illy launches new integrated campaign, "Welcome on the Road to Happiness" - a circular path paved with quality, inclusion and respect

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Jul 28, 2021, 13:41 ET

NEW YORK, July 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- illycaffè launches a new integrated global communication campaign today in the U.S., built around a compelling core premise and adapted for a wide variety of formats and digital channels.

The campaign, "Welcome on the Road to Happiness," highlights the inclusive, shared and social value of the quest for happiness as a common heritage – in particular, the many who contribute to making the little wonder that is a cup of coffee. Evoking the vibrant atmosphere around coffee's long journey from cultivation to consumption, the campaign conveys the essence of the illy brand in its three pillars: product quality (Good), social and environmental sustainability (Goodness), and art and aesthetics (Beauty).

"Welcome on the Road to Happiness" explores a place where the skillful hands of growers, supported by illy's green coffee experts, produce their best coffee beans in the most sustainable way; where illy coffee experts then select nine different varieties of the highest-quality Arabica coffee, and integrates them in perfect balance to achieve the unique illy blend; where baristas not only make coffee, but offer an extraordinary experience; and where artists contribute their distinct ideas of beauty, giving their finishing touch and providing universal access to their art, every day.

In fact, Michelangelo Pistoletto, one of the world's greatest living artists who has worked with illy for over 20 years, is also contributing to the campaign to point out the inseparable relation between illy coffee, quality and art, and how the latter completes and enhances the rest.

The campaign portrays happiness as a circular path with memorable filming techniques that show a deeper meaning of indelible happiness: a daily quest that brings people together and comes to fruition in our social lives and actions of inclusion and mutual support. It comprises what is perhaps the greatest cultural lesson from the difficult time the world is going through: we are genuinely happy when others are happy too, not at the expense of other people. It translates to the campaign's conception of happiness as a "circular path focusing on people" (to quote from the campaign itself), where everyone can contribute to a world founded in care and respect for people and the environment. The new campaign also pays tribute to Trieste, Italy, where illycaffè was founded, featuring clips of its historic seaside location and unforgettable main square, Piazza Unità d'Italia.

"The campaign aims, first and foremost, to communicate what has been driving illy for more than three generations: the mission to offer the best coffee in the world and make people smile," said Massimiliano Pogliani, illycaffè CEO. "But there's also a deeper meaning to this: implementing the great values of our time, as conceived by a company based on ethics, promoting shared wellbeing, and looking at the future with optimism and hope. There's a common drive to build, also in daily life, a better world based on sustainability, transparency, and enhancing people value. These are the same values that have enabled us to become the first Italian coffee company to obtain the B Corp certification. 'Welcome on the Road to Happiness' is a journey from the bean to the cup, as well as the path of an authentic human spirit".

The eclectic American director, writer, and artist André Stringer was selected to film the campaign. He masterly built an image-based narrative that carries powerful messages about illy's brand and identity.

"Coffee is associated with creativity; it's an extraordinary ally in the creative effort conveying a sense of energy and vitality, excitement, and euphoria," said Stringer. "Coffee is also a powerful symbol of social life and an incredible opportunity to connect."

The campaign was conceived with IPG Coffee Table, the strategic-creative think tank of Interpublic Group and designed with its proprietary process, "Open Architecture," which is based on the international selection of the best talents of the holding company to provide a customized response to meet the needs of global customers depending on their regions and markets.

The campaign includes different formats: the digital format on asset display, and the video formats of :60, :30, and :15.

CREDITS:

Director - André Stringer
DP - John Lynch

Executive Producer - Debora Magnavacca
Production Manager - Antonio Radice Fossati
Producer - Guglielmo Fava
Junior Producer - Francesca Bellone
Post Producer - Roberta Caimi

Art Department - Andrea Rosso
Styling - Daniela Verdenelli

Editor - Vilma Conte
Social Content Editor - Romina Bagatin
Post-Production - EDI

KV Photographers - FM Photographers
Director Social Content - Danae Mauro

illycaffè is an Italian family-owned company, founded in Trieste in 1933. Its mission has always been to offer the best coffee to the world. Illycaffè produces a unique 100% Arabica blend, combining 9 of the best varieties in the world, selected by illycaffè: every day 8 million cups of illy coffee are served in over 140 countries around the globe, in the cafés, restaurants and hotels, in single-brand cafés and shops, at home. As a result of its innovations, illycaffè contributes to the coffee technology progress at global level. In 1991, the "Premio Ernesto Illy de qualidade sustentavel do cafè para espresso" was launched in Brazil for quality espresso coffee. Illycaffè has contributed to the sharing of the know-how, paying growers a premium price for the best quality selected by illycaffè. Since 2016, with the "Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award", the company has celebrated coffee growers all over the world that, according to illy, have produced the best sustainable coffee. Since 2013, the company has been in the list of the World Most Ethical Companies. In 2019, it enhanced its commitment to pursue a sustainable business model integrating the interest of people with the environment, adopting the status of Società Benefit (Benefit Company) and adding this commitment into its own bylaws. In 2021, illycaffè was the first Italian company in the coffee sector to obtain the international certification as B Corp as a result of its commitment to comply with the highest standards of social and environmental performance. The company also founded the University of Coffee, which has the objective of sharing culture at all levels, offering a comprehensive and practical training to growers, baristas and coffee lovers. Everything that is "made in illy" is about beauty and art, the founding principles of the brand, starting from its logo, designed by artist James Rosenquist, up to illy Art Collection cups, decorated by over 100 international artists. In 2020 the company employed 1291 people and posted consolidated revenues of € 446.5 million. There are 261 illy single-brand shops in over 40 countries all over the world. In 2021, Rhone Capital became a minority shareholder of illycaffè with the aim of contributing to the company's international growth plans.

For any further information:
www.illy.com

SOURCE illy