- Robilant crafts a unified approach for Zenato’s print, billboard and digital campaign for US markets
- The design studio highlights heritage, tradition, and innovation
- New identity reflects Zenato’s commitment to diversity and progress
13th March, NEW YORK: Milan-based branding agency Robilant today announces its latest collaboration with Italian winery Zenato, unifying the brand’s visual approach across U.S. print, billboard and digital formats. The campaign, guided by Zenato’s rich history, seeks to incorporate the brand’s diverse range of wines under one consolidated visual message celebrating the winery’s family legacy. The new designs reflect a personal and emotional approach, illustrating the winery’s deep connection to family, history, and the Italian countryside.
To fully immerse themselves in the brand’s long-standing legacy, Robilant visited Zenato’s family-run vineyards, which span over 95 hectares of land facing Lake Garda in San Benedetto di Lugana, in its Lombardy southern coast, and Valpolicella, as its eastern Venetian boundary. The tours of each vineyard and interactions with family members and workers was crucial to Robilant’s creative direction, uncovering unique natural elements which highlighted the true character of the winery and the differences between their products.
The delicate watercolour imagery used for the campaign takes consumers on a visual journey across the Zenato territories, with the landscapes illustrated throughout the imagery coming directly from the wineries themselves.
The Zenato brand – a family-run business now in its third generation – has two faces: one white and the other red, both emblems of high-quality wines created through a family tradition that has championed grape varieties for more than 60 years. The imagery differs across each wine: their iconic white, Lugana (Riserva), features Lake Garda and its surrounding mountains as a backdrop, highlighting its vineyards of origin.
The red wine Ripassa, considered one of the leading wines of the category, includes imagery of their scenic hillside vineyards in the Costalunga Estate, part of the Valpolicella Classic area. For Zenato’s Alanera, Robilant introduced to the design swallows which could be heard throughout the vineyard on their visit. The three birds depicted within the campaign also symbolise the three grape varieties which make up this wine: Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone.
Fabio Molinaro, Creative Director at Robilant, said: “Visiting the Zenato vineyards and meeting the heirs to the family business was crucial for us to develop their new visual identity. We saw how committed the family is to honouring their father’s legacy while simultaneously understanding how the brand needed a fresh approach in order to move forward. This approach ensured we captured those hidden gems which helped to inspire the creative process.”
Zenato’s long-term relationship and love for their region is further highlighted with the new brand motto, “There are landscapes where roads cannot take you”. The brand’s philosophy is one of deep tradition and connection to their environment, a key element Robilant aims to showcase with this new identity.
The campaign needed to reflect the innovation, sustainability and diversity at the heart of the winery. Sergio Zenato – the founder of Lugano Riserva DOC – made the brand’s iconic Ripassa wine by passing their Valpolicella Superiore through the pomace of Amarone. Following in her fathers creative footsteps, Nadia went on to launch the new generation Valpolicella, Ala Nera, a blend of fresh Valpolicella grapes and wines from the new world.
Nadia Zenato at Zenato said, “Robilant has helped us find the perfect balance between celebrating our rich heritage and our commitment to innovation and improvement. The new identity delivers a harmonious and thoughtful strategy that both propels us forward while simultaneously respecting our family legacy.”
Fabio Molinaro added, The work for Zenato truly reflects our area of expertise that lies in our international approach to branding. As profound connoisseurs of Italian food and spirits culture and heritage, we bring the true spirit of Italian brand design to life for brands looking to create impact within the Italian market, or as our work with Zenato demonstrates, we also design the perfect identity through the lens of our Italian flair, bringing the essence of Italy to audiences on a global scale.”
About Robilant
Robilant is the leading branding firm, based in Milan – the capital city of Italian design – servicing major international brands and acting as a main ambassador of Italian style on a global scale.
Founded in 1984, Robilant boasts 40 years of experience and comprises a collective of 110 fully skilled, creative and cutting-edge brand and design professionals. The consultancy studio works with global brands to mirror their ever-changing needs and aspirations by amplifying their exclusive personalities and unique qualities to always challenge conformity.
Robilant’s consultancy signature strikes a perfect balance of strategy and design, employing the most innovative skills and time-tested approaches. The agency designs multi-channel brand experiences that are fully customised per client and never standardised. Over the years, Robilant has worked with some of the most iconic brands including Campari, Nike, Lavazza, Barilla and Ferrari Wines.
About Zenato
Zenato is located in the heart of Lugana Area, in the southern shore of Garda Lake, where the family established its first cellar and now owns 65 hectares. It all began in 1960 when Mr Sergio Zenato and his wife Carla started to create quality wines from the local grape variety Trebbiano di Lugana.
Over the years Zenato has expanded into another relevant area, the Valpolicella, and now the family has 30 hectares in Sant’Ambrogio, in the Valpolicella Classical territory. The estate philosophy of quality and innovation, the constancy and the particular care of every step of the production have allowed them to reach the most important markets in the world.
