SAS South America Toucans

This original South America travel poster for Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) was designed by Otto Nielsen. The striking composition features two vividly painted toucans set against a lush, expressive jungle background, with a jet aircraft subtly integrated into the sky—an elegant visual metaphor linking exotic destinations with modern air travel.

Rendered in bold, painterly brushstrokes and saturated greens, yellows, and blacks, the design reflects the modernist graphic language SAS favored in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Otto Nielsen’s work is known for its expressive color, dynamic forms, and ability to distill a destination’s atmosphere into a single, memorable image, all of which are clearly present here.

Issued during SAS’s expansion into long-haul intercontinental routes, this poster exemplifies the airline’s reputation for commissioning high-quality, artist-driven advertising rather than purely photographic imagery.

The poster is in very good condition, with strong colors and only light age wear, making it a fine and collectible example of classic mid-century airline travel art.