In May 2025, Joël Penkman received a box of curious objects - among them a diamond brooch, a V for Vendetta mask, a fictional aerospace patch, and a bright pink bowler hat. The mysterious package marked the start of a two-month project with insurance company Beazley, commissioned by London agency Prophet, which saw Joël carefully arranging, photographing, colour-matching and ultimately painting a series of advertising spots.
Working closely with Chris Benson and the Prophet team, the idea was to illustrate the breadth of Beazley’s expertise - spanning marine, cyber and space insurance - through depicting subtle yet telling decorative adornments to the brand’s iconic bowler hat. After receiving the props, Joël photographed each arrangement to agree composition, shadow depth and the precise tone of pink before moving into paint. In her unique process, these photographs act as drafts for client approval.
She then produced nine final executions, all rendered in her trademark egg tempera technique. The process is renowned for its richness and depth, colour is built slowly, layer by layer. Combining this technique with Joël’s meticulous eye for detail, the final artworks deliver quite the visual punch. And as required in the brief, the assets were delivered both as individual blank hats and as fully separated elements, allowing for flexibility and customisation.
The campaign launched across London at the end of 2025 and returns to the transport network in March 2026.
