L’Erbolario, an Italian excellence in the sector of cosmetics from plant origins, is celebrating 45 years since its founding. On this occasion they have entrusted Armando Testa, by direct assignation, with the development of a new integrated communication project. The first step in the new collaboration was a strategic workshop where the agency and client worked as a team to define the values the brand embodies, identifying the most important assets of the Brand Belief, the communication objectives and the creative territory to dominate.
With their commitment to ensuring 100% made in Italy production, L’Erbolario has always cultivated the idea of beauty which is accessible to everyone. They combine the care and meticulousness of an artisan herbalist with the science and research and innovation of a forward-thinking company. What makes them unique is that their production is in total harmony with nature: L’Erbolario has always supported ethical cosmetics, and in 2021 it decided to become a Benefit Company, confirming its commitment to acting in a sustainable, inclusive and transparent way with regard to people, animals and the environment.
“Every choice we make, even the smallest ones, counts” – says Luigi Bergamaschi, Marketing Director of L’Erbolario and one of the two children of the founders – and today we want to make more and more people aware of how our story, our values and our commitment are reflected every day in every one of our products. Choosing L’Erbolario means choosing to be part of this difference.”
And it was precisely from this discovery that the visual and conceptual idea for the new campaign came to life: l’Abbraccio (the Embrace). An iconic and symbolic embrace between man and nature, and, above all, a mutual embrace. As if the flowers, leaves, plants and trees were all clinging tightly onto those who take so much from them, but who also give them so much back in return. The first two subjects, Ortensia and Tiglio, (Hydrangea and Linden) together with the new claim “Chi abbraccia la natura fa nascere bellezza” (Embrace nature and bring beauty to life) were filmed in the nature park belonging to L’Erbolario, a clear choice strongly desired by Franco Bergamaschi and Daniela Villa, founders of L’Erbolario, and their children Giulia and Luigi indeed by the whole company team. Every day they pay the utmost attention to respecting the concept of “authenticity and transparency” which makes L’Erbolario such a unique and special story.
“We were struck by L’Erbolario’s philosophy – the words of the Armando Testa team – Today sustainability is a widely used word, sometimes “abused”. For L’Erbolario it was a founding pillar of a precise choice made 45 years ago, and a key commitment never taken for granted. A desire to establish an equitable relationship with nature, based on the principle that every gift the earth gives us should always be returned, this is an example of enlightened management which makes us proud to work together.”
The campaign will be on air from mid-November 2023 and it will be a multi-channel project, developed for press, digital, social, up to 180 stores and signs for more than 4 thousand official stockists.
The Digital Unit of the Armando Testa Group was tasked with developing an all-inclusive digital video strategy, entirely created by Armando Testa Studios, which includes the development of a range of video subjects – Family, Methods, Territory – which describe the Brand and its value, as well as videos featuring interviews which give an insight into the L’Erbolario world thanks to the words and storytelling from L’Erbolario people and the founders of the company. We learn more about the themes of innovation, the labs, bio-diversity, environment and sustainability, science, research and security. The team was also responsible for managing the look and feel of the section on the site, in harmony with the key visual of the Embrace, it illustrates the new campaign concept and contains all the product contents.
Credits:
Creative Direction: Monica Pirocca and Michela Sartorio
Digital creative Direction: Paolo Fenoglio and Gabriella De Stefano
Head of Strategy: Guglielmo Pezzino
Client Director: Stefano Salvatore
Strategic Team: Matteo Belcastro
Creative Team: Chiara De Michelis, Chiara Bonventre, Francesca Palazzo
Social Media Manager: Sara Zavattaro
Photographic Shots: Marco Bertani
Post production: Alessandro Bavari
Agent: Carla Pozzi
Video Production Company: Armando Testa Studios
Director: Luca Grafner
Music: OperaMusic
