The making of the Railway Workers Day poster

August 2 is the Railway Workers Day and also the Airborne Forces Day. Trying to combine the two holidays in one poster. At first glance, railway personnel and airborne troops have nothing in common. The second glance doesn’t help either. Just the date: a double holiday on the Second of August. Let’s go with the doubling.

August 2. How many fingers do you see? Twice as many reasons to drink.

Art director: We need two different posters.

Then let’s start with the railways. Switches, locomotives—nothing. Drinking from glasses in tea glass holders, drinking champagne from glasses in tea glass holders, a congratulation from Tolstoy, a picture of traditional train food wrapped in tin foil.

Art director: The glass holders are cool.

Now for the airborne forces. A difficult subject. Let’s try it like this: a mirage in the desert, Manneken Pis inviting to freshen up, a chocolate fountain under threat.

Art director: Nope, not cool. Last time we had a sailor’s vest with a beer belly, that was really good. And what you have today are just jokes without much sense.

Yep. How about an Instagram picture of legs in a fountain with coins at the bottom?

Art director: Maybe, marble figurines of troops on a fountain?

That’s just too complex. Huh, we haven’t used Magritte yet! How could we? And also, blue berets in the sky and among them a flying saucer, also an airborne force of sorts.

Art director: You might still have time to use Magritte before we finally put an end to all stylized designs :-)

But there just isn’t enough time, so we put it away for next year. Happy Railway Workers Day, choo-choo!