Capturing Trust: Doug Menuez on Creating a Heartfelt Campaign for Comforcare

We spoke with Doug Menuez about his creative process for a campaign with Lavidge agency for Comforcare/At Your Side, a home health care service. Doug, known for his ability to capture genuine human moments, provided deep insights into how he approached this project, where the goal was to visually convey trust and intimacy—qualities that are essential in caregiving.

Can you provide an overview of what Comforcare was looking for in this campaign?

Comforcare is a relatively new service that provides home health care for people with various health issues, ranging from post-surgery care to dementia support. Their main objective for this campaign was to convey a sense of trustworthiness and intimacy—someone you’d be comfortable having in your home, almost like a family member. It’s a high bar to set, especially visually. They wanted the photographs to reflect that deep level of trust and care.

How did you approach achieving their objective?

To meet Comforcare’s objective of conveying trustworthiness and intimacy, I focused on capturing candid, real moments that resonate emotionally. Authenticity is key in achieving this, but it’s often challenging in a controlled environment like a photoshoot. Drawing from my experience as a photojournalist, I created scenarios where the subjects could interact naturally, allowing their true emotions to surface. By doing so, I was able to capture those unguarded moments that feel relatable.

For this campaign, we shot on location in real homes to maintain a sense of familiarity and warmth. The settings were carefully chosen to be as natural and relatable as possible, with minimal props to keep the focus on the people and their interactions. The talent was selected based on their ability to convey the emotions needed for this campaign. I worked closely with them, encouraging them to forget about the cameras and engage truly with each other. This approach helped ensure that the images reflected the deep level of trust and care that Comforcare’s wanted to communicate.

How did you select the talent for this shoot? Did you have a say in the casting process?

The brand handled the casting, but they did ask for my opinion. We all agreed it was going to be best to work with actors on this. Given the ages we were working with it was not surprising that several of the talent had recently had surgeries so fit the part perfectly. Over the years, I’ve become quite adept at reading headshots. You can tell so much from someone’s expression in a still image—it’s often more revealing than a video because the person’s essence is captured in that moment. I can usually sense their energy, their emotions, and how they might bring that to the shoot.

Where did the shoot take place, and what was the setting like?

We shot the campaign on location in Phoenix, Arizona, using real homes that we carefully scouted. The idea was to keep everything as natural and relatable as possible—real people, real homes, minimal props. We had to be creative with what we had, ensuring that each scene—whether it was in the bedroom, kitchen, or outdoors—felt genuine and personal. I also focused on creating a distinct look using long lenses and natural light. This approach helped to isolate the subject, putting the viewer’s eye on the person rather than the entire scene, which in turn helped to distinguish the brand.

To start off, can you provide an overview of what Comforcare was looking for in this campaign, and how you approached meeting their expectations? Did they have anything specific in mind?

Comforcare is a relatively new service that provides home health care for people with various health issues, ranging from post-surgery care to dementia support. Their main objective for this campaign was to convey a sense of trustworthiness and intimacy—someone you’d be comfortable having in your home, almost like a family member. It’s a high bar to set, especially visually. They wanted the photographs to reflect that deep level of trust and care.

Authenticity is a buzzword in advertising, but it's often hard to achieve. How do you ensure authenticity in your work?

Authenticity is tricky because everyone says they want it, but very few truly understand what it means or how to achieve it in a campaign. To capture authentic moments, I rely on skills I honed as a photojournalist. It’s about observing people, watching them interact naturally, and waiting for those real, unguarded moments. In essence, I create scenarios where the subjects can engage genuinely with each other. Whether they’re actors or real people, I direct them to forget the cameras and simply interact. That’s when the magic happens—their guard drops, and you capture something real. But in the world of advertising, everything conspires against authenticity—fear, pressure, the need for control. So, it’s about creating an environment where the subjects can be themselves, and then being ready to capture that moment.

Were there any challenges you faced during the shoot, aside from the typical obstacles like weather?

Surprisingly, this was one of those rare shoots where everything flowed almost seamlessly. The biggest challenge was actually before the shoot—I missed the tech scout because my flight was canceled at the last minute. Missing a tech scout can throw everything off, but my assistant knows me so well and did an excellent job filling in, and the client was incredibly understanding. Additionally, I worked with the agency Lavidge, based in Phoenix, and they were super professional and great to work with, which made the entire process much smoother. 

What were you most proud of in this campaign?

I’m really proud of how we were able to convey the emotions and trust that Comforcare wanted to communicate. It’s not easy to visually translate something as complex as trust, especially in a caregiving context, but I believe we succeeded. The photos resonate with warmth and intimacy, which is exactly what we aimed for. The clients were happy, and that’s the ultimate goal—creating work that not only meets their expectations but also helps them achieve their goals.This shoot reminded me why I love what I do—bringing my documentary experience into advertising, and creating something that feels genuine and impactful.