18 May 2016 16:01
Rome, 18 May 2016 - Alitalia today launched a new global brand campaign with the worldwide premiere of a new television commercial at the Nazionale Spazio Eventi in Rome, attended by hundreds of representatives of the global media and specially invited guests. The television commercial celebrates the Italian airline as it faces the future with renewed vigour and vitality, following a successful restructure in 2014, which saw it also introduce a series of enhancements and upgrades to its inflight product and fleet.
Cramer Ball, Alitalia’s Chief Executive
Officer, said: “Italy is the embodiment
of beauty, warmth, passion, hospitality and a way of life celebrated the world
over. It is an undisputed leader of style and innovative design. The Alitalia
of today, as a national symbol, is imbued with the finest qualities for which
this country is famous. It is with this spirit that we introduce our new global
brand campaign, starting with a television commercial which presents the best
of Italy and the importance that the country enjoys on the world stage.”
The new campaign showcases Alitalia as a
modern airline, its commitment to excellence in all areas of its operations,
and the pride and passion of its talented people, who are the driving force
behind the progress the airline has made since its re-launch. It also strives
to represent Italian excellence around the world, to promote a vibrant nation at
the forefront of design and style, highlighting its arts, culture and
landscapes.
Two
weeks of video and photo shoots took place in a variety of locations including
Alitalia’s hub at Rome’s Fiumicino airport and onboard its aircraft. The
campaign’s photography collection was produced at studios in Milan.
Pierpaolo
Ferrari, one of the most highly acclaimed fashion photographers in Italy, was
commissioned by Alitalia to capture the nuances of Italian beauty, including a
set of stunning images of its new uniform collection, designed by Milan based
haute couturier Ettore Bilotta.
The
campaign also integrates a series of web videos revealing aspects of Italian
warmth and hospitality, the skill and experience which has propelled Alitalia
along a remarkable renewal process, and a selection of interviews with the
airline’s industry partners, who include exclusive and quintessentially Italian
brands such as Poltrona Frau, Lavazza, Ettore Bilotta, diego
dalla palma Milano, Cantine Ferrari, Atelier Fragranze Milano, and architect Marco Piva, who created the airline’s new
‘Casa Alitalia’ airport lounge designs.
The feature will be shown on global TV stations in
major markets such as Italy, the USA, Brazil and Germany in both 60 and 30
second formats, and on social media channels, with still versions of the
campaign appearing in print, digital and on outdoor channels. A
strong focus will be placed on digital channels with a strategic presence on
main news portals, entertainment websites and on social networks, and on mobile
devices and tablets.
The Alitalia brand story has been visually interpreted
by award-winning director Federico Brugia, whose
work includes motion pictures, music
videos and commercials for major brands including BMW, Damiani, Audi, and Dolce
& Gabbana. His music industry collaborations include Elton John, Malika
Ayane, and the late Luciano Pavarotti, among others.
Mr.
Brugia said: “This short film has provided
an opportunity to create a visual and emotional piece of work which connects Alitalia’s
brand and vision directly with the heart and mind of the viewer. Whether they
are Italian or from elsewhere around the world, we wanted to deliver the same
message, and that is one of Italian passion and culture, expressed through the
experience and achievements of its airline.”
The concept for the new campaign was created and developed by communication agency Leo Burnett Italia,
part of Leo Burnett Worldwide, one of the world’s leading advertising agencies,
and part of the giant Publicis Groupe. Media strategy and planning were managed
by Starcom, leading worldwide media agency and referent agency for the Etihad
Airways Partners group.
Alitalia commissioned award-winning Italian singer
Malika Ayane to provide the vocals for the title track of the television
commercial, the timeless Italian song ‘Volare’. The singer, who is famous in
Italy for her raw, emotional musical style, also performed the song live at the
official launch event of the new advertising campaign in Rome.
The new campaign is on
air from today and can be viewed on the Alitalia.com website.