning with a strong, recognisable brand identity.
Project Overview
Center Parcs commissioned a Christmas campaign shoot to promote their festive family breaks. As is often the case in retail and leisure, the shoot took place at an unexpected time of year, March! Requiring us to recreate the warmth and magic of Christmas far outside the festive season.
The project took several weeks of planning and was delivered in collaboration with True Story, the creative agency leading the campaign. Once we received the brief and shot list, we began preparing to transform a Center Parcs lodge into a convincing, lived-in Christmas setting that reflected a real family holiday.
Objectives
To create authentic lifestyle imagery promoting Center Parcs’ Christmas breaks
To simulate a realistic family festive holiday experience
To remain true to the Center Parcs brand while delivering warm, seasonal storytelling
To capture genuine family interactions and natural moments for marketing use
What we achieved
We delivered a full-service lifestyle photography production, managing everything from pre-production planning to on-set styling and direction.
1. Pre-Production & Planning
Preparation was essential to ensure a smooth and efficient shoot day. Our team:
- Planned and styled festive sets in line with Center Parcs’ brand guidelines
- Sourced and organised all props in advance
- Pre-built a gingerbread house to save time on set
- Arranged a full hot Christmas meal to be delivered fresh on the shoot day
- Bought and wrapped toys for the model family
- Prepared decorations for dressing and styling a Christmas tree
By shoot day, every detail had been considered resulting in a car packed full of festive props and styling essentials.
2. On-Set Styling & Shoot Day Execution
On arrival, we styled the lodge interiors and set up lighting in readiness for filming and photography. The brief was to simulate a typical family Christmas break at Center Parcs, following a structured schedule that mirrored how a real family would spend their time. From festive meals and gift-giving to relaxed moments together in the lodge.
We also spent time with the model family ahead of shooting, helping them feel comfortable, engaged, and confident. This was key to capturing authentic, natural interactions rather than staged poses.
With two photographers on set, we were able to capture genuine emotion and energy from multiple angles simultaneously, ensuring efficiency while maximising the variety and quality of the final imagery.
The final stage was dedicated to unifying the output from both photographers into a single, cohesive brand story. Our post-production workflow ensured:
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Visual Harmony: We meticulously matched tones, exposures, and color grading across both sets of images to maintain a consistent “Center Parcs” look and feel.
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High-End Retouching: Every image was edited to a premium commercial standard, ensuring the final assets were polished and on-brand.
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Comprehensive Coverage: Having two photographers meant we didn’t miss a single angle or authentic moment, allowing us to deliver a diverse library of over 100 images for use across all digital and print platforms.
By bridging the creative output in post-production, we provided a seamless visual toolkit that captured the full energy and emotion of the festive campaign.
Creative Approach
Festive, Natural & Brand-Led
Our creative direction focused on:
Despite being shot in March, the imagery convincingly delivers the atmosphere of a cosy festive break in the forest.
Outcome & Results
The final deliverables included:
The campaign successfully brought Christmas to life out of season, delivering warm, engaging imagery that reflects the heart of a Center Parcs festive family break.
Project Gallery
Planning a Seasonal Campaign Outside the Season?
From complex lifestyle shoots to brand-led storytelling, we specialise in planning-led productions that deliver authentic, high-quality imagery — no matter the time of year.