PHOTOGRAPHY PHILOSOPHY

Food is our most important asset. Domino's photography is one of the biggest touch points and opportunities to do it justice. Here at Domino's, we don't think our inspired pizza needs the extra things typically done to food at photo shoots to look mouthwatering. Our pizza is good enough to stand on its own.
 

Craveably Imperfectly Real. Imperfections create authenticity, add drama, and capture interest – making the imagery more appetizing.

Incorporate lifestyle by showing where Domino's is authentically enjoyed. Demonstrate our dedication to quality ingredients by making them the hero.
Transparency creates trust by paying tribute to our hardworking teams and Calling attention to our fresh-made food.
 
 

WHAT IS CRAVEABLY, IMPERFECTLY REAL?

This phrase contains three words that help set the guardrails for judging whether an asset is “right” or “wrong” for the brand. A good rule of thumb is to make sure an image checks not just 1 or 2 of the words, but all 3. If a photo seems “imperfectly real” but not “craveable”, for instance, it might mean that it is TOO realistic and
imperfect with grease stains, bubbles, leaky sauce – which is hurting the image from being deliciously craveworthy. If a photo is “craveably imperfect” but doesn’t feel “real” then it means we might have over-stylized or over art-directed the food to feel inauthentic, staged, and fake.
EXAMPLES OF CRAVEABLY, IMPERFECTLY REALS
Imperfections make food recognizable to what customers actually get when they order in the real world, making the imagery more craveable and appetizing. Imperfections create photographic settings that are honest, relatable and real.
 
Color variations, light topping imperfections, and crispy edges all make the product more natural and authentic.
Product should not look messy or sloppy (reduce grease spots to feel real to where pizza would touch the box, but not gross).
We will usually show products in boxes, as the customer would receive it and serve it. (Occasionally we can plate things like sides and desserts, products that might be plated in real life).
Minimal product styling, all made with real ingredients and no food styling stunts.
Open dipping cups, sauce drips, and red pepper fl akes open and spilled out feel natural but not sloppy or unappetizing.
Crumbs feel real and authentic, minimize grease so it feels natural but not unappetizing.
Adding lifestyle/hands/shadows to imagery allows the photography to tell more of a story, allowing the customers to put themselves into the shots.

 

WHAT IT IS
  • Minimal product styling, all made with real ingredients and no food styling stunts
  • Color variations, light topping imperfections, and crispy edges all make the product more natural and authentic
  • Photographic settings that are honest, relatable and real
  • Products in boxes, or plated like they would be in real life
  • Adding lifestyle/hands/shadows to imagery allows the photography to tell more of a story, allowing the customer to put themselves into the shot
WHAT IT'S NOT
  • Heavy-handed product styling with inedible tricks/food styling "hacks"
  • Messy or sloppy (reduce grease spots to feel real to where pizza would touch the box, but not gross)
  • Overstyled tables, high-end tablewear with perfect, staged arrangements and lighting
  • Unbelieveably perfect product or packaging
  • Void of humanity. There is no pizza with a pizza-eater

FOOD STYLING PHILOSOPHYY

All Domino's food styling will consider the new set principles for food photography. A great food stylist manufactures a moment of imperfection to feel authentic and beautiful.
They help ingredients to feel fresh, bright, full of energy and personality, and ultimately exemplify great quality.

In an effort to maintain authenticity, our practices remain that our food should still be edible at the end of a shoot. Styling consists of small embellishments to real ingredients.

PHOTOGRAPHY SETTINGS GUIDELINES

The setting in each photo should feel authentic and real. Places you would naturally see Domino's pizza, such as backyards, home kitchens, parks, and Domino's kitchens.
Only approved images from the Domino's library should be used on all digital and print mediums.

Places where Domino's is enjoyed are great locations or backgrounds for photo shoots.

HOME SETTING (KITCHEN, LIVING ROOM, ETC)
Home Settings should be simple and not distract from the overall image. Countertops/ tabletops and background elements such as cabinets should not distract from the hero product and only add to the context of the home environment.
 
PROPS FOR SETTINGS AND BACKGROUNDS
Props should feel simple and not distracting to the overall image, only to add context to the scene (ie, home dinner table, backyard dinner party, etc). In a home setting, the product should be shown in a cardboard box. If the image is in-store, then peels and steel pizza screens are appropriate.
 
Domino's Dipping Sauces, Red Pepper Flakes, and Parmesan are great propping options.
WARDROBES FOR SETTINGS & BACKGROUNDS
Wardrobe should not be distracting to the image. Neutral colors such as white and gray are viable options. Wardrobe should add to the setting and background.
 
Adding Domino's hero colors into the wardrobe is a great subtle way to introduce branding while not distracting from the overall image.

PHOTOGRAPHY BEST PRACTICES

Below are a few best practices for Domino's food photography.
 

BLURRING BACKGROUNDS
All backgrounds should be blurred to avoid creating distractions.
PRODUCT IN BOXES VS. NO BOXES
If the shot is in a home setting, the products should be in their respective delivery packaging. Certain items, such as the Marbled Cookie Brownie, can be plated on a Ceramic plate. Any side menu items such as Bread Twists and Stuffed Cheesy Bread may be taken out of the cardboard box and placed on a baking sheet.

 

CROPPING OF IMAGES
Each food item on the table should be within frame and positioned to be the hero of the scene. Minimal cropping of food items is allowed. Framing should not crop more than 50% of the food. All additional propping and hands should be positioned away from the center main area of focus.
HANDS VS. NO HANDS
When in a home setting, hands should be in the frame about to grab a piece of food. Hands can be reaching in to grab a bread twist or grabbing a slice of pizza.
GOOD GREASE
Small placements of grease sporadically placed where it does not make the box look gross.
BAD GREASE
Too much grease spots will lead to the box feeling gross. No large spots of grease and weird smears.

PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDELINES

When using imagery of food in any branded material, use only Domino's food photography

Get approved Domino’s Food Photography.
FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY KIT:
CARRYOUT SPECIAL
CRUST VARIETY
MIX & MATCH
PRODUCT SHOTS
WEEKLONG CARRYOUT

 

APPROVED PHOTOGRAPH LIBRARY
NO HANDS
  • Mix & Match: Medium Hand Tossed Pizza (Pepperoni & Green Pepper), Salad (Garden), Marbled Cookie Brownie, Specialty Chicken (Crispy Bacon Tomato), Oven Baked Sandwich (Mediterranean Veggie), Bread Twists (Parmesan), Pasta (Primavera), Stuffed Cheesy Bread (Cheese)
WITH HANDS VER. 1
  • Mix & Match: Medium Hand Tossed Pizza (Pepperoni & Green Pepper), Salad (Garden), Marbled Cookie Brownie, Specialty Chicken (Crispy Bacon Tomato), Oven Baked Sandwich (Mediterranean Veggie), Bread Twists (Parmesan), Pasta (Primavera), Stuffed Cheesy Bread (Cheese)
WITH HANDS VER. 2
  • Mix & Match: Medium Hand Tossed Pizza (Pepperoni & Green Pepper), Salad (Garden), Marbled Cookie Brownie, Specialty Chicken (Crispy Bacon Tomato), Oven Baked Sandwich (Mediterranean Veggie), Bread Twists (Parmesan), Pasta (Primavera), Stuffed Cheesy Bread (Cheese)
NO HANDS
  • Large 3T Hand Tossed Pizza (Sausage, Green Pepper & Roasted Red Peppers)
  • Medium 3T Handmade Pan Pizza (Pepperoni, Green Pepper & Mushroom)
WITH HANDS
  • Large 3T Hand Tossed Pizza (Sausage, Green Pepper & Roasted Red Peppers)
  • Medium 3T Handmade Pan Pizza (Pepperoni, Green Pepper & Mushroom)
NO HANDS
  • X-Large 3T Hand Tossed Pizza (Pepperoni, Sausage & Green Pepper)
WITH HANDS
  • X-Large 3T Hand Tossed Pizza (Pepperoni, Sausage & Green Pepper)
NO HANDS
  • X-Large 2T Hand Tossed Pizza (Pepperoni & Mushroom)
WITH HANDS
  • X-Large 2T Hand Tossed Pizza (Pepperoni & Mushroom)
NO HANDS
  • Medium 2T Handmade Pan Pizza (Pepperoni & Sausage)
 

USER-GENERATED CONTENT (UGC)

Below are guidelines in selecting which user-generated image is best for Domino's social channels and digital materials.

UGC DO'SUGC DO'S

Pizza should be the hero of the shot. Cardboard should be folded behind or angled in a way that it does not take up the majority of the frame.

  • Rim (1 inch, pizza should be perfectly round)
  • Bake (no bubbles bigger than the size of a golf ball, light brown in color)
  • Topping Placement (no toppings should be center loaded, toppings should be evenly placed throughout the pizza)
  • Portion (each bite should have the topping on it, should not be overtopped or undertopped)
  • Size (pizza should not look small or squeezed into the box, if we are promoting a Large pizza the pizza in the photo needs to be a Large)
  • Crust (make sure the garlic oil covers the entire crust so it does not look dry)
  • Pizza should always be cut, there should be no visible "gel layer" (whiteness on the pizzas) or large holes in the crust.
DO EXAMPLES

UGC DO NOT'S

Pizza should not look dry or old. Do not use if the image is blurry, messy, has too many bubbles, or has poor lighting.

  • Do not use if the image has poor lighting
  • Do not use if the image is too small and blurry
  • Do not use if the pizza in the image is too messy and sloppy
  • Do not use if there are too many bubbles on the pizza
  • Do not use if the image is too zoomed in
  • Do not use if the toppings are randomly placed
  • Do not use if there is too much grease on the packaging.

 

DO NOT EXAMPLES