Beyond the Product

Product communication or corporate communication? Two distinct yet complementary strategies that have always coexisted in a company’s narrative. By analysing the section of the Pirelli Historical Archive dedicated to visual communication, this workshop offers a structured educational programme, enriched with games and quizzes, to explore the features of corporate advertising—communication designed to build and strengthen a company’s public image. Sketches, print layouts, posters, trade-fair stands, and corporate identity manuals created by leading graphic designers will illustrate the values on which Pirelli has built its identity: global reach, sustainability, sports partnerships, and a commitment to social and cultural growth in the communities where it operates. A central role is given to the study of modern graphic design, in particular the use of the Pirelli logo with the “Long P”. Applied in original and innovative ways—through projections, superimpositions, and duplications—it serves to reinforce a strong and coherent image, contributing to the creation of brand recognition and thus to immediate identification around the world. Through direct engagement with archive materials, the students will take part in a project activity: to design a project or a multimedia installation for an exhibition space with the aim of communicating a contemporary corporate message in an effective manner, taking inspiration from the values explored during the workshop. The programme is divided into three or four sessions and can be carried out entirely online via Microsoft Teams, or it may include a visit to the Pirelli Foundation, to be agreed upon subject to availability.