Silver Advertising, Marketing and Communication Design · 2024
The Imperial Patek Philippe Marketing Campaign
by Phillips
- A' Design Award 2024 Silver Winner in Advertising, Marketing and Communication Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Phillips
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 186,421
- Verification code 5DC2093E38 · Verify this award
About The Imperial Patek Philippe Marketing Campaign
Global multimedia campaign by Phillips in Association with Bacs and Russo to promote the sale of a rare Patek Philippe watch, once belonging to Aisin Gioro Puyi, known throughout the world as The Last Emperor, including logo design, cinematic trailer, historic documentary video, catalogue, and exhibition tour with stops in New York, London, Taipei, Singapore and Hong Kong; bringing the unique history and provenance of the watch to life.
The Imperial Patek Philippe Marketing Campaign by Phillips represents a sophisticated convergence of spatial design, brand narrative, and cultural synthesis that elevates commercial presentation into the realm of experiential artistry. Emerging from traditions of luxury retail environments and museum exhibition design, this installation employs the symbolic potency of saturated vermillion, a hue carrying profound significance across multiple cultural traditions as an emblem of celebration, prosperity, and auspicious beginnings, to create an immersive atmosphere that transcends conventional merchandising approaches. The compositional strategy reveals considerable sophistication in its orchestration of scale relationships, positioning an enlarged photographic study of a vintage moonphase timepiece as the primary focal anchor while distributing supporting elements including a decorative folding fan and secondary watch presentation across architecturally articulated niches that create rhythmic spatial intervals. The technical achievement extends beyond surface aesthetics to encompass precise control of lighting temperature and direction, shadow graduation, and material reflectivity that together establish an environment simultaneously theatrical and intimate. The integration of Western typographic conventions with Eastern calligraphic traditions suggests a thoughtful negotiation between heritage authenticity and global accessibility, inviting viewers into contemplation of craftsmanship legacies that transcend geographical boundaries. The selection and arrangement of displayed objects, including the fan as a traditional accessory of refinement and social grace, creates narrative associations between horological mastery and broader traditions of artisanal excellence and cultivated appreciation. Viewers might consider how this spatial composition transforms the act of viewing precious objects into a form of secular devotion, and what the chromatic envelope suggests about relationships between color, emotion, and perceived value.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- On May 23, 2023 Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo sold a Patek Philippe Ref. 96QL once belonging to Aisin-Gioro Puyi, the last Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, for HK$49 million/US$6.2 million in Hong Kong. Offered at auction were also artifacts, including a red paper fan. The global multimedia marketing campaign included a video trailer, viewings in New York, London, Taipei, Singapore and Hong Kong, a catalogue set; further, a video documentary telling the story of the friendship between Puyi and his Soviet interpreter to whom he gifted his watch, presented on a bespoke video tablet. The exhibition display featured a custom case with the watch appearing to be floating in space, turning around its axis, and a magnifying glass to appreciate the details of the watch dial.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- As this project was a multimedia campaign, including print, digital, packaging and architectural components, the established branding needed to be scalable and applicable across all touch points of the campaign.
- Tags
- Patek Philippe, the last Emperor, Phillips, Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo
- Production Technology
- The striking red color accent was carried through all elements of the campaign: a grand catalogue design featuring a slip case, further a video tablet, both wrapped in red book cloth with red foil stamping of the logo. The custom exhibition space appeared as if entering a red lacquered box with the watch display case as centerpiece masterfully engineered by Dietlin, framed by video screens displaying the trailer on each side.
- Design Challenge
- The task was to balance the historical context and provenance of the watch with a visually impactful campaign.
The production challenge was to make the watch appear floating with invisible support mechanism in the display case. A further challenge was to scale the global exhibition tour according to venue size and restrictions. The New York exhibition for example was the first stop of the tour and a far more open space. There, the stairs became a significant part of the exhibition experience with a long red carpet runner. The custom watch case wasn't ready yet at that time and another case alternative had to be found. - Project Duration
- The global marketing campaign was realized in Spring 2023 with exhibitions of the watch in New York, London, Taipei, Singapore and Hong Kong.
- Operation Flow
- The interaction with the campaign was multifaceted: The global exhibition could be experienced in person with the Patek Philippe watch presented floating in a custom display case. The video documentary, in addition to being available for viewing online, was presented on a bespoke video tablet (Vpak) that appeared like a conventional book, however when opened, revealed a video screen that auto played.
- Research
- The documentary film was the result of years of research including the authentication of the watch involving experts.
- Inspiration
- The story and provenance behind this watch is unique: the friendship between Puyi (the last emperor) and his Soviet interpreter to whom he gifted his Patek Philippe while in captivity. Phillips’ Marketing department developed a logo reminiscent of a movie title, drawing inspiration for the campaign trailer from Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor", which was incorporated into the global exhibition design on video screens. The striking red color accent was carried through all elements of the campaign, including catalogue design, video tablet, and custom exhibition space which was inspired by the Forbidden City.
- Image Credits
- Phillips
- Patents
- Watch display case by Lekoni
Colors of The Imperial Patek Philippe Marketing Campaign
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