Italy: The Future's Bright, The Future's Digital

Stuck somewhere between genesis and apocalypse, Italy’s ad industry struggles in the midst of broiling economic turmoil, with lay-offs more abundant than briefs. But, as Joe Lancaster learns, out of the wreckage a new generation of digital-savvy creatives is putting a silver lining on a very dark cloud. They could even sway who wins the country’s all-important election

If it’s true that it never rains, but it pours, then Italy could do with some country-sized scuba gear.

The last time shots visited Milan, in early 2011, people could barely look you in the eye thanks to the humiliation that Berlusconi had subjected them to – their government was the laughing stock of the world. But while Mario Monti has since brought back some credibility to Italy’s reputation, its economy is in turmoil and that has had a double-edged effect on its ad industry.

“The last 18 months have been, to use Biblical terms, both an apocalypse and a genesis for Italian creativity,” say Federico Pepe and Stefania Siani, creative directors at DLV BBDO Milan. “The situation at many Italian branches of international networks has become critical, forcing them to restructure and downsize. The crisis has proved irreversible, particularly where management had not prepared the agency for integrated work by grafting on crucial new skills in planning, analysis, digital and social. Many managers have paid a high price for this short-sightedness.”

Ciao baby, come back soon

In 2011 and 20102, a number of Italian agencies changed their ECDs and, in some cases, even CEOs as they watched outfits with digital prowess leave them behind, but those who’ve looked for the silver lining in the cloud have succeeded, say Michele Mariani and Marco Faccio, creative directors at Armando Testa. “These periods are particularly fertile for innovation. New market rules require new responses from the world of creativity; that’s why you work more and more on [developing new] communication platforms. It’s in these complicated market conditions that courageous companies and ideas tend to emerge.”

It’s a similar story on the production front, says Giada Risso, executive producer at one of those courageous companies; integrated creative, production and design studio abstract:groove.

“It’s definitely evolving. Working on productions that often have limited budgets but still demand outstanding results forces you to find alternative creative solutions, making the process a stimulating challenge for everyone involved,” she explains. “Nowadays, creating an advertising campaign would be impossible without a tight team of creatives thinking outside the box.”

There’s undoubtedly still a hotbed of talent in Italian production, with beautiful work recently including Silent Film for Progetto Itaca, by Y&R Milan and Filmmaster; Anachronism for Toyota by Saatchi & Saatchi Milan and Akita Film; and Back to Rock for Rolling Stone by DLV BBDO and Svperbe. The ‘old guard’ of established directors like Federico Brugia and Giuseppe Capotondi continue to knock out solid spots while youngsters like Igor Borghi, Luigi Pane (CD at abstract:groove), Marco Gentile and CRIC reassure that the future is in safe hands. You can read about Gentile and CRIC on pages 78 and 82 respectively.

“There is a well prepared and talented wave of young Italian directors and cinematographers trying to establish a style on their own and market it all over the world,” says Leone Balduzzi, owner and CD of production company K48, which has only been operating since 2007 but has so far weathered the crisis. How have they managed it?

“The advertising production panorama is changing radically. Not many of the production companies can survive [by] preserving traditional approaches to the market,” Balduzzi explains. “It’s during economic downturns that we keep investing in creativity and interactivity and we are one of the first production companies in Italy that has opened a division of web design and programming.”

Every member of staff at K48 has lived abroad at one time or another and Balduzzi believes that understanding the workings of the international market is essential for the company to develop. “In order to improve ourselves, we must look at what arrives from abroad without making the mistake of imitating it in a sterile, slavish or foolish way.”

Despite the promising emerging talent, Italy still suffers from a system where production companies generally do not represent directors exclusively, something that’s bad for everyone, according to Balduzzi: “The whole process penalises all the directors and doesn’t allow production companies to form a precise creative style or identity on their own.”

The digital dress rehearsal

When it comes to new media, BBDO’s Pepe and Siani feel Italy is still at a ‘dress rehearsal’ stage. “There are very few organisations – DLV BBDO is one of them – that can offer integrated projects in the framework of a unified vision and management, developed by a single agency,” they say. There have been a handful of exciting digital campaigns however, such as The Beauty of a Second for Montblanc (a Branded Content gold Lion-winner) by Leo Burnett Milan; and Integration Day for Coordown by Saatchi & Saatchi Milan, one of not just Italy’s, but the world’s finest campaigns of last year, scooping eight Lions. Read about it on page 76.

“It’s interesting to note that the creative gap between cinema, TV and web is closing, and how commercials developed for the web are actually influencing the productions in traditional media,” muses Luigi Pane. “Lately the most interesting productions we worked on were originally commissioned for the web, yet after showing the results, we’ve often been asked to adapt it for cinema, TV or print.”

The general consensus is that continuing to explore new media and developing ways of using it is key to the growth of the Italian industry. According to Pepe and Siani, it’s social media that will dictate the outcome of Italy’s imminent general election. “Many advertising agencies are working on communication projects for the election campaign. We believe that the party which manages successfully to use social media and adopt the right approach will win. Beppe Grillo’s Five Star Movement, which now has 17 per cent of the vote according to opinion polls, is a phenomenon that began life in digital media.”

Whoever wins the election will have a huge task on their hands to drag the Italian economy out of the mire and give hope to young people, but it’s possible with projects like Armando Testa’s Ripartiamo dalle idee (let’s begin with new ideas). Developed in conjunction with Corriere della Sera (Italy’s biggest-selling daily newspaper), Bocconi University and Intesa Sanpaolo Bank, the competition called for innovative business ideas and received 300 submissions, the first successful ones of which are currently being launched.

“The real Italian resource is creativity. We just have to believe it and invest in young and innovative projects,” says Armando Testa’s Mariani and Faccio. “At the end the tunnel, there is always a beautiful light!”