Stunning new images by Annie Leibovits reprise The Peninsula Hotels'
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Stunning new images by Annie Leibovits reprise The Peninsula Hotels'
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Category: Worldwide
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2009-07-20
New photos showcase Tokyo and Chicago properties in global publicity drive
“Portraits of Peninsula” - the collaboration of two legends which originally debuted in October 2004 with the launch of The Peninsula Hotels’ award-winning global advertising campaign featuring the work of renowned portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz – continues in 2009 with the second collection of Ms Leibovitz’s images commissioned by the hotel group. This time her photos showcase staff at The Peninsula hotels in Chicago and Tokyo.
A collection of black-and-white images, “Portraits of Peninsula” goes to the heart of the guest experience that distinguishes Peninsula hotels as the finest in the world. With the photos, Leibovitz departs from her tradition of celebrity portraiture to focus on the people and personalities behind the Peninsula brand. While not famous, the faces of Peninsula pageboys, housekeepers and bellmen are just as compelling as those of celebrities when seen through her lens.
“So much of what makes Peninsula’s style of hospitality special is the personal connection our staff has with guests,” said Peter C. Borer, Chief Operating Officer, The Peninsula Hotels. “Our culture of warm and genuine service is expressed through every one of our family of employees. To us, service is an art, which is why we chose a true artist to represent it. Annie Leibovitz captured the spirit of our employees with sincerity. Through the honesty of her images, we have created a campaign that will resonate with our audience for a very long time.”
“I love the stories behind what people do, and in portraiture, you need to know the stories and then the image comes to life for you,” said Annie Leibovitz. “After shooting at four Peninsula hotels for this campaign, I truly understand the significance of what we are shooting – the real stars of The Peninsula Hotels – the wonderful caring staff. It was really moving photographing them, and by the time I had finished, I felt that I had a real insight into the people who work for the Pen and the pride they take in their work. I have been looking for stories like that for years.”
Both collections of photographs were shot on location at Peninsula properties in Asia and the U.S. – the original images in Hong Kong and New York, and the new shots in Tokyo and Chicago. Leibovitz was given free rein to roam the hotels, in public spaces and back-of-house areas, shooting wherever she wished and choosing whichever scenes or staff members that she believed best represented the heart and soul of the hotels. Evocative enough to stand on their own, the photos are supported with simple, descriptive captions and the “Portraits of Peninsula” tagline.
“Portraits of Peninsula” is a dramatic departure from traditional hotel advertising; there are no models or staged images in these photos, and the only celebrity is the one behind the camera,” added Mr. Borer. “We gave Ms Leibovitz a virtual blank canvas and an invitation to interpret the Peninsula experience with complete freedom. She responded with images that capture the essence of Peninsula service, while also conveying the luxury, style and glamour of our properties.”
Leibovitz’s images celebrate the doormen, room attendants and other staff who bring life and warmth to the hotels’ sumptuous surroundings. In one endearing shot, The Peninsula Chicago’s doorman welcomes a young guest to the hotel, while in another, the hotel’s chefs stand in an organic city farm with Chicago’s dramatic skyline in the background, and the reservations team are poised to welcome guests’ calls in a third.
Several of the Tokyo shots are taken through windows - in one, a fire-eater performs on the terrace of Peter, the hotel’s spectacular rooftop restaurant, in another a housekeeper cleans a window overlooking the expansive gardens of the Imperial Palace opposite the hotel, while the windscreen of the hotel’s vintage 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II is lovingly polished by its driver.
The Tokyo shots also include iconic images of the city – chefs shopping at Tsukiji fish market, while a page welcomes guests from a shinkansen bullet train.
Leibovitz features the iconic Peninsula pageboy frequently in her photos. The personification of the company’s personal approach to service, the pageboy’s sole function is to respond to guest needs. Pageboys are at the ready at all Peninsula hotels, a tradition introduced at the Hong Kong property over 80 years ago.
The multi-year campaign launches in luxury lifestyle, travel and business magazines, including Vanity Fair, Tatler, The Economist, The Financial Times’ “How To Spend It”, Wall Street Journal Magazine, Departures, Town & Country and Forbes, together with BusinessWeek China, BusinessWeek Executive Life China, Fortune China and Travel + Leisure China.
The “Portraits of Peninsula” photos by Annie Leibovitz are available for viewing
http://www.peninsula.com/Peninsula_Hotels/en/Media_Room/Photo_Gallery/default.aspx?rpath=/Peninsula_Hotels/Media_Room/Photo_Gallery/Portraits_Of_Peninsula_2009&case=3
and/or download at www.leonardo.com/peninsula under The Peninsula Hotels.
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