Bottega Veneta's Latest Project Is All Bottega, No Veneta
What's in a name? For Bottega Veneta, an opportunity to spotlight the tradition of the "bottega," an Italian word denoting the studio or workshop of an artisan or group of artists.
A bit of context: "Bottega Veneta" translates to "Venetian Shop," a moniker that reflects the house's roots in handmade, minimally branded leather goods. Harkening to its emphasis on craft and quality, the label is launching an initiative to support other Italian bottegas.
Aptly titled Bottega for Bottegas, the campaign is a maverick marketing move that promotes local businesses while boosting Bottega Veneta's own brand image (an especially wise move in the wake of Daniel Lee's surprise departure).
The label is overhauling its retail spaces and e-commerce presence (newsletters, advertising, and more) to highlight a handful of bottegas specializing in goods ranging from pasta to drums.
For example, there's Bottega Pastificio Martelli, which resisted industrialization and continues to make its spaghetti and penne by hand.
Bottega Respighi Drums crafts percussion instruments using a special "segmented method," and Bottega Amatruda is an eco-conscious papermaker with a history of nearly 750 years.
There's also soap purveyor Saponificio Varesino, whose bars take 20 days to make, and ceramicists Orsoni and Enza Fasano.
In typical Italian fashion, the bulk of the featured bottegas specialize in food: Ligurian wine label Cantina Bisson, gin artisan Gin Ginepraio, olive oil expert Olio Vanini, chocolatier Gay-Odin, rice harvester Riso Pozzi, and biscuit-maker Krumiri Rossi.
A dedicated section of Bottega Veneta's website details each artisan, and links out to its respective webpage — meaning Bottega Veneta isn't profiting off purchases derived from the campaign.
