Heaven and Hell
Samsonite2011
Heaven and Hell is a 2011 print advertisement for Samsonite, created by JWT Shanghai.
Why it works
One long frieze, rendered like a classical stone relief, tells two stories at once. Above, first-class passengers enjoy a heavenly flight; below, in a red-lit underworld where the luggage is handled, Samsonite Cosmolite suitcases are put through hell. By the agency's account, JWT Shanghai tried oil painting and stained glass before settling on a Hellenistic sculptural style, which Bangkok studio Illusion built in five weeks of CGI. It is studied as lavish craft in the service of one plain product truth, durability, and as a landmark for Chinese advertising: in 2011 it won the Press Grand Prix at Cannes, China's first Cannes Grand Prix, plus Gold Lions in Outdoor. Within a year it had collected ten Grands Prix, 38 golds and three D&AD Yellow Pencils, and the Gunn Report ranked it the most-awarded print ad of all time, overtaking Volkswagen's 1999 "Wedding".
Techniques
- Visual metaphor A heavenly flight above and a red-lit underworld below, where the suitcases are put through hell, picture baggage handling as torment to dramatise durability.
- Storytelling A single frieze, sculpted like a classical stone relief, tells two parallel stories of passengers in heaven and luggage in hell.
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