Heal’s Showcases Unequalled Design Credentials with Sculptural Chair Installation

Heal’s, the iconic contemporary furniture and homewares retailer, has unveiled a new campaign to support the launch of its Spring-Summer 2020 collection. The initiative was developed in partnership with creative agency ELVIS.

‘Not all things are created equal’, which is the first work to launch following Heal’s appointment of ELVIS as its lead creative agency in 2019, aims to increase awareness of the retailer’s brand, making it front of mind as a key destination for furniture purchases, as well as a source of design inspiration and expertise. The campaign also showcases Heal's belief in the value of timeless design that lasts a lifetime.

In order to showcase the retailer’s design credentials, Heal’s and ELVIS partnered with photographer Luke Kirwan and set constructors Cloud & Horse to build a 16 x 10-foot sculptural wall of chairs, all painted a uniform blue to form the backdrop for an iconic chair from the Heal’s collection. The campaign line ‘Not all things are created equal’ is hand-painted across the wall of chairs as anamorphic text, revealed in stop frame motion in animated out-of-home, digital and social executions.

The campaign features Arne Jacobsen’s iconic Egg Chair in luxury Walnut Grace leather. The timeless classic was chosen to represent the fact that Heal’s furniture is designed to last a lifetime, not fade with fashion. The Egg chair features in the illustrious history of Heal’s advertising, having first been featured in a 1967 campaign called ‘Heal’s have Denmark’, when Heal’s was the first store in the UK to sell the iconic piece.

The sculptural backdrop was made from 100 second-hand chairs, and it took over 200 hours to create.

The push will run across print, digital out-of-home and digital and social channels.

Ruth Cotterell, head of marketing, Heal’s, said: “There are countless pieces of furniture in the world, but not many like those in Heal’s. Instead of a disposable and throwaway society, we believe in designs that last a lifetime. We’re incredibly proud of our carefully curated collection of contemporary designer pieces, and this beautifully crafted campaign really reflects our status as arbiters of long-lasting, quality furniture.”

Rob Griffiths, creative director, ELVIS, added: “Heal’s sells beautiful, iconic pieces that stand the test of time. We wanted to create a campaign that would embody these values and bring the brand to a new audience. It would have been easier to use 3D modelling or other digital techniques to create the piece, but it was really important to us that our methods reflected the design and craftmanship that goes into every Heal’s piece.”