How do you tell the story of a new realm of possibility?

Phantom Syntopia is the bespoke creation by the phenomenal but complementary worlds of Rolls-Royce and Iris van Herpen.

We brought to life the transcendental state of being that emerges when the two worlds collide in harmonious symbiosis. We’re immensely proud of the whole team who brought the magic of Syntopia to life and to delve deeper into the thinking behind this beautiful new piece, we sat down with Emily Drake, Associate Creative Director of RANKIN CREATIVE to share her experience from leading the project.

Can you discuss any specific moments or aspects of the campaign that were particularly challenging or rewarding for you?

Rolls-Royce are the masters of creating colour palettes beyond your wildest imagination. The Phantom Syntopia’s exterior was no exception. The bespoke ‘liquid noir’ took over 3,000 hours of research and development to create. The result is otherworldly. You walk past Phantom Syntopia and the colour of the exterior constantly changes. From purple to gold to magenta then blue.

I know what you’re thinking, this will be a nightmare to shoot?

Not when you have experts in their field behind the camera. Luckily we had Rankin. This was my first shoot with him and it was amazing to experience his ability to look at such an intimidating subject and light it with ease. After the shoot we all felt like we had attended a masterclass in lighting.

What were some of the key design and stylistic elements that you wanted to incorporate into the campaign?

The campaign demonstrates the transcendental state of being that emerges when the two phenomenal but complementary worlds of Rolls-Royce and Iris van Herpen come together in harmonious symbiosis. It was paramount to demonstrate the concept of symbiosis so within the film there are moments you don’t know where the dress ends and the bespoke detailing begins to highlight the two worlds coming together.

What was your personal experience like working on the Iris Van Herpen and Rolls Royce Syntopia creative campaign?

There are not many opportunities where you get to create a campaign for a bespoke one-of-one piece of art. This was a trifecta career highlight.This project involved the world’s most luxurious motor car brand, the world’s most ground-breaking haute couture fashion designer and Rankin himself was the director and photographer of this campaign. I feel incredibly humbled and proud to have worked on this.

A huge round of applause to our RANKIN CREATIVE and True Black team for making this happen. Watch the full film below.