“How do we grow, without actually scaling?”

High Five Salon, a single-door studio, operates with a three-to-five month waitlist at any given time. When commissioning C-90, High Five had a unique ask. “How do we grow, without actually scaling?” The salon had no intention of opening another location so soon after renovating its new headquarters in the trendy Findlay Market area of Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine.

C-90 moved beyond the traditional campaign mold in partnership with High Five, a high-end Cincinnati-based hair salon, with the release of the first of a four-part magazine series titled This is High Five Photo Book. The goal of the series is to expand the idea of beauty, amplify community, and bolster love and inclusivity through a print series dedicated to inspired art, music, architecture, fashion and storytelling.

“We were working to forge a deeper bond with High Five’s customers and wanted to create a universe around a brand that inspires people in different ways,” said Emmit Jones, Co-Founder/Creative Director at C-90. “It had to be print—it had to be more permanent—because it’s so easy to get sucked into our daily digital lifestyles, where we often lack true connection and physicality.”

The solution for C-90 was obvious: build upon the creativity of High Five’s talent through an exercise in awareness and nation building - going beyond hair - through the salon’s mantra of “Bold Love.” The magazine, a scintillating celebration of the local community and human relationships, accentuates through this idea of “BOLD LOVE,” uniting over 20 Cincinnati-based creatives to showcase employees, musicians, clientele, friends and fans of High Five Salon. In addition, C-90 was very hands-on shooting, art directing editorials and collaborating with photographers Madeleine Hordinski and Devyn Glista of St. Blanc Studios.

“It’s important to share these types of human stories,” added Jones. “We have to be aware of where we are going as a culture. So much of life is now reflected inward, isolated in the idea of a “metaverse,” making authentic stories harder to find and more important than ever.”

Beyond the innovative and symbolic artistry, “Bold Love” makes another bold statement—print is not dead.

“So, why a magazine?” posed Sam Hills, High Five’s owner. “Because sometimes it’s important to tip the scale. To create. To show a different side of that magic. This is an invitation for you to feel thrilled, challenged, and inspired. This piece is filled with stories, both told and visual, and we are excited to share them.”