Earlier this year, the multifaceted actor John Turturro appeared unexpectedly in a fashion show for Zegna’s winter collection, sporting a V-neck sweater and a long tweed coat trimmed in fur.
“You would feel that at my age, you don’t get new experiences,” Turturro, 68, told the New York Times. “This was a new experience for me.”
Now, Turturro has had another new experience: being photographed in front of Grand Central Terminal with a small mountain of luggage, trying to hail a yellow cab. It’s the latest installment of the brand’s “It’s not just a bag. It’s Samsonite” campaign, and it debuts today.
“John Turturro was a natural choice,” Samsonite’s senior director of brand marketing Nicole Adriance told ADWEEK. “He embodies character, craft, and timelessness.”
He does indeed, at least judging from reviews of his roles in films like Miller’s Crossing and The Big Lebowski. But the actor’s presence in this campaign undoubtedly says more about Samsonite than it does about Turturro. With its latest work, Samsonite has signaled its intent to move beyond being merely a luggage brand to being an expression of poise, polish, and panache.
Those elusive concepts don’t mean a lot when you say them, but they do come to life through celebrity endorsers. The inaugural face for Samsonite’s campaign, which kicked off in June, was Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard, of whom the company said: “Whether it’s early flights, late-night practices, or showing up under pressure, his story mirrors that of today’s modern traveler: focused, fast-moving, and defined by preparation.”
With Turturro, Adriance drew similar connections between personality and accessory. “Just as a great suitcase improves with every journey,” she said, “John’s legacy as an actor and director deepens with every role.”
For Samsonite, evolving its image is necessary work. The $39 billion luggage sector has grown highly competitive and, since its founding in 1910, Samsonite—named after biblical he-man Samson—has sold itself mostly on strength alone. That attribute is still relevant, of course, but no longer enough at a time when brands like Rimowa and Away have elevated luggage to an outlet for personal expression.
