January 22, 2018, London - With its distinctive style and construction, Zippo lighters have served as a canvas for endless artistic creations throughout the brand’s 86-year history. In 2018, the little lighter has attempted something huge: the creation of a huge 188,368 square foot painting in partnership with world-renowned street artist Ben Eine. The mural is the centerpiece of Zippo’s campaign celebrating art in all its forms.
The new artwork came to life on a truly unconventional canvas: a sparse, industrial ground space in East London. A master of messages, Eine paints large, bright, colorful letters and phrases onto city walls across the globe. For this latest piece, he painted the word ‘CREATE,’ a nod to self-expression and the proudly diverse Zippo windproof lighter range.
“Being a street artist I’ve seen my work come and go over the years with pieces getting painted over and simply eroding,” Eine said. “I like the idea of working with a product that has a lifetime guarantee – a Zippo is an unlikely place that art can have permanence.”
Months in the making, and live for an uncertain amount of time, the artwork serves as a stark reminder of the transient nature of street art. The campaign will culminate in the permanent capture of the momentous work on a limited edition Zippo windproof lighter – a canvas that lasts a lifetime thanks to the brand’s world-famous lifetime guarantee. The lighter has sold out.
“One of the biggest challenges with street art is not knowing how long your work will last; it could be a few more weeks or even a year. The project with Zippo has allowed me to highlight just how short-lived street art can be,” Eine stated. “Luckily, those who love what we’ve done can buy a limited edition lighter that serves as a permanent tribute to the work.”
Lucas Johnson, Zippo global brand manager said, “Zippo lighters have long served as a canvas for art. By capturing Ben’s most challenging work on an iconic windproof lighter we continue to shine a light on unconventional art and celebrate creativity in all its forms.”
For 86 years, Zippo has brought unmatched levels of artistic talent to the smallest of canvases – from the early years of etching and hand-painted details to today’s cutting edge 360 MultiCut engraving process. With more than 300,000 designs created since 1932, the Zippo X Ben Eine partnership showcases the diversity of their windproof lighter range.
