Featuring 32 print executions by US-based creative and design house Chandelier Creative, the work consists of different products illustrated by Alex Purdy, who gathered inspiration from the style of popular Romanian-American cartoonist Saul Steinberg, best known for his work in The New Yorker magazine.
Richard Christiansen, CD and founder of Chandelier, said the idea took a visual approach, incorporating the products with recognisable Silk Road icons.
“Last year, it was one long story from start to finish, and this time, we were wondering how we could top that,” said Christiansen.
“We wanted to keep it consistent and tell a story which fits with Shanghai Tang’s narrative style, so we decided to focus on the Silk Road. If you know the Silk Road, you’ll recognise the various aspects in the creative work.”
The ‘Khotan’ drive, which builds on Shanghai Tang’s different product lines launched throughout the year, will break in Asia-Pacific by the end of the month, with a full global rollout to take place in New York and London around the same time.
Joanne Ooi, creative director of Shanghai Tang, said the work reflected the brand’s commitment to colour. “This approach is extremely unconventional, playful and colourful - that’s our approach in everything we do; a distinction we’ve always had. It’s another episode in a long series,” she said.
The series of shots will be incorporated into Shanghai Tang’s Christmas catalogue, with individual illustrations used for print inserts globally in conjunction with localised outdoor executions.
