BEHIND THE SCENES OF A FAIRYTALE COLABORATION: ALDO X DISNEY X NEILSON LETTERS
When I first received the inquiry for the Princess & Villain collection launch by ALDO and Disney, I had a feeling this one would be special. What I didn’t realize was just how hands-on and creatively fulfilling the process would be—from initial design drafts to slow-motion filming in studio.
CONCEPT FIRST, CALLIGRAPHY LATER
The collaboration began with a request for a series of save-the-dates to be featured in the campaign’s promotional video. ALDO’s creative team had a clear vision, but they also gave me space to offer my own. I provided four initial drafts: two aligned with their original concept, and two that offered my own artistic spin.
They chose mine, Option 3.
From there, we dove into one of my favourite parts of the job: testing materials. Their props team sent over a variety of purple paper stocks to my studio—some matte, some textured, some semi-transparent—so I could trial different inks and evaluate how everything would photograph. Once we landed on a favourite, I even assembled the translucent envelopes to match (because when I get excited about paper textures… I really commit).
CRAFTING THE PERFECT “IMPERFECT” SCRIPT
The writing style requested wasn’t meant to be a strict traditional hand. It wasn’t exactly Copperplate, and it wasn’t quite Spencerian either—they wanted something a little more whimsical, loose, and romantic. So I developed a hybrid script just for the project. Each curve was carefully considered to balance elegance with personality.
Once the design and layout were approved, I created four fully finished invitations, along with sixteen “semi-complete” ones—so we could capture the final lettering live, on camera. (Let’s be honest: writing everything live under a slo-mo lens was way too much pressure for one take.)
Half of the pieces were missing “Save the Date,” the other half were missing “Collection,” so I could complete them organically during the shoot.
FILLMING DAY AT ALDO HQ
ALDO’s head office in Montreal became our filming playground. I arrived to find a full-scale video production underway, with stylists, props, lighting designers, and one very cool high-speed camera rig.
I spent the day carefully finishing the calligraphy under that ultra-detailed lens—watching ink stretch and settle on the paper in beautiful slow motion. It was honestly mesmerizing.
Toward the end of filming, someone asked if I could be the person to close the envelope on camera too. I panicked for a moment (my hands were not camera-ready!), but someone found a pair of white gloves and suddenly… I was both calligrapher and hand model.
WHAT MADE THIS ONE STAND OUT
Aside from the high production value and dream-client combo, what stood out most about this project was how collaborative the process felt. ALDO and Disney didn’t just want a visual—they wanted the story of hand lettering to be part of the story they told.
And I was honoured to be a part of it.
CREDITS
Production House : Madame Brown Productions
Brand : ALDO x Disney
