Tossing a coin into Rome’s Trevi fountain has been a popular activity for generations – but one Roman resident has taken it to new heights and is throwing €2.18m at the baroque landmark. The resident is of course luxury goods house Fendi, and they’ll be expecting more than a wish granted in return. The brand will be able to plaster their instantly recognisable logo across the building works while the renovation is taking place, over 20 months, and the city of Rome will then install a plaque thanking the brand for its beneficence. Let’s not be too cynical about the motivations of Karl Largerfeld et al however. Italian state coffers are at an all time low, and ancient landmarks are under real threat. The Fendi fund is just one in a recent spate of donations, which sees Tod’s pitching to repair the Coliseum, and Diesel pledging €5million to repair the Rialto Bridge in Venice. In a country not known for its high standards of corporate social responsibility (CSR), this feels like a very Italian expression of giving back to the cities that have hosted them. True, it doesn’t come for free, but it also seems to come from a genuine passion for the history and fabric of the country – a history that the future of their ‘Made in Italy’ brands is built on.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 09:54:07 +0000
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