A Case Study: University of Oxford Saïd Business School

The Brief: Consistent, Seamless, High-End Global Portrait Photography Across Six Global Cities

When the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School launched its ‘Impact from Within’ platform, it needed a compelling suite of portrait photography to support the storytelling of their alumni case studies. The images had to be premium, editorial in tone, and aligned with a refined academic brand identity.

The challenge? Delivering consistent, high-quality lifestyle portraits in six international locations, without flying out their in-house team, and within budget and timeframe.

The Requirement: On-Brand Portraits With Global Consistency.

The brief called for:

• Cut-out and in-situ portraits suitable for digital and print media.
• Clean, uncluttered backgrounds with just a hint of place, allowing for flexibility in post-production.
• Lighting and framing are consistent across all images, ensuring a unified visual identity.
• Portraits that reflect confidence, sophistication, and understatement, aligned with the Oxford brand.

Importantly, subjects were to be photographed in their real working environments, where possible, to enhance the authenticity of each narrative, while maintaining a neutral backdrop to avoid visual distraction or branding conflicts.

The Execution: Multi-City Photography With Local Talent.

Global Assignments Agency coordinated and commissioned six top-tier editorial portrait photographers, each based in a key location:

• London
• Johannesburg
• Washington D.C.
• Los Angeles
• Brussels
• Gothenburg

Each photographer worked to a shared brief, with detailed visual guidelines and lighting instructions. The result? A unified global photography library that looks as though it was shot by a single creative team, meticulously executed with local expertise.

The Result: A Cohesive Visual Identity for a Global Institution.

We delivered a polished, ready-to-use asset bank of portraits that:

• Supported the storytelling behind Saïd Business School’s Impact from Within campaign.
• Maintained visual and tonal consistency across continents.
• Met the brand’s academic, understated style requirements without compromise.

This case study demonstrates the power of experienced global photography coordination and the benefits of working with a seasoned agency that understands how to deliver both creativity and consistency at scale.

Why Clients Choose Global Assignments Agency for Global Brand Shoots?

At Global Assignments, we go beyond sourcing photographers; we strategically manage and curate global shoots. Our deep network of commercial photographers and videographers spans over 100 cities worldwide, allowing us to match the right talent with the right brief, every time.

Clients trust us for:

• Multi-country campaign management
• Consistent visual output across locations
• Efficient, on-brand production, without flying teams abroad
• Decades of industry insight and creative direction

International Photography Campaigns, Delivered with Precision.

Whether you’re commissioning photography in five cities or fifty, we make sure your brand looks, feels, and communicates consistently, wherever your stories unfold.

Planning a Global Photography Campaign?

Let’s talk. Whether you're a university, a global brand, or have a local story to tell, we can help you tell your story through powerful, professional imagery, delivered seamlessly across borders.

A well-deserved shout out!

To Global Assignments for their patience and professionalism on this global project for Saïd Business School, working with a number of amazing business leaders.
The work of these photographers now hangs proudly in the business school to continue to inspire students and visitors, with more to share soon from this installation!

Isabelle Leach

Account Manager, Bray Leino