"LADRON DE MANZANAS" UNDER CANDELA's LENS

Mauricio Candela
Jan 11, 2020
4 min read

Updated: Aug 11

The cider, the fox, and the creative lens

When it comes to capturing a brand’s personality through photography, few assignments are as energizing as working with a product like Ladron de Manzanas. Popular in Spain, this apple cider drink from Heineken is more than just a beverage—it’s a visual and emotional experience. With its playful branding and eclectic audience, Ladron de Manzanas presents a unique storytelling opportunity.

In 2019, I was selected by the Spanish agency Sra. Rushmore to direct and shoot the still photography for their new digital campaign for the brand. Over two intense but exhilarating days, we created a library of lifestyle imagery and content for social media, digital platforms, and advertising assets.

This campaign became a perfect example of how color, character, and composition come together to reinforce a brand’s identity—and how a strong creative team can transform tight timelines into successful execution.

Setting the tone: visual identity through color

Ladron de Manzanas (which translates to “apple thief”) is as much about personality as it is about product. The brand stands out with a playful, rebellious attitude that’s reflected in its name, logo (a fox), and overall vibe.

One of the first creative goals was to capture this character through a distinct color palette. The brand’s reds, greens, and warm neutrals weren’t just a guideline—they were central to the storytelling. Every wardrobe selection, background element, and prop was carefully curated to echo this palette, creating harmony across the campaign’s visuals.

In today’s digital ecosystem, visual consistency matters more than ever. Scroll through Instagram or a landing page, and audiences instantly connect with brands that speak a clear visual language. This campaign embraced that truth and pushed it forward.

The team behind the camera

Creative projects like this one succeed not just because of great ideas, but because of flawless teamwork. Sra. Rushmore brought a sharp creative strategy and a deep understanding of the brand. Their direction was clear, collaborative, and open to exploration.

On the production side, Timing Produccion Grafica assembled a crew of talented stylists, producers, set designers, and assistants. Every team member understood the goal: bring the spirit of Ladron de Manzanas to life without over-polishing or staging it beyond recognition.

This spirit of collaborative agility became critical. We had to generate a large volume of material—think dozens of unique setups, models, and compositions—across multiple environments, all in just two days. That meant planning carefully but also staying loose enough to adapt and move quickly.

Candid storytelling through lifestyle photography

For a product like apple cider, especially one associated with youth, fun, and spontaneity, the photography needed to feel real and relatable. This wasn’t about studio lighting or picture-perfect table setups—it was about capturing people in real moments, enjoying life, laughing, lounging, sipping, and socializing.

This is the kind of photography I love: lifestyle imagery that prioritizes emotion and authenticity. I focused on natural light, handheld shots, and letting the models interact with each other, rather than posing them rigidly.

We shot in environments that felt like real places people would enjoy a cider—urban rooftops, casual indoor gatherings, and open-air spaces. These settings allowed us to build believable narratives and invite the audience into each scene.

Shooting for digital platforms: the smart asset strategy

From a technical perspective, this wasn’t just about taking beautiful photographs. The assets we created needed to function across multiple formats: Instagram carousels, Facebook ads, landing pages, digital banners, and more.

That meant paying attention to negative space for text overlays, ensuring we had vertical and square formats, and shooting alternate takes with different compositions. We also captured loop-friendly footage and short stop-motion sequences to give the brand additional tools for social storytelling.

Working in today’s advertising world means thinking beyond the image—it’s about versatility. Every frame we created was a potential piece of content for multiple touchpoints.

A brand, a fox, and a moment to remember

At the heart of the Ladron de Manzanas campaign is the fox—the visual emblem of the “thief” that represents the brand. It’s playful, curious, and quick on its feet—just like the shoot.

While the campaign required focus and discipline, it also left space for improvisation and instinct, two qualities that fuel my personal approach to commercial work. Whether we were adjusting a prop, repositioning a model, or catching a burst of laughter mid-frame, the energy on set was contagious.

And that’s something you can’t fake: the real joy of creation, which hopefully comes through in every image.

Next time you’re in Spain…

If you find yourself in Madrid, Barcelona, or anywhere else in Spain, look for the fox. Pick up a bottle of Ladron de Manzanas and enjoy it the way we imagined it—cool, casual, and surrounded by good company.

Photography has the power to connect products to people. And this campaign is a reminder that even a bottle of cider, when approached creatively, can become the hero of a story worth telling.