Campari poster art commission – illustrations by Vinni Kiniki
I was commissioned by Campari to produce a series of A3 poster art pieces which they would use to create an promotional exhibit and also scan and post on their social media channels. It was a chance for me to work in a variety of mediums and styles so long as the final art pieces I submitted fit the themes they provided. The themes were split into famous holidays (eg. Christmas, Halloween, Father’s day etc…), things that people do (eg. Dining, party, cinema etc.) and lastly a few of the pieces had to reflect the key Campari based cocktails that made the brand famous.
Below you can find the artworks with a brief description under each piece. If you scroll to the bottom of this article I have said a bit more about each piece. It was important to Campari that I attached a meaning or explanation as to how each given piece fit the theme.
Theme: Valentine’s day – ‘Sweet Love – Bitter Campari’
Posca brand markers + unbranded Silver marker pen on black cartridge paper – The loving couple forms a heart shape and the red and orange hair fuses to represent the famous marriage of Campari with orange.
Theme: Halloween
A mixture of materials; acrylic paint, Posca brand marker pens, fineliner pens, various inks – Visually the pumpkin being orange represents the orange fruit which is used to mix with the Campari, which is represented by the Witches red hair.
Theme: Father’s Day
Acrylic paint and marker pens (Posca and Metallic) on black cartridge paper – The poster is influenced by minimal poster art style, and painting of famous Belgian surrealist artist Rene Magritte.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Pool Party’
Acrylic paint, Posca marker pens, fineliner pens on A3 canvas paper – This is probably one of my favourite pieces from the bunch, it’s playful and i like the overall shapes it forms.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Movies’
Acrylic paint, Posca marker pens on thick canvas paper – Keeping it simple on this one and trying to evoke a sense of the old school to match the Campari brand.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Music’
Gouache and Acrylic paints of thick black cartridge paper. This painting represents a ‘mashup’ of sensibilities, the old meets the new, Beethoven on turntables, who wouldn’t want to hear that, some things remain classic for a reason, and some icons will never die no matter how long they’ve been around.
Theme: Bar & Cocktail – ‘Americano’
Acrylic paint, various marker and fineliner pens on thick canvas paper – where one icon promotes another, in the movie ‘Casino Royale’ James Bond famously orders a Americano cocktail, the poker chips have a hidden 1860 message (the date Campari was created)
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Sport and Games’
Dry marker pens, correction fluid and biro, a piece i did quickly in order to make it appear full of energy and movement.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Car’
Ink washed background, pen and inks and Posca brand marker pens on A3 watercolour paper. A piece which includes the brand sesnibilities; a red car representing Campari and orange hair signifying the orange used in Campari cocktails.
Theme: Songkran
Mostly painted using coloured inks on A3 water colour paper, however i did use some marker pens and maybe some acrylic. The style of painting I applied gets inspiration and reference from traditional style of Thai 70’s poster art although it’s mixed in with a very playful comic book / cartoon style which again helps represent the playfulness of Songkran celebrations.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Fashion’
Inks and acrylic paint on watercolour paper, i’ve always liked fashion illustrations, there’s something really whacky yet reserved about them, this is my attempt at a fashion type illustration, the swan is a nod to Bjork.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Dancing’
Mostly inks on watercolour paper – this piece in particular is influenced by the swing music era 1920-1945 – their jovial dancing could coincide with the end of the prohibition of Alcohol in USA.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Dining’
Inks, marker pens and acrylic paint – for this piece I wanted to evoke a sense of the old a classic, we see a group of people eating around a table. A man is jovially making a toast (to what we do not know) perhaps simply to good times, or perhaps he has some good news to retell, it would seem that the woman to his left is in on the news with him together.
Theme: Bar & Cocktail – ‘Campari Soda’
Chalk board pens, metallic markers, acrylic paint, fineliners on canvas paper – I really like the way this piece turned out. I wanted to highlight the precision and mathematics behind a delicious tasting cocktail, even one as simple as the Campari soda. Really and truly Campari soda is simple to make; Campari, Soda water, Ice and a garnish of Orange, however mixing it in the right order and proportions makes all the difference. Creating delicious tasting cocktails using Campari is not just a fine art, it is also a science, that is what this piece represents.
Theme: Bar & Cocktail – ‘Campari Orange’
For this piece I decided to use a very minimal treatment. Reflecting the simplicity but at the same time shear elegance of a Campari orange cocktail. The colours of a Campari orange are reminiscent of a beautifully coloured sunset or indeed sunrise. A drink for women as symbolized by the red plump lips resting firmly upon the Campari orange cocktail glass, sensually seductive colours and crisp cool finish. The Dark background would indeed suggest a sunset moment and perhaps that is indeed one of the best times possible to truly experience a Campari orange cocktail.
Theme: Bar & Cocktail – ‘Negroni’
Campari itself originates from Milano in Italy (1860), the cocktail Negroni however is supposed to originate in Florence, Italy in the year 1919. This simple paired down piece explains and pays homage to just that. In the background a map of Italy and in the foreground a Tumbler full of classic Campari cocktail; the Negroni.
Theme: Christmas
This art which was painted using oil pastels depicts a familiar Christmas scene in the form of a classic ‘still life’ art style. Classic style like the embodiment of Campari itself, all the elements depicted in the piece represent the things that make up good and enjoyable Christmas.
Theme: Facebook cover image – ‘untitled’
This is a typical scene of people at a party, everyone is dressed to impress & looking their best… there is however one lady that commands the crowd, the one that moves effortlessly through the scene and stands out with effortless confidence and a free spirit of abandon.
Men want to be with her, women want to be like her, the men at the party can’t help but stare and find themselves attracted to the woman, and even the man whose arrived to the party with a partner seems a little too interested for comfort.
She’s bold; she wears red, a colour of seduction and passion a daring choice of clothing that makes her easy to distinguish from the crowd of partygoers. She is drinking Campari a drink of sophistication and class, she is sexy, not slutty, she is drinking but not drunk, she is in control, she knows how to flirt and have fun, yet she is smart, this woman is a masterpiece, she is poetry in motion, a thing of beauty and something to be admired. Catch her if you can, if you do it’s only because she’s let you get away with it, perhaps she was born with it, or perhaps it’s the Campari.
Above prep sketches and one rejected piece for father’s day.
Below are the expanded descriptions for the pieces above in order of appearance.
The main considerations for creating the artwork were as follows;
All poster art had to be created by hand using any kind of artistic medium (no digital art)
All the pieces should contain the control colours; red, white, black, silver and orange
All poster art pieces had to be created on A3 paper
Theme: Valentine’s day – ‘Sweet Love – Bitter Campari’
In the most conventional sense of love of a couple i.e. that of a man and a woman there exists a fine balance of opposing forces, much akin to the yin yang theorem, the opposing forces complement and oppose each other and a little of both exists in the other. The pieces slot together seamlessly forming a whole and one cannot exist without the other. This piece is influenced by that theory.
The form of the two lovers in the painting are drawing in, indulging in a sweet embrace, near kiss, a moment of passion, they are lost in the other’s presence, equally as much as they feel found and complete within one another’s company, their completeness and opposing forces form a tight connection, physically resembling a heart, a symbol that many use to represent love, especially during valentine’s day.
Opposing and different are the male and female forces, their difference forms a visual analogy which corresponds to the sweetness of love and bitterness of Campari. Not everyone loves sweet and not everyone hates bitter, in many cases there exists a want for both, albeit in different measures. Relationships are not always easy, even with the most righteous couple there will exist bitterness and sorrow within an otherwise loving relationship, however it is these moments of bitterness that provide clarity and a means of reflection which allows us to understand what it is we truly love about the person we are with, or helps us to clarify the person we seek to find. ‘Sweet love, bitter Campari,’ a phrase which is deeper to understand then the initial playful wording might suggest. Lust is shallow, love is deep, but without knowing the former or appreciating the later, one cannot understand either fully. Even the letter M in Campari forms a heart, love is everywhere.
The woman’s hair is red representing Campari and the man’s hair is orange representing the fruit, on a basic level they represent the mixing of elements (people) to form perfectly balanced cocktails (loving relationships)
Theme: Halloween
Although Halloween is said to hold its roots in long forgotten Celtic harvesting and traditional Pagan rituals in this poster art piece I focus on symbology which represents the main aspects of what makes a modern Halloween great.
Of all the traditions the most famous tradition is that of ‘trick-or-treating’ where children typically dress up in scary or ghoulish costumes and travel from house to house in order to ask for treats such as candy with the question “Trick or treat?”. However modern day Halloween parties are as much for the adults as they are for the children as we can see from this illustration a full grown woman dressed as a sexy witch sits gracefully and seductively in the pumpkin; is she a sour and bitter trick? Or is she a sweet candy like treat? This notes one of the other huge elements of what makes Halloween fun; dressing up! The costumes usually equal party scary as they are sexy allow adults to have that extra bit of fun during a Halloween romp, the witch in the illustration is holding a glass of Campari at an angle which spilling and being suggestively licked up by a hungry pumpkin head below. This brings us onto the other big tradition of Halloween the carving of the pumpkin to create the ‘Jack-O-Lantern’. One way of looking at it, this Pumpkin is looking rather mischievous and embodies the true spirit of Halloween, he has sweet & sexy women in costume on his mind and a taste of bitter sharp Campari on the tongue.
Father’s Day
In essence this poster represents and hard-working a responsible father who is allowing himself (or perhaps being rewarded) a special Father’s day treat in the form of well-deserved glass of Campari
It’s an abstract representation of a Father on Father’s day. The head of the man is a glass tumbler full of Campari and the Orange slice looking a like a monocle of sorts represents a class of gentlemen who is distinguished and respected. As we can see whoever his children are they respect and celebrate him, and though the abstract representation of the father bears no mouth, it does seem somewhat happy and jovial.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Pool Party’
On what on first glance appears to be an oversized Campari cocktail containing a kissing couple of further inspection reveals a world of meaning. This piece depicts a ‘pool party’ – however in a very refined and distilled sense of the term. Visually we see a blue couple kissing and embracing passionately, perhaps indeed under the influence of the Campari they are bathing in, and beside them a rubber ring duck, the couple is so engrossed in the embrace they have forgotten about everyone else at the pool party, the sweet music being played at the pool is still being received and registering, perhaps even accentuating the loving situation they have found themselves in.
Looking closer at the painting we see the Campari bottle resting playfully in mid-air is pouring the Campari into the glass, as the Campari liquid drops it forms a saxophonist midway before filling the glass, the musical notes are emanating from the hidden saxophonist’s trumpet. The sound the saxophone makes is indeed one of seduction and passion as we can clearly see. The blue couple represents the ice cubes used in the Campari cocktail, but they also represent passion used in the making of Campari alcohol. The rubber ring duck obviously represents the fun at a pool party, but it also represents safety in more ways than one. It’s cheekily suggesting a condom, for pleasure and safe sex thanks to a ‘rubber’ device…It also represents the orange fruit garnish present on all Campari cocktails. And that’s about it. Campari + Pool Party = Passion, could you be so lucky?
Lifestyle: Movies
This image represents a classic movie theatre scene with an olden looking couple. Campari is after all a drink that has survived over a decade of success and as many ‘classic movies’ hold a special place in our hearts as does Campari an unforgettable taste and treat to behold by many generations of film goers and alcohol connoisseurs alike. A good cocktail at a given time and location is as unforgettable as an enjoyable and memorable trip to the cinema. I think everyone has a great memory of being in a cinema they hold dear. For many people cinema’s would be the first place you’d take your dates, especially when you were younger and there weren’t many other things to do, cinemas were a good place to take a date because you’ve always have something to talk about afterwards, and just like Campari, you’ll either love or hate what the other person has to say about the movie as the actual movie itself. I choose to paint a slightly olden style of cinema to represent the longevity that Campari has rightly enjoyed and to re-enforce that something in history are simply ‘classic’ – and that’s something that can’t be beat, these are the things that will remain throughout time, other things are meant to be forgotten.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Music’
A painting representing a “mash-up” of sensibilities and answering a question that many have posed… What if Beethoven could use modern day equipment to make music? What would It sound like? This is something I think about when I see modern day people enjoying things from the past. Certain things transcend fashion, fad and trend and become timeless classics. Just as the music and genius of Beethoven as the classic and distinguished taste of Campari. Campari hits a certain very distinct and pleasurable ‘note’ on the taste palette, like a well-orchestrated and arranged piece of music a Campari cocktail is a collection of ‘notes’ (flavours) that form a memorable ‘score’ (a cocktail). Beethoven & Campari are very much the same in these respects; they are timeless classics, they started strong and their memory lives on way after the original debut was made and they continue to be celebrated by new generations. The turntable as an instrument and the vinyl as a medium of expressing music too falls into the category of revolutionary & legendary – but in this case it also represents the fine art of ‘mixing’ cocktails.
Theme: Bar & Cocktail – ‘Americano’
Campari has more than one claim to fame, but one of the most well-known is that of fictional character ‘James Bond’ ordering an Americano cocktail in the first ever James Bond novel namely; “Casino Royale.” This piece is about precisely that. Within the piece there is a hidden date marking on the gambling chips dating the creation of Campari at 1860. The style I used for this piece is similar to that of contemporary Poker style graphics thusly blending the old and the new.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Sport and Games’
Polo is a classic sport enjoyed by gentlemen, men of morals and of high social and moral value. This is something I associate with the Campari brand itself. A brand built on supreme reputation and class. Work hard, play hard, after a long grueling game of polo what could taste better than a refreshing Campari cocktail? The man wears a red shirt representing Campari his helmet has a hint of silver and orange representing orange garnish and soda water respectively.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Car’
The woman with orange hair is driving her red car, she is in a world of her own, experiencing the pure thrill of driving. Her ride is classy and her hair is flowing, she is the perfect balance of sensible and skillful yet thrill seeking and fast. The car represents Campari; a solid stable classic such as the car, her hair represents the orange garnish used on Campari cocktails.
Theme: ‘Songkran’
The scene depicts a traditional style outdoor Songkran celebration, a music festival with crowds of party goers; people shooting their waters pistols, dancing to the music, the DJ is a policeman and even an elephant getting involved, this is truly an amazing celebration where everyone can join on a once in a year time to let their hair down, relax and have fun.
In the foreground we see 2 girls shooting their water guns at a business man who is holding up his briefcase in defense, he clearly doesn’t want to get wet, but during Songkran EVERYONE gets wet, even the DJ in this scene is a policeman, even police join in the fun.
The Campari logo writing is done in mock-Thai font also symbolizing that EVERYONE and indeed EVERYTHING gets absorbed and caught up into the playful Songkran spirit, someone should tell the business man to stop resisting, relax and have some fun, there is truly no other way to go about the celebrations, if you got against the ‘flow’ in this situation you are sure to ‘drown
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Fashion’
This ink painting I used the art style similar to that of Fashion illustration. The art piece pays homage to the absurdity and boldness of some fashion ideas we see celebrated on the catwalk. Some people might compare the sharp and bitter taste of Campari to the visually sharp and eccentric features of fashion designers creations and features on the models that wear the clothes.
Theme: Lifestyle – ‘Dancing’
I wanted to go back to a time where things were simpler and olden time where people used gramophones to play music and that music together with your partner and some Campari cocktails is all you needed to celebrate the night in fine style, a time where people put more care and celebration into what little they had. Campari has been around for a long time, I wanted to capture an era from the past, this piece in particular is influenced by the swing music era 1920-1945 – their jovial dancing could coincide with the end of the prohibition of Alcohol in USA.
Theme: Songkran
The scene depicts a traditional style outdoor Songkran celebration, a music festival with crowds of party goers; people shooting their waters pistols, dancing to the music, the DJ is a policeman and even an elephant getting involved, this is truly an amazing celebration where everyone can join on a once in a year time to let their hair down, relax and have fun.
In the foreground we see 2 girls shooting their water guns at a business man who is holding up his briefcase in defense, he clearly doesn’t want to get wet, but during Songkran EVERYONE gets wet, even the DJ in this scene is a policeman, even police join in the fun.
The Campari logo writing is done in mock-Thai font also symbolizing that EVERYONE and indeed EVERYTHING gets absorbed and caught up into the playful Songkran spirit, someone should tell the business man to stop resisting, relax and have some fun, there is truly no other way to go about the celebrations, if you got against the ‘flow’ in this situation you are sure to ‘drown’.
The style of painting I applied gets inspiration and reference from traditional style of Thai 70’s poster art although it’s mixed in with a very playful comic book / cartoon style which again helps represent the playfulness of Songkran celebrations.
