Black Arts Co.

The Black Arts Company “Founder” Ian Cassie was the originator and instigator in the Global launch of what became not only a “sea change” in how consumers regarded beer, but a highly successful brand across the World.

“The only route to take, to make the brand stand out, and be different was to adopt the style that made Italy unique.

Italy didn’t make beer. Apart from Pizzas and watching Football they weren’t even that keen on drinking it.

Italians made cars, clothes and above all World famous food and wine. This proved to be a strategy that worked brilliantly both creatively and commercially.”

The epitome of this was the re-creation of four iconic scenes from that most iconic of Italian films “La Dolce Vita”

Shot in the Autumn of 2006 it needed to heavily feature Bell 47 Helicopters. They were single engined and needed to fly in built up areas. But that was illegal in the EU and so both scenes that featured the “47” had to be shot in Cape Town, a City that had two working machines and only insisted on a crash zone to get permission to fly them.

“The most famous scene of the original film is set in the “Trevi Fountain” in the centre of Rome, a location where filming has never been allowed since the original movie “La Dolce Vita” (the Sweet Life) was created by Fellini in 1959. “No problem” I was told, “there is a 75% replica at the famous Cinecitta iStudios in the City” “I want 100% of the Sweet Life” was my reply and I got it after a splendid lunch in the City with the Head of Monuments for the Municipal Authority of Rome”

“No drinking and certainly no floating bottles. Location agreed”

The exploitation of Ad was remarkably advanced. Movie billboards were used on Bus Shelters in London and illegally fly posted. Channel 4 showed a 30 second “After the break” trailer (Coming up at 8pm”La Dolce Vita”…) then a 3 minute extended ad after the break.

It ran in the US on ABC’s “Oscar”night and was voted “Best Foreign Film” the following day in “The New York Times”

It then received over 1 million hits on the fledgling YouTube, not a great deal on today’s figures but in 2008 it was a massive figure and one most Commercials would gladly accept today.

It spawned the first ever 3D website, was launched at the Design Museum, London in the presence of the original star Anita Ekberg and promoted with a Cinema Projection van that brought the film to London’s night-time streets.

Shown in Cinemas in a 60 second format, the CEO of Pearl & Dean said of her media. “What’s more people love watching the Ads. In fact they even applaud them, like Peroni’s “La Dolce Vita”

Press Advertising was exclusively in Fashion titles such as Vogue and GQ but articles in magazines like Conde Naste Traveller were far far away away from conventional Beer Promotions but helped built a reputation for a delicious beer that has held it in good stead ever since.

CREDIT

The version shown is courtesy of and has been digitally remastered by Paul Jones of The Attic Post.

The founder of The Black Arts Company, Ian Cassie, was at the heart of the highly successful global launch of Peroni Nastro Azzurro.

He came up with the “Italian Style” brand positioning as well as creating and directing the ground-breaking Cinema commercials. Experiential marketing, then in its’ infancy, included the world’s first “Pop-up Shop”. Probably the best decision was the Peroni beer glass that helped drive dramatic volume increases of what became the highly profitable global premium beer brand.

Having sold his agency, along with the asset of the Peroni advertising account, he, and The Black Arts Company were persuaded to make one last Cinema Commercial. “Never go back” they say, clearly good advice but he did and in very difficult circumstances created and directed “Anniversario” to celebrate the brand’s first 50 years.

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