In the Italian equivalent of the Coke vs. Pepsi rivalry, Lavazza steps it up against main competitor Illy to corner their prospective caffeine fiends.
Six Italian opera arias were given the Italian pop treatment for Lavazza's sickly-fluorescent Technicolor 2010 calendar campaign that has us digging out our coolest cousin's vintage Fiorucci & Canal Jeans accessories. Shot in Rome, the arias and random oldie Italian pop songs (Va' Pensiero, Guarda Che Luna, 'O Sole Mio, the Bocelli vehicle Con Te Partirò, Baciami Piccina and Nessun Dorma) were reenacted by models Bianca Balti, Georgia Frost, Lydia Hearst, Daisy Lowe, Alexandra Tomlinson, and Alek Alexeyeva by British photographer Miles Aldridge.
Is the 2010 Lavazza Calendar is a likely contender for Pirelli's famous calendar? We don't think so, but it's a worthy effort. Even thought there's lots of Italian muscle behind it (thanks to advice from Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana, and Sergio Rossi), we feel less Fellini and more of a misguided mix between David LaChapelle, Pierre et Gilles, Jeff Koons and frankly, an American Express travel brochure.
We're so down with combining opera and coffee (really, what else could have gotten us through 5 hours of Rosenkavalier?) but we prefer the art collectibles offered by of top Lavazza competitor, Illy. C'mon...how can you beat signed espresso cups from the brilliance of William Kentridge, Jeff Koons, Julian Schnabel or Almodovar?
Personally, OC doesn't care for either...she's a torrefazione kind of girl. Blue Diamond is da caffeine bomb. I'd make a "set it up as an I.V. drip" joke, but it's probably too soon. A hat tip to the many, many OC friends who had sent this her way the past few days.
Click the link below to see the remaining four!