Be The Balance

This multi-channel campaign marked ClassPass's entry into the European market, illustrating what balance in everyday life looks like through the stories of four female protagonists: Berlin-based actor Gizem Emre, Parisian designer Louise Damas, athlete Marie Luise Klietz, and Amsterdam fashion designer Lizzy van der Ligt. By capturing the role of personal fitness in their daily routines, we showcased the power of wellness in diverse contexts. I led editorial direction, talent research and management, storyline development, and managed text and translation commissions. The campaign was distributed across web, OOH, social media, paid media, and featured in Friends of Friends magazine.

Berlin, Germany

Setting a new stage in Berlin with actor turned entrepreneur Gizem Emre

Berlin-based actor Gizem Emre found fame as a teenager and has now expanded her stage with a new, alternative business venture. Learn how she draws energy from the support of her family and the challenging process for her roles.

It’s not unusual for actors to maintain side jobs to support their acting career. But for Gizem Emre—whose film and TV appearances began in 2013 and have remained consistent ever since—the decision to not only work in the hospitality sector but completely take over a business was a brave yet curious one.

Refinery High End Coffee in Berlin is a bustling space. The entrance, which is flanked in concrete, affords a glimpse into the Mitte cafe where filament light bulbs set the warm tone and baristas manning the coffee machines using only coffee from local roasteries to serve the continual stream of customers. Even though Emre only recently took over the cafe, she appears at ease in her new environment, smiling at every customer who enters—some she even greets by name. The sound of Erykah Badu’s Baduizm fills the room and Emre sits down to take a break. Read on ClassPass and Friends of Friends

Keeping pace with Munich-based triathlete, doctor and author Marie-Luise Klietz

Munich, Germany

Ever since she was a child Marie-Luise Klietz has loved sports. For the doctor turned blogger and author, running in nature is like meditating.

For Marie-Luise Klietz, every weekday morning begins before sunrise. After a quick espresso and a large glass of water, she slips into her sports clothes and running shoes or, alternatively, into a bathing suit. And off she goes, taking her favorite route through the Munich Olympic Park, the park with the picturesque Nymphenburg Palace or towards the Oberschleißheim Regatta Course.

As Klietz describes the ideal start to a new day, she reflects on the magic of the quiet morning hours: “The sun is rising, the city is awakening, and I think it’s nice that I’m on the road before all the hustle and bustle begins. I am totally on my own,” says the doctor, who is also the founder of the fitness community Fitmedmary and co-owner of the medical blog Doctor.Aesthetics. “Running is meditative for me. I only pay attention to my footsteps, that calms me down a lot. That’s how I let my mind run free.” She jogs for about 12 kilometers before returning home to her apartment in Munich’s Neuhausen district, which she shares with her boyfriend Matthias. He also works as a doctor, and loves sports and triathlons as much as Klietz. Their home is bright and spacious, with two racing bikes leaned up against the wall in the living room. Read on ClassPass and Friends of Friends

Paris, France

Transforming literary gems into intricate trinkets with jewelry designer Louise Damas

Open-minded and deeply intuitive, the designer reinterprets the image of the Parisian woman through jewelry that boldly asserts itself.

The notion of the Parisienne is shrouded in cliches. To jewelry designer turned entrepreneur Louise Damas this no longer rings true. No longer snobbish, nor egocentric, her vision of the new Parisian woman is one that loves to share, think, and create whilst supporting each other. This love for collaboration, for a multi-faceted take on creation, is at the very root of her design philosophy.

Damas fashions discreet jewelry that is in tune with her own generation. Her pieces—earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces, mostly—are inspired by the heroines of literary novels to whom she dedicates her creations. They are sophisticated but not too much, like the new Parisienne that Damas is intuitively shaping, without pretension. Jewelry that evokes a certain freedom to the wearer through handmade pieces which are easy to wear and reflect the designer’s sense of creativity and craftsmanship. Read on Friends of Friends

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Finding Balance In Physical Activity With Stylist And Entrepreneur Lizzy Van Der Ligt

Lizzy van der Ligt is sipping a cup of coffee, ready for the day but still feeling the night before. “We had a dinner with Zalando and didn’t sit down to eat until 11 PM.” she explains, adding that this isn’t an uncommon occurrence. Lizzy’s day-to-day life can only be described as creative, jet-setting chaos, filled with trips to faraway, inspirational destinations, photo shoots, events, and anything else that happens to cross her path.

As if her to-do list wasn’t long enough, Lizzy also runs her own fashion label, Le Cafe Noir Studio. Every day, week, or month is completely different from the next. Trying to create some sort of order, a schedule to create some peace of mind, is just no use. “The chaos drives me crazy sometimes, but it’s also what I love about my work and my life. My goal now is to focus more and more on Le Cafe Noir Studio and to keep creating things,” she says. Read on ClassPass