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How Jennifer Aniston’s LolaVie brand grew sales 40% with CTV ads
The DTC beauty category is crowded. To break through, Jennifer Aniston’s brand LolaVie, worked with Roku Ads Manager to easily set up, test, and optimize CTV ad creatives. The campaign helped drive a big lift in sales and customer growth, helping LolaVie break through in the crowded beauty category.
This is for the ~25% of you who run or work at agencies - but, earlier this week, I listened to EP597 of the DTC Podcast, with Jon Bond.
If you listened, let me know what you think.
We just wrapped a full-day shoot for one of our clients — more than a dozen SKUs, a model, professional studio, props sourced, shot list locked two days out.
It went well. But only because we did the work before we walked into the studio.
Most brands wing it. Informal shot list. No pre-shoot call. They assume the photographer handles everything.
You don't get a do-over on a shoot day.
Here's exactly how we prepare. Bookmark this one for your next shoot.
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👋 Hey, I’m Brandon Blum. I’m the Founder and Managing Partner at New Edition - a Brooklyn-based creative agency for emerging consumer brands.
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STEP 1 (& most important)
Build Your Shot List
The shot list is your script. Without it, you’re paying a photographer, model, stylist, etc. to stand around while you waste precious time figuring things out on the fly.
For every shot on your list:
Include a reference photo
Add product URL (if available)
Add a “Shot Type” (ie: Flat Lay, Lifestyle, Application, etc.)
Name the shot what you want the photographer to name the file upon hand-off.
Pro Tip: On shoot day, cross off the shots as you go. This mitigates the chances you end up forgetting a shot here or a shot there.
👇 HOW DOES A FREE AD CREATIVE SOUND?👇
STEP 2
Cast The Right Model
Casting matters. The model should look like your target customer.
Do their hands, feet, or skin match the person actually buying your product? It's not about aesthetics — it's about trust. A customer scrolling Amazon needs to see themselves in the listing.
Also: think about what the camera will catch up close. Nails, skin condition, hair — these details matter. For our shoot, we confirmed the model's nails were shoot-ready ahead of time. Backup plan in place either way.
Why this matters: Customers buy when they see themselves in the product. If your model doesn’t match your buyer, even great photography won’t close the gap.
STEP 3
Lock in Shoot Logistics Beforehand
The week before the shoot, we send the client a single document with everything in one place:
Studio address + arrival instructions (including parking, how to enter the building, etc.
Props list, flagged by priority
Full team contact sheet: photographer, model, client-side contacts, and a group chat created before the day
Shoot schedule with hourly time blocks
Post-shoot timeline (when they’ll get the photo sheet, when selects are due back)
This sounds simple. Most brands don’t do it. Then someone shows up to the wrong entrance, the wrong time, or nobody brings the props.
Why this matters: Shoot days are expensive. One logistics doc costs nothing to put together and eliminates the single biggest source of day-of friction.
STEP 4
Plan the Post-Production Timeline
Don’t nail the shoot and then have no plan / timeline for what happens next. Everyone needs to be on the same page coming out of the shoot, as well.
Before we shoot a single frame, we’ve already defined:
How many final assets we’re expected to get
What the selects process looks like — client gets a photo sheet, marks their picks, adds retouch notes
Hard deadlines — photo sheet delivered by when, selects due back by when, final assets by when
Why this matters: The shoot is only half the job. A defined pipeline turns a shoot into a launch and keep all stakeholders on the same page.
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IN SUMMARY
A well-prepped shoot day doesn’t feel chaotic. It feels boring. Which is actually exactly what you want.
Here’s the photoshoot prep playbook:
Build a detailed shot list for EVERY shot
Cast talent that looks like your customer
Send a single logistics doc to the full team the week before
Define your post-production pipeline before, not after
Need help building out your next shoot, or want to talk through what a creative refresh looks like for your brand?
Respond to this email or reach me directly at [email protected].
Until next week ✌️
