Spiritual Travel

In past few weeks, I have noticed a few travel ads around London that share a similar visual model. Both feature a person's face rendered slightly transparent, a landscape stretching out in the background. Each one speaks in spiritual language; they speak of an interior life, the heart, the soul.



I have seen that Eurostar has created the same visual model for different destinations (I've seen an add for Provence, a visual billboard that actually moves, the winds of travel gusting through). These ads thus make the rail service seem to be a type of guru/enabler -- leading you to the core of a distant place. These ads very smartly play on the sentiment I've definitely felt of discovering a new city, the excitement of travel and enjoying the unfolding of the unknown.

I have to say that I rather like the idea, and find the advertisements appealing (did they come from the same ad agency? or did two people have the same idea?), yet, it is funny to step back and gain a little perspective.