Last September there was a debate about a brass plaque applied on the pavement of the Rialto Bridge in Venice to announce that the structure was restored by Renzo Rosso and the Only The Brave (OTB) group. The company invested 5 million euros (to be precise 5 million and 5 euros, as this is Rosso's favourite number) in the restoration of the 430-year-old structure.
Designed by Antonio da Ponte and finished in 1591, the bridge had never been restored before and it took over 80,000 hours to complete the rather complex operations. Since there were some leftover funds, it was also possible to restore the paved areas under the nearby porticoes.
When the plaque was integrated in the bridge, people on social media complained, highlighting how it felt like the group was boasting about the restoration while other companies that invested their money in similar projects were more discreet.
Yet, while Luxottica didn't even want an advertising banner when in 2015 it donated 1.7 million Euro to the city of Venice to cover the restoration of the Accademia bridge and the future maintenance work, in this case the plaque was actually promised to the company restoring the structure when it won the tender. Besides, many companies often linked with fashion that invest their money in restoring landmark buildings or structures have used them to advertise their products or were honored with a plaque.
In 2015 Versace launched a capsule collection inspired by the domed glass ceiling of the 150,695-square foot Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan that it helped restoring (also Prada contributed to this restoration); Della Valle's Tod's financed works at the Colosseum in Rome and often featured the landmark building in its campaigns; Fendi sponsored the restoration of the Trevi Fountain and of the Quattro Fontane, the four fountains at the intersection of Via delle Quattro Fontane and Via del Quirinale in Rome, and was allowed to celebrate its 90th anniversary in July 2016 with an exclusive show around the fountain. These projects help brands attracting consumers' attention and endorsement and, thanks to special rules and regulations (the "Art Bonus" in Italy, for example) guarantee that the companies involved can receive tax benefits.
But in January there has been a more questionable example merging branding with patronage: Bottega Veneta took over the Great Wall of China for the Lunar New Year. Until 12th January the maison covered a section of the wall with digital screens forming the brand's name on a bright-green backdrop and adding a "Happy New Year" slogan in green on a yellow background.
The Kering-owned fashion house, that released a capsule collection for Lunar New Year with accessories in a tangerine shade, also pledged to make a donation towards the renovation and maintenance of the Shanhai Pass or Shanhaiguan, one of the major passes in the Great Wall of China, and the easternmost stronghold along the Ming Great Wall.
This is not the first time The Great Wall appears in a fashion related project: the historical landmark was indeed chosen as the location for fashion shows such as Pierre Cardin's extravaganza featuring 300 looks in 1979, and Fendi's S/S 2008 runway.
It's only natural to wonder how many brands really see these restoration projects as genuine occasions for them to become patrons of the arts or if they conceive them just as clever marketing exercises in bombastic branding.
Restoring a landmark building is a noble aim and a plaque to acknowledge the funder may not be necessarily evil (if done in an unpretentious way...), but using a section of an iconic monumental construction and well-known tourist attraction as a giant banner may be more controversial and difficult to accept (what next, the warriors of the terracotta army carrying luxury Gucci bags? Wait, don't take this seriously, it was just an ironic remark...). Ensuring the right messaging is indeed key in marketing and branding and maybe offering patronage in a respectful way would be more appreciated by consumers than grand branded exercises.
Mind you, there's something you should be happy about the Bottega Veneta branded Great Wall of China: they say the structure is the only man-made object visible from space, but that's not true, it is indeed very difficult to see or photograph from low Earth orbit. That's a relief to know: a branded Great Wall of China is he last thing you'd want astronauts up there to see.
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