A TARTAN TALE — The Power of Storytelling
(A fairy tale that launched a beauty collection)
For the M∙A∙C Cosmetic 2010 holiday collection, creative director James Gager commissioned Paul and a colleague to write a fairy tale steeped in Scottish mists and swathed in Highland plaids. A Tartan Tale was born in all its “posh, punk, ancestral, anarchic, noble and naughty glory.” It follows the character Myfanwy in a magical fairy tale involving pixies, punks and an enchanted prince.
The resulting fairy tale became the source of inspiration for M∙A∙C’s photo shoot by Tim Walker for the special seasonal collection of the same name.
According to M∙A∙C Cosmetics, A Tartan Tale is their “most ambitious holiday effort to-date; an epic we call A Tartan Tale, our own Brontë-gone-bonkers story set upon the moors of a fantasy M·A·C Magicland, replete with the most ravishing and elaborate sets and characters.”
The “Tartan Tale” collection features an edgy color palette of bright greens, blues, mauves, fuchsia pink: Think Scottish nobility and kilts meet punk-rock culture and tattoos all specially packaged with tartan patterns. The collection includes eye shadows with an embossed tartan pattern, eye pencils, lipsticks, dazzleglass creme glosses, loose powder pigments, powder blushes, nail lacquers and a volumizing mascara.
A storybook of "A Tartan Tale” was printed featuring whimsical illustrations and photographs by Tim Walker and fantasy sets by Andy Hillman. M∙A∙C celebrated the holiday collection with an animated online storybook as well, and even launched M∙A∙C: A Tartan Tale, an app for the iPad that allows users to follow the magical fairy tale of the enchanting Myfanwy through Glamora Castle, shaking, turning and touching interactive features throughout the book.
Features include:
The fairy tale comes to life through narration and sound effects.
Fully interactive pages allow users to unlock content and share with friends via Facebook.
Ships take flight and plaid-winged bats fly from the belfry as users touch-swipe through the visually stunning story.
The chandelier shimmies through real-time physics as users move and turn the iPad.
Tap the plaid makeup tin for direct access to maccosmetics.com where users can shop and learn about the entire Tartan Collection from M∙A∙C.
Unlock a plaid prize at the fairy tale’s conclusion.
A full audio book of M∙A∙C: A Tartan Tale was also available, along with a mini history of tartan.
All this initiated by a creative fairy tale.