Landmark Hotels By RAKIN 12 ***** April 26, 2012 – Posted in: 2012, Andrew Gallimore, Jonathan Connelly, Landmark Hotels, Rakin, Way Perry – Tags: Hair Assistant, Hair Stylists, Landmark, Make Up Artists, Photographers, Stylists / Fashion Editors

Text: Steven Knipp

People often say “A picture is worth a thousand words”. It suggests that highly complex ideas – such as rebranding – can be better conveyed with powerful images than with mere words.

So when Hongkong Land decided to rebrand its portfolio of iconic retail properties, it sought out the rare skills of celebrated London-based photographer Rankin, one of the world’s top photographers.

Renowned for his portrait and fashion photography, Rankin has worked with some of the most iconic people of modern times – including David Bowie, Kate Moss, Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth II. And he has created stunningly enduring images for such recognised global brands as Nike, Swatch, Dove and Pantene, in such magazines as Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and GQ.

Hongkong Land’s David Martin, Head of Retail, flew to London to work extensively with Rankin on the rebranding images, the highlight of which are seven key ad visuals. Martin best explains the company’s reasons for selecting Rankin when he says, “Hongkong Land’s tastes are quite simple – we only like the best.”

While supervising the photo shoot, Martin says that great care was taken in the selection of models, including both Asian and Western faces, so as to present a visual style for LANDMARK which is both understated and daring. The goal was to create a more vividly focused brand designed to catch the eye and hook the hearts of Hong Kong’s elite as well as our discerning international visitors.

Rankin says, “I immediately understood what LANDMARK wanted to achieve. I can see that they want to position themselves as something beyond what is just fashionable. It has a kind of history and a context that I think the people of Hong Kong relate to.”

The famous photographer produced a collection of iconic images that are not just about the clothes, but about creating a series of images that inspire a sense of timeless elegance.

The advertising copy is equally clean and timeless. Playing with numbers and concepts of luxury, the copy features simple numerical statements such as “818 timeless pinstripes” and “8 cocktail bars”, while always signing off with “1 NAME”, a simple dignified phrase that conveys quality, reputation and suggests four retail locations under one new collective name.

Presented here for the very first time are the seven key visuals for LANDMARK, which perfectly represent and reflect the authentic elegance and timeless nature of the new brand.

Caption:
Images 1 to 3: The advertising visuals for the branding campaign hit the streets this March. The ad message highlights simple numerical facts and it always signs off with “1 NAME – LANDMARK”.