process Archives

What It Takes to Make Summer in March: Inside the Starbucks Summer Shoot

A look at the production decisions, agency collaboration, and on-set problem solving behind a multi-day food and lifestyle campaign.

Some shoots start with a simple creative ask. Then production turns that ask into a real-world plan.

For the Starbucks Summer shoot, the goal was clear: capture the new summer drinks menu and make it feel warm, bright, and inviting. The campaign, created with Leo Burnett and photographed/directed by Suech and Beck, centred on one familiar idea: that first sip feeling.

That sounds easy enough until you remember this was Canada in March.

The production took place over three days, from March 25 to 27, across multiple locations. The team shot at a Starbucks store at York Mills, Les Mills, outdoors in King City, and at Suech and Beck Studio. The work sat between food and lifestyle, which meant the final images needed to do two things at once. The drinks had to look fresh, and the world around them had to feel like summer.

A bright Starbucks Summer campaign image featuring a pink Refreshers drink, warm outdoor light, and seasonal beverage storytelling.

Pink Starbucks Refreshers summer drink held under a green patio umbrella with “Your summer, Your Refreshers” campaign copy.

From Agency Brief to Production Plan

When an agency brings a photographer or director into a campaign, the creative is already carrying a lot of strategy.

In this case, Leo Burnett had a clear campaign need: introduce the Starbucks summer drinks menu in a way that felt seasonal, sensory, and easy to understand. From there, the production team had to translate that idea into locations, crew, timing, talent support, usage needs, and a shoot structure that could actually work.

That is where production becomes more than logistics.

A strong production partner protects the creative idea while building the conditions to make it happen. That includes bidding, pre-planning, scheduling, crew sourcing, location planning, permits, on-set support, licensing and usage guidance, post coordination, and final delivery.

Each piece matters because each piece affects the final image.

If the schedule feels rushed, talent looks tense. If the location does not support the season, the frame breaks. If the food styling does not hold, the drink loses its appeal. Good production catches those problems early, so the final work can feel effortless.

Smiling woman holding a colourful Starbucks summer drink outside a café with “Me-time summer” campaign copy.

The Challenge: Make -20°C Feel Like Summer

The biggest challenge on this Starbucks Summer shoot was weather.

The outdoor scenes had to suggest heat, ease, and warm seasonal energy. Meanwhile, the crew was working in roughly -20°C conditions. That meant every frame needed to hide the reality of the day.

Bare trees could not give away the season. Winter textures had to stay out of frame. Talent needed to look relaxed in summer wardrobe. Drinks had to feel refreshing, not absurdly out of place.

So the team had to solve the problem shot by shot.

They composed frames to avoid winter tells. They used warm light and careful blocking to hold the summer mood. They also kept heaters and hand warmers close on the outdoor location day, so talent could reset between takes.

That kind of work rarely shows up in the final campaign. However, it is exactly what makes the final campaign believable.

Why Food and Lifestyle Shoots Need Both Control and Flexibility

Food and beverage work depends on details. The product needs to look precise, but the moment around it still needs to feel natural.

For this campaign, the drinks were the hero. Still, the story was not only about the menu. It was about how the drink fits into a summer day.

That is why the lifestyle layer matters. A hand reaching for a cup, a face reacting to the first sip, or a warm location cue can carry the feeling faster than copy. These details help the viewer understand the product through mood, not just information.

At the same time, lifestyle work needs room to breathe. The best frame may come from a small reaction, a shift in body language, or a moment between takes. A good production plan creates enough structure for the team to stay on schedule, while leaving enough space for those human details to happen.

What Brands and Agencies Can Take Away

The biggest lesson is simple: the final image is only one part of the work.

A campaign like this depends on alignment between the agency, creative team, production, styling, locations, crew, and post. Everyone has to protect the same feeling.

For brands and agencies, this matters because seasonal campaigns often happen out of season. Summer gets shot in winter. Holiday gets shot in August. Outdoor warmth gets built in cold weather. The production team has to know how to create the illusion without making the final work feel fake.

The Starbucks Summer shoot is a good example of that balance. The creative asked for warmth. The production reality delivered cold. The team still built a world that felt bright, inviting, and easy to step into.

That is the job: make the strategy feel natural.

Key Takeaways

A simple campaign idea still needs a detailed production plan.
Agency collaboration works best when creative goals are clear early.
Seasonal work often requires hiding the real conditions on set.
Food and lifestyle campaigns need both polish and human energy.
Production support protects the creative from bid to delivery.

Credits

Photographer/Director: Suech and Beck
Agency: Leo Burnett
Producer: Lindsey Rebeiro
Line Producer: Jacob Locking
Food Stylist: Melanie Stuparyk
Hair/MUA: Grace Lee
Prop/Set: Christina Yan
Wardrobe: Jillian Vieira
Production: United Assembly
Equipment: Ontario Camera

Need production support for a food, lifestyle, or seasonal campaign? Explore United Assembly’s roster and get in touch to build the right team for the brief.

Meet the Roster: Shayd Johnson

Meet Shayd Johnson, a Vancouver-based photographer working across lifestyle, food, travel, and automotive. His images feel candid, vibrant, and curious. They also carry a clear sense of time and place, which gives the work its staying power.

Instead of over-polishing a frame after the shoot, Shayd Johnson focuses on making strong choices in the moment. He watches the light, reads the room, and builds images that already feel honest before they ever reach the edit. As a result, his work keeps its texture, energy, and human edge.

Design also shapes the way he sees. Interior design, graphic design, advertisements, and branding all inform his eye. Because of that, his photographs often carry the same feeling as good design: balance, clarity, intention, and a sense that every detail belongs.

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
– Wayne Gretzky, Michael Scott, and Shayd Johnson

Below is a quick-fire intro to Shayd Johnson in his own words, plus a few notes on what makes his work land.

The Shayd Johnson Quick-Fire

Where are you based?

Vancouver.

Where should people find you?

Website: www.xshaydx.com
Instagram: @shayd_johnson

What do you want to be hired for most right now?

Lifestyle, food + travel, automotive.

Three words that describe your work?

Candid. Vibrant. Curious.

What are you always chasing in an image?

Something that feels timeless, but also relative to a time and place.

How do you keep the work feeling human, not overworked?

I don’t spend a ton of time perfecting things on the computer. I try to craft good images in the moment that don’t need lots of polishing.

What inspires you outside of photography?

Design. That includes interior design, graphic design, advertisements, and branding. I deep dive into those areas and look for ways to create images that give me the same feeling I get when I see good design.

What’s one thing you bring to a production that’s underrated?

I know when to capture things outside the shot list. I also trust my gut when I see a better shot or a spontaneous opportunity.

What are you learning or unlearning right now?

I’m learning to embrace the technical side of photography more. That means dialing in settings, workflow, lighting, and production so I can adapt to different styles of shoots.

Your go-to reset when you’re stuck?

Shooting film.

What we love about Shayd’s approach

Great work does not always come from bigger production. Often, it comes from better decisions. Shayd notices what happens just outside the plan, then follows the moment when it leads somewhere stronger.

That instinct matters on set. A shot list gives a project structure, but the best images often come from staying open. Shayd brings that mix of preparation and curiosity to his work, which helps the final images feel alive instead of over-managed.

His portfolio also shows a strong human thread. For example, he rarely says no to travel assignments. He feels drawn to off-grid communities, remote places, and people who build their lives outside expected systems. That curiosity gives his work depth, even when the subject is product, place, or performance.

For brands, agencies, and design teams, that point of view is valuable. Shayd can hold a concept, but he can also stay flexible when a better frame appears. His images feel polished enough for commercial use, while still keeping the spontaneity that makes people stop and look.

Select clients

Shayd has worked with brands and publishers including Mercedes-Benz Canada, Chevrolet, Meta, Huckberry, Verizon, Destination British Columbia, MEC, ON Running, Condé Nast Traveller, and more.

Follow along

Explore the full portfolio on the UA roster page, and follow @shayd_johnson for recent work and behind-the-scenes. If you’re casting for a project and want a photographer with a candid eye, strong design instincts, and a flexible approach on set, Shayd Johnson is one to know.

United Assembly, Reintroduced

Do Good Work.

If you’re familiar with United Assembly, you already know the vibe: calm sets, clear communication, and great work delivered properly. If you’re new here, welcome. This is our rebrand; a sharpened version of what’s been true from day one.

United Assembly started five years ago in a moment that didn’t feel “perfect” at all. I was working at another agency when the owner decided to close. Overnight, the future went fuzzy. With encouragement and support from that same owner, I made the call to start my own agency and give it a real shot.

The first year? “Scary, uncertain, yet exciting.” I launched during COVID, when everything felt like a question mark and everyone was figuring it out in real time. My sink-or-swim mindset with the momentum and relationships I’d already built, helped UA hit the ground running and kept showing up, even when the industry was shifting under everyone’s feet.

One early moment made it click: shortly after UA formally launched, a large client requested a quote on a project. Negotiations, budget sign-off, the whole thing. That moment of “Wow, this is really happening on my own!” is still a defining memory.

That’s the spirit that built UA: No hype or noise. Consistency. Taste. Follow-through. With genuine love for the people behind the work.

Why now?

To put it plainly: The brand presence did not match the experience.

People were familiar with UA. People had worked with UA. But there was a disconnect between the quality of our work and UA’s visibility online and elsewhere.

The goal of our rebrand is alignment. A more impactful and cohesive identity across all platforms. A website that gives a clearer message about how we work and what we offer. A space that gives our roster the spotlight they deserve.

The first 10 seconds on our new site should tell you this: Our main focus is execution, with transparency and consistency throughout the production process. That is what we are known for and is the foundation of UA’s evolution.

What changed?

You’ll feel the change right away: Our logo is bolder. Our voice is clearer. Our online presence reimagined, placing the work center stage where it ought to be.

But what we’re most proud of is something less visual and more foundational: the language. We’re keeping it simple. No fluff. No smoke and mirrors. Our rebrand makes it clear, UA stands behind what we put out into the world and we are serious about how we run projects.

This matters more than ever because the industry has changed. Budgets are shrinking while expectations remain high. The only way to protect the work is to find the balance between delivering a great end product and being realistic about what’s possible.

UA is built for that reality. We make things clear early, so projects run smoothly later. Our goal is not just beautiful work, but also an enjoyable process that people want to repeat.

What this means for artists

United Assembly is a representation model rooted in relationships. Our rebrand is meant to unlock more visibility for the artists we represent, and in turn, more opportunities.

Our aim is that clients search for us across platforms and immediately see consistency. Our work looks cohesive. Our roster feels intentional. Our presence is strong enough that it creates momentum, not just recognition.

But visibility is not the only thing that matters. Representation only works when it’s built on trust. For UA, the most important thing is that our artists feel supported and heard. Trust and transparency are non-negotiable. That is the foundation of a successful artist-rep relationship and remains the basis of how UA operates.

Word of mouth will always be powerful and is still one-way projects come in. However, the industry isn’t local anymore; brands and agencies move globally, teams are distributed. Having a consistent online presence gives potential clients a clearer glimpse into what we offer and our artists a stronger platform that travels.

What this means for clients

If you’ve been on the brand side, you know that production stress rarely comes from one big dramatic issue. It usually comes from smaller misalignments stacking up.

UA solve manage our client’s stress with a “no-surprises” attitude to production. Sure, unforeseen elements always happen. Weather changes. Products arrive late. Locations throw curveballs. But our job is to have hard conversations early, so you are not dealing with them when time and money are most critical.

We operate with the big picture in mind, and we try to get ahead of issues before they become problems. That’s how UA protects the creative and keep the process calm.

UA Reps are there to facilitate details and be a constant point of contact for both the artist and the client. That means fewer dropped threads, faster decisions, cleaner approvals, and a smoother day for everyone. It also means the artist can stay focused on what they do best, instead of juggling admin while also trying to deliver at the highest level.

As UA grows, our focus is also expanding beyond local work. Brands shoot everywhere and agencies operate across time zones. We are pushing ourselves to expand our network internationally with globally used campaigns in both stills and motion.

UA and our artists thrive on creative collaboration with clients, the freedom and trust to explore possibilities together is a powerful process.

A new age for UA

This rebrand is not just a visual update, we are entering a new era with greater clarity and intention. UA is a place for people to gather and enjoy the process leading up to the shoot, as well as the shoot itself. Same message, just with a bolder appearance.

Over the next little while, you’ll see us show up more consistently. Not louder just more present.

Here’s what to watch for:

Greater engagement and more behind-the-scenes insight into how projects come together
A blog built for creatives and brands, with helpful quick reads
A newsletter that keeps you in the loop on roster updates, projects, and what we’re tracking in visual culture
Increased visibility for our artists through features, spotlights, and storytelling that gives context to the work

This new era for UA has been a long time in the making, seeing it out in the world is extremely exciting and rewarding.

Who the new UA is for

The new UA is for people who want to work with a company that believes in fairness and executing to the highest ability.

If you’re a creative, we’re here to advocate for your work, protect your time, and help you show up in the right lane with clarity.

If you’re a brand, agency, or design team, we’re here to make production feel steady. We’ll help you match the right talent, lock the details early, and deliver exceptional work that feels human, intentional, and properly handled.

If you’re building something and you want to do it right, we’d love to hear what you’re making.

Do Good Work. We’ll handle the rest.
Lindsey & the UA team

What United Assembly Does (And How We Work)

United Assembly is built on taste, relationships, and intentional creative work. We represent a curated roster of photographers and directors and we support the production behind the work so it lands cleanly in the real world.

1) We represent talent with intention

UA isn’t trying to be everything for everyone. We’re building a roster that’s distinct, consistent, and culturally fluent. We look for artists who can hold a concept, execute under pressure, and still make the work feel alive. Curation is the point. It protects quality, clarity, and the kind of long-term partnerships we care about.

2) We support production end-to-end

Great work isn’t just a final image, it’s the chain of decisions that gets you there. UA helps align the brief, match the right artist to the right job, and bring structure to the moving parts: timelines, crew, usage/licensing clarity, approvals, and delivery. When the system is strong, the creative stays free.

3) We care about follow-through as much as taste

Taste gets attention. Follow-through builds trust. We keep communication clear, scope clean, and details protected because that’s what makes shoots feel calm and what makes clients come back. The goal is simple: work that feels effortless on the outside because it was handled properly on the inside.

Conclusion

UA exists to champion artists and make production feel steady so the work can stay human, intentional, and culturally relevant.

If you’re building a campaign, launching a product, or planning a shoot: tell us what you’re making and we’ll match the right talent and support the process.

The 10-Minute Pre-Production Checklist That Saves a Shoot

Most production issues don’t begin on set. They begin in the brief, the timeline, or the tiny decisions that get postponed until they become expensive. If you want a shoot day that feels calm (and results that feel intentional), this is the 10-minute checklist we run before the cameras come out.

1) Lock the “why” before the “what”

Before you talk lighting or references, lock the purpose. “We need content” isn’t a goal. “We need six images for paid social plus one hero for web by Friday” is. When the goal is clear, every creative choice becomes easier: you know what the images should feel like, what they need to do, and what decisions matter most.

2) Define deliverables and usage like you mean it

Deliverables aren’t just a number. They’re formats, crops, timelines, and expectations. And usage matters because it shapes everything from scope to licensing to approvals. Organic social for two weeks is not the same as a paid campaign across multiple markets for a year. When usage is fuzzy, budgets get messy and timelines get tight. Clarity keeps the relationship clean.

3) Run the checklist that prevents chaos

Here’s the part that saves the day:

Post plan (delivery, revisions, versioning)
Goal (one sentence) + what the work should feel like
Deliverables (counts + formats + deadlines)
Usage (channels + paid/organic + territory + duration)
References (6–10 images + what you’re taking from each)
Approvals (day-to-day + final decision maker)
Schedule (call time, key setups, breaks, wrap + buffer)
Location realities (access, power, restrictions, weather backup)
Product/props/wardrobe (confirm arrivals + backups)
Shot list (must-haves vs nice-to-haves)

Conclusion

The best shoots feel effortless because the chaos was removed early. Ten minutes of clear planning protects the creative, the budget, and the people doing the work. Calm isn’t luck, it’s pre-pro.

Have a project coming up? Inquire with UA to align the right talent and build a production plan that stays calm from brief to delivery.