2021 Brand Experience & Activation

THE KISS OF DANTE AND BEATRICE

TitleTHE KISS OF DANTE AND BEATRICE
BrandUNILEVER
Product/ServiceMAGNUM
Category C03. Exhibitions / Installations
Entrant LOLA MULLENLOWE Madrid, SPAIN
Idea Creation LOLA MULLENLOWE Madrid, SPAIN
Credits
Name Company Position
Julien Barraux Unilever Global Brand Vice President, Magnum
Ben Curtis Unilever Global Brand Director, Magnum
Eleonora Acierno Unilever Brand Director, Magnum Italy
Giulia Sanna Unilever Brand Manager, Magnum Italy
Tomas Ostiglia LOLA-MullenLowe Executive Creative Director
Tom Elliston Lola-MullenLowe Managing Director
Jorge Zacher Lola-MullenLowe Creative Director
Kevin Cabuli Lola-MullenLowe Creative Director
Manuel Castillo Lola-MullenLowe Associate Creative Director
Yan Graller de Oliveira Lola-MullenLowe Art Director
Manuel Castillo Lola-MullenLowe Copywriter
Enrique Torguet Lola-MullenLowe Copywriter
Bruna Bonzato Freelance Digital Copywriter
Flora Bell Lola-MullenLowe Global Account Director
Oscar Fernandez-Baca Lola-MullenLowe Global Account Director
Mar Roig LOLA-MullenLowe Account Supervisor
Felipe Calviño Lola-MullenLowe Head of Production:
Jorge Saade Lola-MullenLowe Producer
LANDIA Production House LANDIA Production Company
Nico Cabuche LANDIA Executive Producer
Alberto López LANDIA Producer
Maxi Blanco Landia Director production
Big Sync Music Big Sync Music Partner
LANDIA Production House LANDIA Post-Production
Golin Italy PR Agency PR Agency
Xister * Digital Agency Digital Agency
Apload * Activation Agency Activation Agency
Mindshare * Mindshare Media Agency

Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?

Because it is a brand activation that is new. It is the creation of a work of art with cultural interest and with enough relevance to become something that people want to visit and contemplate. It's a new way of relating to the brand through culture and art but ultimately communicating what Magnum always communicates: True to pleasure. In addition, all this culminates with the painting exhibited in a renowned museum such as the Scuderie del Quirinale. In short, art lovers watching an ad in the form of a painting that shares space with works by Caravaggio, Bernini or Botticelli.

Background

Magnum Italy was going to launch for Dante’s 700th death anniversary an ice cream line based on his most important piece: The Divine Comedy. Therefore, besides a campaign that promoted their newly made ice creams, the brand wanted to honor the great writer and contribute to Italian culture. Hence, they built everything around the brand positioning: pleasure. With this piece the brand was looking for local and international press recognition. Moreover, it was also crucial to make a great exit on Dante’s anniversary in which the brand had been involved the whole year with the launching of their ice creams.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

700 hundred years ago the greatest referent on Italian literature, Dante Alighieri, fell in love with Beatrice Portinari. Ever since then, Beatrice became his muse, guiding him in his most important piece “The Divine Comedy”. Unfortunately, that love never came to life. Until today. 700 years after, Magnum and Roberto Ferri, the pope’s portraitist, created an artwork showing the kiss that Beatrice and Dante never had.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Due to Dante’s relevance in Italian culture, the target was the whole Italian society and media. To make such achievement, it was crucial to partner with the greatest referent from Italian renaissance of the moment. Along being backed by Dante Alighieri’s official Society.

Describe the execution (30% of vote)

In a work that took more than two months, the artist investigated, sketched and portrayed the work with the same techniques that were used thousands of years ago. The painting was presented and exhibited in Palazzo Firenze de Roma, official headquarters of Dante Alighieri’s Society. As well as in a digital exhibition, in which everyone could discover all the secrets behind it. For a month, people could physically visit the portrait. Subsequently, they will be able to do it in April at the prestigious Italian museum Scuderie del Quirinale.

List the results (30% of vote)

The play thrilled all Italy: more than 12.000 people went to visit this historic event and the painting got to the heart of more than 60 million people. The campaign obtained 98% of positive feelings and became the most successful one in Magnum Italia. Furthermore, a great number of national and international media spread the news and after this repercussion the prestigious museum of Scuderie del Quirinale wanted to exhibit the painting. It will remain there, displayed along with other works of great painters like Caravaggio, Bernini or Botticelli.