Adobe Stock: Pictures for Good (and Good Pictures!)

Imagery can change the world.

Image source: Adobe Stock / The Ocean Agency.

The saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” is such a cliché. I am, in fact, cringing as I type it. But, in the age of brand transparency, the meaning of the phrase does prompt some important questions: What does the imagery you choose say about your brand values? What do you want consumers to know most about who you are and what you stand for? Does your imagery help clearly tell your brand story? With countless visual stories being produced and shared 24/7, making an impact is no longer just about choosing a pretty picture. It’s about choosing pictures with purpose.

At Adobe Stock, we know and respect the power of imagery. Imagery can tell a vivid story, convey powerful emotion, spark an imagination, inspire action, and communicate things that words simply cannot. That’s why we’re helping to lead the way in curating and providing a deep well of thoughtful, vivid imagery. Today’s consumers are more socially conscious than ever before. More than 9 out of 10 millennials would switch brands to one associated with a cause. Choosing globally relevant and inclusive visuals for your brand isn’t just the right thing to do (and it is!) — it’s also good for business.

Consumers, especially millennials and Gen Z, are now demanding that companies take a stand and have a point of view on critical social and environmental issues. At Adobe Stock, we’re committed to partnering with creative change makers who are working to make the world a more diverse, inclusive, and sustainable place.

This month we partnered with Adweek to showcase a few of our newest and most inspiring creative partners, including TONL (an exclusive Premium image partner to Adobe Stock) and The Ocean Agency (an exclusive Core image partner to Adobe Stock).

In their own words, TONL’s core mission is to “transform the idea of stock photography by displaying images of diverse people and their stories around the world.” We talked to TONL co-founder Joshua Kissi about what inspires the company, the challenges it faces, and the overarching purpose that drove the company’s creation. We also discussed why choosing diverse imagery matters so much.

Image source: Adobe Stock / TONL.

“Our voices and visibility matter,” said Joshua. “Photography and storytelling can help humanize and hopefully diminish the stereotypes and prejudice against black and brown people, especially. We wanted to challenge the stale, homogenous look of traditional stock photography by showcasing the many ethnic backgrounds of everyday people.”

Image source: Adobe Stock / TONL.

TONL does this by considering one question: What does true diversity look like? For them, the goal is to open up opportunities for real people to tell their own story and for companies and brands to have access to imagery depicting more types of people.

Meanwhile, the team at The Ocean Agency is using imagery to bring awareness to important environmental issues. The company’s founder, Richard Vevers, spoke to us about their core mission of being “an accelerant for ocean science and conservation.” Currently, Richard and his team are focusing on the devastating effects of coral bleaching due to climate change.

Richard spoke directly to how they are using the power of imagery as a catalyst for change.

“Ninety-nine percent of people don’t dive — and probably never will,” he said. “That’s why imagery is so important when it comes to ocean conservation. The ocean really is out of sight and out of mind. Our job is to take imagery that excites the world, to engage people with the most magical part of our planet, our underwater world, and through imagery get them supporting the fight to save it.”

Image source: Adobe Stock / The Ocean Agency.

The Ocean Agency takes imagery of what a healthy vibrant ocean ecosystem looks like: full of otherworldly, mysterious, beautiful, magical creatures. They also show what the ocean looks like when that all disappears from coral bleaching. As Richard states in their Emmy Award-winning Netflix documentary, “Chasing Coral,” “The ocean is out of sight and out of mind, and that is an advertising issue.” The Ocean Agency’s photography is educational. It’s also a very strong call to action.

We’ve partnered with TONL and The Ocean Agency because we believe that representing more experiences and more voices leads to more innovation. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but we share an optimistic look to the future — because imagery really can change the world.

Learn more through our webinar “Images That Change Your View of the World: Content with a Conscience”, in partnership with AdWeek.

See the first round of imagery on Adobe Stock (much more to come): TONL and The Ocean Agency.