Color Takes the Lead As Kremer Johnson Leans Into Office Archetypes for ServiceNow

ServiceNow came to Kremer/Johnson with a fast-paced production timeline and a wide creative runway. Leaning into their capabilities, the photography duo did what they do best: character-driven storytelling with a meticulous attention to detail. Known for their ability to blend humor, color, and personality into stylized portraits, Neil and Cory brought their signature perspective to a series of images that captured the quirks, postures, and expressions of modern office life, acting like mini-movies in a single frame.

Collaborating on set design, casting, wardrobe, and lighting, Kremer/Johnson crafted portraits of office character tropes that feel instantly recognizable, yet elevated by the duo’s refined eye for color and expression. Their approach is as thoughtful as it is technical, an extension of their long-standing partnership that thrives on creative tension, experimentation, and an enduring drive to solve visual problems in unexpected ways. 

You have worked with ServiceNow in the past, how was this project different or similar to the previous shoot, both production-wise and creatively?

We worked with ServiceNow a few years ago through an agency. For that project, the ad agency created all of the concepts, and we more or less just executed. This time, we worked directly with ServiceNow. They gave us a lot of latitude creatively, such as crafting the lighting, creating the sets, and developing the characters. The first project was humorous in nature, while these character portraits are meant to identify common office character tropes that are relatable to the public.

From Rina Rachman, Executive Producer: The ServiceNow project was another whirlwind Jenga puzzle to piece together.  With a tight timeline, budget constraints, a ton of content to capture and a handful of last-minute additions, there were a lot of logistical and creative challenges to solve without skimping on production value or compromising the creative vision.  

Working in tandem with Kremer Johnson, we were able to divide and conquer, concentrating on our respective expertise to bring all the elements together.  With Neil and Cory's creative bent, an amazing crew and our thoughtful and inspired ServiceNow team, everyone worked in lockstep to bring these charismatic, fun portraits to life to tell the new ServiceNow brand story.  It’s storytelling portraiture at its best!

Did you build out these sets/environments?

After scouting multiple office locations, we realized that our budget didn’t support our client’s vision and, more importantly, we ran out of available locations to view. Although Los Angeles is full of empty buildings, most are not furnished at all. We found a location attached to a photo studio that had the required bones to fit our vision. We simply had to bring in a few “wild walls,” furniture, artwork, and small props. We used a full day of set construction to build the offices out and plan our shot setups.

Color seems to play a major role in this new campaign- can you talk about how you approached the color palette and what role it played in the storytelling?

Color is a big part of everything we make. We typically try to use the psychology of color to add to a story. In this case, we sent color storyboards to the client in pre-production. Once the colors are approved, we work with wardrobe, art department, and retouching to make it all appear harmonious and intentional without looking like a cartoon.

What were some of the most interesting or challenging aspects of producing this campaign?

Our client's needs changed often during this project. We had to be resilient and act quickly to pivot locations, wardrobe, character identities, and completion dates. Things that we didn’t think we could do got done. We loved being pushed to our limits—we feel that’s where growth happens.

Did you work with any new collaborators, stylists, set designers, retouchers, that helped bring this specific visual style to life?

We worked with an art department called Faeth Gruppe that also owns a high-end furniture props shop. Having real wood desks and high-end props made a big difference in the final images. The richness of the wood and the craft that went into the design and manufacturing of the small props really shines in the images.

This feels very “Kremer/Johnson,” in color theory and expressions. How do you maintain your creative identity while adapting to different visual directions?

We simply pick a couple of key colors for each setup, and then we use simple color theory. In pre-production, we always discuss who the characters are. Once we identify the archetypes, we cast for people who fit the role. We want to see the exact expression that we’re looking for long before we pick up the camera. This way, our direction on set is minimal and more about nuance than big picture because we’re starting with the right expressions.

How does this project fit into the broader arc of your work lately?

We’ve lately been blessed with a good number of pharmaceutical projects. This project allowed us to stretch our creative legs and really put our stamp on the images, where pharma campaigns are far more agency-directed.