Cincinnati, OH - (May 1, 2006) - Design collective Lightborne was commissioned by New York-based ad agency thread® to create a brand image piece for JONATHAN|product®, featuring the campaign tagline, "Celebrity Hair Without The Drama." This long-format video highlights the JONATHAN|product® hair care line via hair tips by renowned celebrity stylist Jonathan Antin.

"When we began concepting the idea behind this long-format essence video, Lightborne was the top choice for motion graphics and production," says Adam Gayner, CEO of thread®. "We had seen some of their music video work and felt this project required that kind of longer-format expertise. We also wanted something fresh and different from what was out there in the beauty industry. We are all very excited to see this come together the way it did."

Lightborne Director Scott Fredette and Executive Producer of Production Scott Durban traveled to Los Angeles to film Jonathan Antin in action at his West Hollywood salon, and worked with thread® Creative Director Ariel Broggi and Jonathan Antin to land on the visual style of the video.

Jonathan Antin said, "As founder of JONATHAN|product®, I have seen the popularity of the brand grow globally and thought it was a natural progression to create a high-end instructional/commercial video for the people. Though I can't be there for my clients everyday, I saw this piece as an opportunity to help them achieve great hair on their own. As Executive Producer of this season of Blow Out, it was cool to spread my wings and play a role in the making of this piece. I wouldn't have traded the experience for anything and couldn't be more proud of the outcome. My hat's off to thread® and Lightborne."

The shoot in L.A. coincided with the filming of Antin's reality TV program, "Blow Out," now in its third season on Bravo. As part of the program, the "Blow Out" crew filmed production throughout the day. The "Making Of" and final cut will be aired on "Blow Out" at 9/8c on Tuesday, May 2nd.

Lightborne employed Los Angeles-based Director of Photography Jordan Levy to help create the elegant style. "Lightborne is exactly the type of company that can flourish in today's realm of design methodology," says Levy. "At first I was nervous about working in a reality TV scenario, but I quickly realized Jonathan was just a professional trying to make things happen. Being filmed while I was shooting was strange, but I quickly forgot about all the cameras, except for mine and just focused on my job. The project was shot on HD and I used a special combination of filters to achieve the look. I believe the final product looks beautiful and Lightborne did an amazing job putting it all together."

Ariel Broggi comments, "Having worked with Jonathan now for a couple years, we were excited about this project because it was something new for him - different from the unscripted nature of Blow Out. It's not easy to hold the audience's attention for 10 minutes. But we accomplished what we set out to accomplish: An elegant, attention-holding, visually-appealing experience."

Some of the challenges included filming the mirrored walls and unscripted talent, and working around another crew that had a separate set of goals for the day. The production team shot on the Panasonic Varicam at 24p, citing its filmic feel and cost-effectiveness. For the tabletop shoot of the JONATHAN|product® line, they shot at 48 fps, which provided slow motion that was elegant and allowed Lightborne to ramp the footage in a stylish way. The project required a fast turnaround and Lightborne incorporated its team of Editor Nate Clark, Animator Dave Irion and Creative Director/Designer Tuesday McGowan to establish the pacing and add animation for a seamless piece.

"We wanted the design of the piece to reflect Jonathan's mastery and sophistication in the world of hair," says McGowan. "The logo animation became an investigation of abstract form as it applies to hair and water. The titles and transitions featured reflections and prismatic effects to give the piece a polish and gloss that are indicative of JONATHAN|product®."

Fredette credits the relationship between thread®, JONATHAN|product®, and Jonathan, as well as the celebrity stylist's camera savvy and charisma for such a successful shoot. Jonathan followed a loose script for the demo and Lightborne was able to play off of his energy and performance to create the desired essence.

"Our objective was to produce a brand image piece that looked high fashion and stylish, and really stood apart," concludes Fredette. "Jonathan is an A-list hairstylist and his products are the best. He knew how to make these models transform in front of our cameras very quickly. Adam [Gayner] and Ariel [Broggi] from thread® were instrumental in connecting the vision of this piece with all of the campaign elements of the 'Celebrity Hair Without The Drama' concept [seen in beauty stores nationwide and online via http://JonathanProduct.com]. That we achieved this unique branding project so well is a testament to the partnership between Lightborne, thread®, Jonathan and our production crew."

About Lightborne
Lightborne is a motion design and production studio made up of a collective of designers, directors, animators, editors, illustrators, sound designers and effects artists whose desire is to practice and advance the discipline of motion design. The company's method involves the exploration of the unseen and untested and its strength is helping clients navigate innovation via its knowledge and experience. Lightborne desires to help clients challenge themselves and their craft, pushing the industry forward into new ways of thinking about design. Its focus is to provide an open environment that is expansive yet critical and share the results of this experimentation with clients and the community.
Web Address: www.light-borne.com

About thread®
Multi-disciplinary in approach and creative talents, thread® dubs itself a Cupid for the modern marketplace, passionately uniting brands with people. Through their advertising and brand development work across new and old media, thread® reintroduces a brand to itself by emphasizing what makes it uniquely desirable to consumers, and continually communicating these virtues in surprising and relevant ways.
Web Address: threadnyc.com

About JONATHAN|product®
JONATHAN|product® hair care products currently consists of 19 SKUs ranging in price from $ 18 to $ 95. The four-tiered collection is broken down into four categories including; Shampoo, Condition, Create and Finish. Committed to the principles of veganism, the sulfate-free products avoid wherever possible wheat, dairy and animal derived ingredients while incorporating botanical and plant infused Essential Water. In 2005, JONATHAN|product was publicly recognized for changing the face of hair care by being named Newcomer of the Year in the prestigious WWD Annual Beauty Awards.
For more information visit www.jonathanproduct.com.