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Samsonite, 2011: Heaven and Hell

40 Best Ads of the last 40 years

The impact of this ad helped put Chinese advertising on the map and seemed to suggest the floodgates might be opening on creative genius from the world’s then most populous nation. After a year, it had become “the most awarded print ad of all time”, according to the Gunn Report.

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Samsonite, 2011: Heaven and Hell

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40 Best Ads of the last 40 years

The impact of this ad helped put Chinese advertising on the map and seemed to suggest the floodgates might be opening on creative genius from the world’s then most populous nation. After a year, it had become “the most awarded print ad of all time”, according to the Gunn Report.

Agency: JWT, Shanghai
Art Direction: Hattie Cheng, Rojana Chuasakul, Haoxi Lv, Danny Li
Copywriter: Marc Wang
Digital Artist: Illusion

Now, the wonderful Gunn Report has long disappeared into something else while the creativity of Chinese advertising has generally fallen behind the hopes that Heaven and Hell helped set for it. Oh, and India has more people than China now.

"A beautiful level of craft to visualise something we can all relate to."
- Marijke Spain, Innovation Creative Director, HeimatTBWA\

But let’s savor this ad for its genius. It’s a nice idea but the execution really makes it. For that, there’s no doubt that much of the magic comes from the signature look and the talents of Illusion, CGI masters from Bangkok, which is not in China, then or now. At least something’s reliable in creativity.

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