For three years the ‘The Italian Case’ has been collecting images of stunning Italian retro-style packaging
“_Snapshots of the Italian taste by Donatella Alquati and Gio_rgio Minnino.” This is the description of the Instagram profile called ‘The Italian Case‘. It has 11,600 followers and aims to show them the charm of Italian retro-style packaging. For many products, like ‘Amarena Fabbri’ or ‘Fernet Branca,’ the packaging has remained unchanged for decades. However, many brands introduced them in recent years riding the wave of nostalgia.
They all rely on a strong vintage component to sell their products.
The profile, as indicated in its description, is the brainchild of Donatella Alquati, designer specialized in branding and packaging, and Giorgio Mininno, design director of the creative agency Gummy Industries.
They explained: “It all started about three years ago when we noticed that many Italian pasta brands were restyling their packaging, emphasizing the aesthetic features typical of retro Italian graphics. We found this phenomenon so interesting that we decided to start collecting them. As we added pieces to the archive we realized that the shelves of our supermarkets are full of (new or historic) packagings that are relevant for their design, that stand out for a common Italian taste so recognizable to boast imitation attempts by designers and brands from all over the world.”
Alquati and Mininno wanted to highlight the beauty of these design gems that generally go unnoticed on supermarket shelves. To do so, after selecting a product from a store they photograph it against a totally white background.
In this way, its style, design, graphic, colors, and overall aesthetic value are under the spotlight and the eye can fully appreciate them.
Ilona Catani Scarlett
Photos from the Instagram official page