📈 Behind the Aesthetic: Officecore 💼

We love big business

Good morning everyone, sorry I took yesterday off because I was feeling under the weather. Here is my get un-sick in 24hrs routine that works every time without fail:

• 5 Mile Run

• 30 Minutes in Sauna

• 5 Essentia’s

• 1 Pressed Immunity Tonic

• 10 Hours of Sleep

You’re welcome. Okay let’s take a peek behind one of the hottest aesthetics being used in campaigns, magazines, and video: Officecore.

What is Officecore?

Officecore is the use of classic office settings, old technology like fax machines and huge computer monitors, phones with a cord, business attire, and other relics of a past time. We are seeing this aesthetic explode right now and many brands have been leveraging it to create viral moments and memorable imagery. Here are some examples.

Kim Kardashian Man of the Year GQ Shoot

Evoking her dad, Robert Kardashian, this shoot for GQ’s Man of the Year Cover was a peak example of officecore. From the big shirt, incredibly ugly tie, and slicked back hair— this is how to do officecore well. We also saw her employ this aesthetic in the recent Skims Nipple Bra (LOL) ad.

House of Errors

To promote their Black Friday collection, House of Errors juxtaposed their models against a mob of frantic stock brokers. The mise en scene here is impeccable.

Balenciaga

Last year, Balenciaga used officecore for their Adidas collab photoshoot (which premiered on during show at the New York Stock Exchange)

Numero Magazine

Vacation

Vacation, creator of the best suntan lotion, has been using officecore to define their brand universe. They employ a classical serif font for their logo and their website is perfectly retro. Their campaigns evoke a certain nostalgia for the 80s.

New Balance

Behind the Aesthetic

Officecore is seeing a wider adoption despite the onset of the remote work movement. But I believe that is why it works so well. Its evoking a feeling lost to time: big business happening in an office. Its juxtaposing our modern consumer goods with an older aesthetic. While it started out fine, I do believe Gen Z (one of the most active consumer spending groups) does yearn for an in-office experience.

As a remote worker living in NYC and working in fintech, I often wish I had an office to go to, a reason to wear a suit, maybe even a chic briefcase. But alas, I can look at these campaigns and be reminded what a bygone era of work looked like. The WeWork I sneak into just doesn’t hit the same…

About Jake

Jake Bell is a content marketing strategist based in NYC. He specializes in branding, art direction, creative strategy, content creation, and making things cool.

To get in touch visit www.jb.studio

Like video? Check out his TikTok

Like fit pics and pictures of chairs? Visit his Instagram.