The loveliest bodies appear out of the blue with Nivea’s new bathroom extension.
Bathe yourself in blue with new Nivea Foam Bath.
Soak it up slowly. Luxuriously.
Shower yourself in blue with new Nivea Shower Gel.
Freshness on tap.
Create pure clouds with Nivea talcum powder in its new soft bottle.
Cleanse and care for your skin with Nivea Soap.
Now gently perfumed.
Look for the new blue packs.
Because lovely skin is something that comes out of the blue.
Sensual, captivating, and with the signature Nivea blue, the Nivea: Now in Tubs campaign was shot in the early 80s and, on the surface, looks like a simple shot to capture.
After all, it’s just a model sitting on the edge of a bathtub, right?
Behind the scenes, however, a different story is told. For every single glossy print in a magazine, there are thousands of negatives that didn’t make the cut.
The model, who was flown in from Paris, posed in various positions from full frontals to rear shots.
The final rear shot was decided for a couple of reasons. First, she was deemed to have knees too knobbly for the camera! It was thought that they might have proved too much of a distraction for the viewer.
Second, it came down to budget. The model charged £1,100 for a front view (which was a considerable sum in the 80s), while a rear shot was a mere £700.
Then there was the lighting to think about, because the tones achieved in a final shot are rarely created from a happy accident.
In this case, a diffuser and a black net were used on the lens to soften the face, particularly around the eyes.
Then a fishfryer (a large overhead soft light) was installed just above and behind the camera. What you also don’t see is that the model is holding a white reflector at chest height to bounce light up and onto her face.
The result is a stunning, ethereal-like image that emphasizes the soft contours of the back, the sculptural poise of the pose, and the quiet intimacy that became the signature of “Nivea Now in Tubs.”
It’s amazing how many tricks were used to get the right effect. While digital editing was around in the 80s, it was still in its infancy and very, very basic. As such, the magic had to happen either in the studio or the darkroom.
This meant every detail of lighting, composition, and shot angle had to be precise.
The model had to be right, too. Multiple face tests and castings took place to find the “one.” And, if a model had to be flown in from Paris, then so be it.
And while one face might not be suitable for a current campaign, it may have been perfect for the next one.
Even when humans weren’t used for a campaign, the challenges remained.
For the Nivea: Peaches and Cream shoot, finding the most aesthetically pleasing arrangement was one matter, but sourcing the right peaches proved to be the real issue.
Crates of the fruit were flown in specially from California and New Zealand, but even they missed the mark. Eventually, plastic display fruit was used. Plus, the plastic had the bonus of not spoiling or getting bruised!
The Nivea images remain among my favorites from my Dad’s extensive archive. Knobbly knees or not, I think we can all agree that the model is stunning and was the perfect choice for this campaign.
