Neon yellow, deep black, dust and plenty of electric performance: Sébastien Staub shot the Opel Mokka GSE Rally for Jung von Matt in Croatia – creating a visual world every bit as uncompromising as the car itself. Or, as Sébastien puts it: “Acid Banana Mode.”
The car charges through clouds of dust, luminous yellow meets deep black, and massive blocks of colour turn into almost surreal landscape elements. Details of wheels, cockpit and bodywork meet the driver and the striking OMG! GSE typography. A highly graphic visual world that doesn’t simply document speed, but visually intensifies it.
The car itself could hardly provide a better starting point: the all-electric Opel Mokka GSE Rally delivers 207 kW (280 hp) and 345 Nm of torque and was developed as the first rally car according to the new FIA eRally5 regulations. With its black bodywork, vivid yellow accents and oversized “OMG! GSE” branding, the car already comes with a distinctive visual identity of its own.
The shoot took place in Croatia on a dedicated set running in parallel with the film production. The stills were created as an independent photographic body of work by Sébastien Staub.
Sébastien is one of those international photographers and directors who don’t simply depict cars, but create a distinct visual world around them through light, perspective, movement and post-production. For the Opel Mokka GSE Rally, he combines classic automotive photography with a deliberately artificial, graphic aesthetic – fast, bold, precise and controlled in its exaggeration.
And this is where it gets particularly interesting for GoSee: in addition to the campaign imagery, Sébastien took the pictures one step further from his own personal perspective. He calls this edit “Acid Banana Mode” – his own director’s cut of the photographs, pushing colour, contrast and graphic impact even further in his own direction. GoSee spoke with Sébastien about the development of the visual world.
“Acid Banana Mode” sums up the look pretty perfectly. How did this visual language develop – was it already part of the concept, or did it evolve during the project?
Sébastien: The “Acid Banana” look came later. I added it on top of the already retouched pictures. During the campaign process, the client naturally made a lot of choices about what they wanted. For my own edit, I wanted to take the images further in my personal direction. That’s why I’m talking about it as my own edit – my director’s cut of the pictures.
The stills were shot in Croatia alongside the TVC, but on a separate set. How closely connected were film and photography on this project?
Sébastien: We actually shot in parallel, but on a separate set. So film and photography were two independent parts of the production. I shot the stills on this project and didn’t direct the motion.
For Sébastien, the focus is ultimately on the final image. His photographs combine classic automotive photography with a strongly graphic, almost hyperreal aesthetic. Speed is not simply shown, but translated into colour, contrast, dust and graphic surfaces. The already striking black-and-yellow identity of the rally Mokka becomes the stage for an even more heightened visual language.
Sébastien also shares a selection of behind-the-scenes impressions from the set in Croatia with GoSee.
TEAM
Client: Quentin Huber - Head of Brand Content and Advertising at Opel
Agency: Jung von Matt
Photographer: Sébastien Staub
Shot in Croatia alongside the TVC
Production: Hochkant Films
Base Post-Production: Mainworks
Director’s Cut Edit Pass / Versions: Staub Studios
