Songs, images, people, scents, astronauts, sports, inspirations, and caroselli (carousel advertising shows). Advertising has always been one of the Consortium’s focus points. The question was: how do we come up with a simple and immediate way to talk about the quality and uniqueness of a product that has such important values – and it is also a living legacy? How can we bring this product closer to people to make them truly feel that it is part of their daily lives?

This is the story of that journey, travelling through television, radio, testimonials, press, projects, sports, and so much more.

2004 was the 70th anniversary of the Consortium. It was an important moment in time, mainly because it was an opportunity to look back through the archives and see the value of this great tradition. And once the Consortium came to this realisation, the production company DIAVIVA was entrusted with the extraordinary task of recovering all of the materials, which would go on to create the Consortium’s advertising archive.

The Consortium’s television advertising has always been the main character and the preferred means of reaching the consumer. The objective, of course, was and still is to interpret and convey the quality of Parmigiano Reggiano, its values, and the imagery it evokes. The brand aims to connect deeply with people to make them feel that Parmigiano Reggiano is good for everyone.

The Consortium’s choices have always travelled in this direction. The first testimonial was in 1961: Giorgio Gaber. We see him in a commercial where he sings a ballad about Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, touching on production, branding, and nutritional values.

Genuine and delicious, he who eats it is a wise man, it is a great cheese… Parmigian Reggian!

– Giorgio Gaber

In 1962, the commercial with Gino Bramieri was filmed on the set of “L’assassino si chiama Pompeo ” (“The assasin’s name is Pompeo”) or “Parmigiano Reggiano accompagnami tu!” (“Parmigiano Reggiano, come with me”), and “I casi sono due” (“There cases are two”) with Francesco Mulè. Then came the caroselli (carousel advertising shows), such as the one with Arnoldo Foà, entitled “Alla ricerca dei tesori nascosti” (“In search of hidden treasures”), and others with Aldo Beldì. In short, the ads were lively, energetic, and full of famous names, and the Consortium decided to entrust its leadership to experienced advertising executives such as Aldo Beldì and Armando Testa.

Despite its limitations, television managed to speak to the hearts of viewers, entertaining them, inspiring empathy, and forging an attachment to the values of Parmigiano Reggiano. The ads always tried to act as a “guide” for the public on the subject of food and to raise awareness about protecting the quality of Italy’s gastronomic heritage.

All the prerequisites were there to make lasting and memorable commercials. There was lively music, and an active visual register, capable of entertaining and sending messages with immediacy and simplicity. This was the time of catchphrases such as Briganti e mattacchioni, I casi sono due, Manca un puntino, La più dolce la trova Giovanni (Brigands and jokers, The cases are two, A dot is missing, Giovanni finds the sweetest one).

Then the 2000s arrived.
The Consortium felt stimulated to do something new while still maintaining that original quality and continuing the conversation between Parmigiano Reggiano and the public, which had lasted for forty years.

The Consortium chose Leo Bertozzi as Director. It was a perfect match. The advertising had a lighter hand and self-deprecating tones, immediately ready to connect with the realm of memories and playfulness. The new testimonial? The ‘undisciplined cow’.

The examples of the new promotional initiatives were clear and immediate. Fruit and vegetables that sing and dance, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese was a big stage. There was the famous musical Pa pa pa, entertaining and unforgettable. And there was a Christmas ad called the “snowfall of Parmigiano Reggiano”:

Press ads adopted solutions that were different from television campaigns. Some of the more famous examples are the “Aerial View”, featured in the TV campaign of the Jumping Cow, where a map of the area is juxtaposed with a piece of Parmigiano cheese.

The cheese sector has several events, and the Consortium has always attended the main exhibitions. There are festivals and tradeshows at the national and international level. One example is the World Cheese Award, a cheese competition at which the National Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Team participates.

The collaboration with Slow Food takes the Consortium to the Salone del Gusto one year, and to Cheese in Bra another year. And we also have Cibus in the area, in Parma.

Part of the Consortium’s presence is also seen through projects related to children’s education and food education in general, culminating in the “Caseifici Aperti” experience. This initiative started the year after the 2012 earthquake, inviting guests to experience the Parmigiano Reggiano area, places, and spaces where this cheese is made. Caseifici Aperti is a magical day that always leaves you satisfied, making you want to continue having Parmigiano Reggiano with everything.

Parmigiano Reggiano cheese has always attracted the world of sports, thanks to its connection with the surrounding lands, the fact that it is a clean and healthy food, and its nutritional values as well. Getting into the sporting sphere was central to the Consortium’s marketing and promotions because sport is, much like the ideals of Parmigiano Reggiano, a way to bring people together.

In the 2000s, we saw the presence of Parmigiano Reggiano at the Giro d’Italia and at the Beijing and Vancouver Olympics. There have also been sponsorships for basketball, skiing, and volleyball. More recently there has also been a focus on the world of rugby. As far as football is concerned, however, marketing is more on the local level.

In the 1990s, all the sports arenas in the area had a Parmigiano Reggiano banner.

The media that has had less luck, or perhaps just less attention, in recent years is billboard advertising. However, images that have the power to be in public spaces, becoming part of the urban environment, were the key players of that long season from the 1950s to the 1970s. All over Italy you could see the wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano matched with, and enriched by, the ideas of some great ad agencies. The graphics, together with television, created the imagery of Parmigiano Reggiano. It became a product that is there for us in our daily lives as well as major significant events.

The digital world is the latest big thing. One of the challenges of carrying a thousand-year-old tradition through time is adapting to change. Today’s reality has substantially changed because of the digital revolution, and the Consortium has taken the proper steps to be close to its consumers. The quality of Parmigiano Reggiano must be expressed through top promotional projects that are in step with the times. In short, with the arrival of the digital era, things are getting even more interesting.

The beginning of this experience started off with some challenges for the Consortium. There was a massive earthquake in 2012, and the epicentre was Emilia-Romagna. It was shocking, and the consequences of the earthquake led to a significant development. Given the damage and the conditions in the area, many dairies began to use digital media to welcome consumers during the Caseifici Aperti initiative, and to stay in touch to promote their direct-to-consumer sales. It was the beginning of a new marketing and sales channel, which was developing in a more structured manner online, supported by the Consortium as well. Over the years, it has become increasingly essential and contemporary.

The focus on digital grew to the point that a digital archive with stories was created.

Parmigiano Reggiano’s message is subtle but strong, just like its balanced taste . . . but it has the quality to make any meal, large or small, even more mouth-watering. Rather than traditional testimonials, the Consortium has chosen spokespeople who can embody the values of this cheese. Athletes such as Giuliano Razzoli, Massimiliano Rosolino, Stefano Baldini and Gregorio Partrinieri. They all tell the story and represent the qualities of a balanced diet and a daily commitment.

The collaboration with Italian astronaut Maurizio Cheli was extraordinary. In 1996 he ate a cube of Parmigiano Reggiano as it was floating around during the NASA STS-75 mission. That was when Parmigiano Reggiano officially became part of the astronaut diet. It passed selective tests, and a collaboration began with Russian cosmonauts at the Jurij Gagarin Training Centre. We showed the whole world the quality of this cheese, which makes us tremendously proud.

The collaborations continue, as always, with the world of food. One standout example is Massimo Bottura and the Chef to Chef Emiliaromagna Cuochi Association. Bottura is the chef of Osteria Francescana in Modena. He was also awarded the Coltellino d’Oro on April 15, 2008, during the 37th Festa del Casaro of the Modena Provincial Section.

This is an award given to people or organisations that have distinguished themselves thanks to their artistic, cultural, financial or social activities, promoting knowledge of the area and its culture. The collaboration with Massimo Bottura involves all the other elements of excellence of Parmigiano Reggiano: its high level of craftsmanship and care, its versatility as an ingredient in both haute cuisine and more simple fare, and a way of combining tradition and innovation. Parmigiano Reggiano is also focused on the surrounding lands and the environment, its history and its roots.

This is Parmigiano Reggiano’s history of its marketing and communications. It is the way we tell the story of what we do. We have all dreamed of what this cheese would become, and year after year, person after person has managed to perfect it in a very long chain of traditions. It’s a bit like talking about a dream as soon as you wake up. So much happened, and the storytelling touches not only on our values but also our emotions, tastes, actions, spaces, and scents. Telling you about it is the first way to let you taste it, and keep this long, mouth-watering story alive.