Milan-based branding agency, Robilant, announced its latest collaboration with Italian winery, Zenato, unifying the brand’s visual approach across US print, billboard and digital formats. The campaign 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 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. The tours of each vineyard were crucial to Robilant’s creative direction, uncovering unique natural elements that highlighted the true character of the winery and the differences between its 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 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: the 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 the scenic hillside vineyards in the Costalunga Estate, part of the Valpolicella Classic area.
For Zenato’s Alanera, Robilant introduced swallows to the design, which could be heard throughout the vineyard on its visit. The three birds depicted within the campaign also symbolise the three grape varieties which make up this wine: Corvina, Rondinella and Corvinone.
“Visiting the Zenato vineyards and meeting the heirs to the family business was crucial for us to develop their new visual identity,” said Creative Director at Robilant Fabio Molinaro. “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 ensured we captured those hidden gems which helped to inspire the creative process.”
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 brands iconic Ripassa wine by passing its Valpolicella Superiore through the pomace of Amarone. Following in her father’s 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.
“Robilant has helped us find the perfect balance between celebrating our rich heritage and our commitment to innovation,” said Wine Producer Nadia Zenato. “The new identity delivers a harmonious and thoughtful strategy that both propels us forward while simultaneously respecting our family legacy.”
“The work for Zenato truly reflects our area of expertise that lies in our international approach to branding,” added Mr Molinaro. “As profound connoisseurs of Italian food, 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.”
