Little Women

Concept design and art direction

Depicting a classic in a new light – the case of Little Women

Client: Turku City Theatre

Project: Pikku naisia

Year: 2022

Key art and advertising art direction for a Finnish staging of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. The project included concept design, art direction and scripting, directing and editing of a short teaser. The campaign ran locally and nationally in Finland in 2022-2023.

Little Women is a literary classic, a coming of age story that depicts the growth of four sisters in Civil War era America. The story is told through the eyes of aspiring writer Jo, a tomboy who has trouble fitting into the narrow role allowed to women at the time. The director presented a vision for a play that celebrates girlhood and explores main character Jo's growth as an artist.

Because the story of Little Women has been told multiple times, audiences were familiar with the story, particularly recent film versions. The challenge was to devise a campaign that positioned the play as a self-contained work rather than a derivative of Greta Gerwig's film remake. The aim was to introduce a new generation to this timeless coming of age story, and to signal a fresh take on May Alcott's beloved novel. As ad campaigns for previous versions of Little Women depicted the girls as passive ladies in waiting, I created a campaign that depicted the main characters as, playful, active creators and artists engaging with the audience.

There is power in the act of creation. In a world where women are forced into the margins of society, the March sisters find escape by crafting a world of their own.

We crafted an engaging campaign that depicted all four main characters in the process of creating art, with the copy "Create your own world". Having the characters create their own ad and artwork title immediately signaled agency, and the perspective made for attention-grabbing outdoor advertising. The coloring as well as hair and makeup celebrate often ridiculed aspects of girlhood (lace, braids, curls), placing it unapologetically front and center. The bright neon brushed type and the positioning of the actors (looking down onto a canvas and straight into the camera) depicts the girls as strong actors forging their own path, rather than delicate flowers beholden to others.