Case studies: Shorefield Holidays

The client

Shorefield Holidays runs six country-park leisure destinations in Dorset and Hampshire, on or near the south coast of the UK: Shorefield Country Park, Oakdene Forest Park, Lytton Lawn Touring Park, Forest Edge Holiday Park, Swanage Coastal Park and Merley Court Touring Park. Guests can enjoy a wide range of leisure activities, or simply take it easy. A family business, Shorefield has now been welcoming guests to its holiday parks for almost five decades.

Despite the huge increase in the use of the internet to find and book holidays, printed brochures remain a key marketing channel for the UK travel and tourism industry. Many holidaymakers still enjoy visiting high-street travel agents to select their brochures, before leafing through them at home to finalise the details of their trip. So the brochures produced by leisure companies such as Shorefield have to work hard to communicate the unique selling points of the destinations on offer.

The assignment

Shorefield has used Models Direct on several occasions to help produce images for their main holiday brochure, which is always shot during June and July in order to create sunny, ‘high season’ images.

Mike Jubb, Director of Access Advertising, Shorefield’s agency, has been involved in the direction of the company’s photo shoots for several years. “Shorefield offers family holidays, so we’re looking for models who can create the look of a typical family on holiday,” he says.

Working in partnership with Shorefield, Mike reviews the list of proposed models from Models Direct and finalises the selection. “We both look at the list submitted by the agency and note down a shortlist of three or four models of both sexes,” he explains. “Then we compare notes and agree on the final selection. Generally, we’ve been happy with the selection of models put forward, and we’ve made a different selection of models every year.”

When it comes to the actual photo shoot, Mike has found Models Direct to be a reliable partner, with models displaying a solid level of professionalism. “The models have always been on time, every year,” he says. “In front of the lens, they were prepared to do whatever it took to get a good shot. We’ve always been very pleased with them, in every respect.”

The models’ basic job might be to sit on a sunny balcony or stroll through scenery. So far, so enjoyable! But as Mike makes clear, it’s the logistics around the shoots that make the assignment more demanding. “To meet the brief, the models have to change into a large number of leisure outfits and move between several locations,” he explains. “The client has six parks, spread over 35 miles [56km] or so from Milford on Sea to Swanage. Also, each park is large in itself – Shorefield Country Park, for example, covers an area of 120 acres [48.5ha] – and is split into multiple developments. To get the shots we need, we’ll be dashing around the park like crazy, before driving to another location so we can do two parks in one day. The models have to be quite tough and focused, but they handle it all without any complaint.”

Models Sarah and Stuart, who played a holidaying couple in the latest photo shoots for Shorefield, enjoyed the challenge. They posed enjoying facilities at Shorefield destinations including hot tubs, pools, chalets and dining areas. “I feel the assignment went very well,” says Sarah. “Jim [the photographer], Mike, Stuart and I all got on well and enjoyed working together to get the job done. We were a bit tight for time, with all the changes of outfit and locations, but we got it all done!”

Asked to pick his personal high point, Stuart chose the people he worked with. “They were great – very easy-going and approachable,” he says. “It was a really positive, worthwhile experience.”

The results

Both Mike and his client have been very pleased with the quality of the images generated by his photo shoots, which have been used for Shorefield’s advertising, brochures, posters and web presences. “For me, the results illustrate the value of using professional, experienced models,” says Mike. “Working to our timescales, we need models who can adopt the right pose and expression at the drop of a hat, and the models we source from Models Direct can do exactly that.”

Mike feels that Shorefield’s repeat custom is testimony to the strength of the Models Direct service. “Shorefield have been pleased enough to return for many years,” he affirms.

To view Shorefield’s Touring & Tenting or Self Catering brochures in PDF format, visit http://www.shorefield.co.uk/request-brochure.asp?fdType=holiday