Paper Prison – A Revolutionary Poster Experience Honoring Nelson Mandela

 

At the 61st Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France a revolutionary poster honoring Nelson Mandela received the Gold Design Lions award.
The poster “Paper Prison,” submitted by  Interbrand New York, celebrates the life of South Africa’s former president and the iconic activist, Nelson Mandela.
As described in the Interbrand press release:
“Composed of multiple pages, Interbrand’s award-winning poster unfolds into an 8 x 7 foot rectangle when placed on the ground—creating a space almost exactly the same size as Mandela’s prison cell on Robben Island, South Africa, where he served most of his 27-year sentence. Against a yellow background, it reads: “He illuminated the world from an 8-foot cell.” The contrast of the black type against a yellow backdrop was designed to transport viewers into Mandela’s darkness during those 27 years—a darkness illuminated only by his enduring optimism and spirit.”