It’s a gray Wednesday morning and I’m chasing Peter Arnell through the streets of midtown Manhattan. We’re supposed to be going for a walk. But Arnell doesn’t walk. He dashes — from Brioni, which does his tailoring, to Hatsuhana, his favorite sushi restaurant, to the Seagram building, where he offers me an impromptu lecture about the building’s architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Arnell wears a gray Tom Ford suit and his trademark Corbusier-style eyeglasses. He puffs on a Zino Platinum cigar — a brand he helped create — and talks to just about everyone. 
 

Peter Arnell has created a reputation as a visionary adman. Often featuring stark black-and-white photography, his campaigns stand out. A selection:

On the Map: Arnell’s most iconic work, the DKNY campaign — featuring building-size murals — was “extraordinarily instrumental in launching the company,” says Donna Karan. It branded Arnell himself as a genius, too.

Stamped in Steel: ConEd and the New York City Fire Department are two clients from the less glitzy part of Arnell’s portfolio.

The Box Is the Ad: This Samsung microwave image became an unlikely hit.

Reebok’s Revamp: “Terry Tate: Office Linebacker,” which Arnell did in 2003, is one of the most popular Super Bowl spots of all time.

‘Gravitational Pull’: The redrawn Pepsi logo resembles a smile. Rivals delighted in Arnell’s pretentious pitch memo that leaked — but PepsiCo says sales are up.

Out of Juice?: The new Tropicana carton was heavily criticized for looking too much like a generic store brand.