Pirelli: The 2018 Annual Report Celebrates 25 Years Of "Power Is Nothing Without Control"

MILAN, May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- "Power is nothing without control" is the slogan that for exactly 25 years has accompanied the Pirelli brand throughout the world. The company is thus dedicating its 2018 Annual Report to this famous catch phrase, celebrating its anniversary with stories by three international writers, a video and a series of photographic images which propose a few of its many possible interpretations.

The fortunate launch of the 'Power is nothing without control' campaign depicted Carl Lewis, photographed by Annie Leibowitz, in the classic position of a sprinter in the starting blocks while wearing high-heeled red shoes – an image which has become legendary. The photograph, taken in Texas in 1994 and an icon of advertising creativity, conveys a message that has lasted through the years because it is rooted in the product, the tire, and at the same time able to go beyond the limits of the material: in a car, as in life, "power is nothing without control." A timeless reflection whose interpretations are inexhaustible because it has left it to the men and women of every era to find a point of balance between two seemingly contradictory elements.

This exercise in synthesis also involves the three authors involved in the Pirelli's 2018 Annual Report – the Americans Adam Greenfield, Lisa Halliday and J.R. Moehringer – with each proposing a personal interpretation of power and control in spheres also related to Pirelli: technology, sport and culture.

For Adam Greenfield, in a piece centered on technology, "the distinction between power and control ranks among the central challenges of our time. Our Promethean technologies offer us more and more power by the day, but the plain fact is that we haven't yet learned how to control them."

J.R. Moehringer, in his story dedicated to sport, writes: "We all make the mistake now and then of thinking the great athletes, actors, painters, doctors, entrepreneurs, et al., are gifted with special powers. In fact everyone has special powers. The ones who succeed are the ones who find ways of achieving durable, consistent control over their powers."

In "Hurrying Slowly," a reflection on art and culture, Lisa Halliday states: "Art is a journey, a distance traveled by the consciousness. This is true for both artist and viewer, performer and audience, writer and reader. The power that propels such a journey is nothing without control because control is what harnesses artistic potential and directs it."

A video made by the Young&Rubicam agency, which 25 years ago came up with the Carl Lewis campaign, accompanies the three authors' works. It depicts power as an interior force that pushes man to always go beyond and control as an indispensable factor in the achievement of any goal. The concepts contained in the video are also illustrated through a series of photographs that enrich the print version of the Annual Report.

Pirelli Communications and Media Relations – North America:
Maria Stella Narciso • 1 762 235 9179 • [email protected] 
www.pirelli.com 

SOURCE Pirelli

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