Campari®, the iconic red Italian bittersweet apéritif, today reveals that Hollywood actress and entrepreneur Kate Hudson will serve as the star of the 2016 Campari Calendar. The beautiful, charismatic American actress will take the stage in this year’s Campari Calendar as two separate candidates in The BitterSweet Campaign.
The theme for the 2016 Campari Calendar is multi-faceted: first, it is inspired by the instantly recognisable iconography of a presidential election, using the classic theme as a metaphor for the duality of two opposing sides. The Calendar capitalises on the nature of any election, asking people to take a stand, express an opinion and vote for a side. With Campari’s unique taste serving as the epitome of duality, the Calendar cleverly asks people which aspect of the classic apéritif they identify with more: Bitter vs Sweet.
Second, the theme looks to leverage the rising popularity of the flavour of bitter in the world of mixology and food. The two sides of the ‘campaign’ are a reflection of Campari’s unmistakable bittersweet taste, which can be perceived as more bitter, or in contrast, sweeter, depending on the cocktail in which it is used – it has two opposing profiles. This intriguing duality is brought to life in the Calendar’s images captured by fashion photographer Michelangelo di Battista by re-enacting the most quintessential moments of any election, playing on the bitter or sweet angles. Kate Hudson will embody and personify the two souls of Campari playing the roles of two different candidates on the campaign trail: one promoting the captivating bitterness platform versus the other supporting a more subtle, intriguing sweetness platform. The full unveil of the 2016 Calendar will take place on 18th November.
Kate Hudson captured the hearts of critics and moviegoers in Almost Famous, a role that saw her win a Golden Globe and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her many films also include How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days; You, Me and Dupree; Fool’s Gold; Bride Wars; and Nine. Her upcoming projects include Barry Levinson’s Rock the Kasbah, opposite Bill Murray, Bruce Willis and Zooey Deschanel; DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 3, Deepwater Horizon with Mark Wahlberg, and Garry Marshall’s all-star Mother’s Day.
In 2013, Kate founded Fabletics, a line of functional, comfortable, stylish and affordable activewear designed to inspire women to empower themselves by getting active and taking care of themselves, not as a fad or a quick fix, but as a way of living that promotes health, community, determination, passion and joy. In June 2015, Kate and Fabletics introduced FL2, a line of high-performance athletic wear and lifestyle essentials for men.
Kate follows in the footsteps of previous Campari Calendar heroines, including stylish and passionate actresses, Salma Hayek, Eva Mendes, Jessica Alba, Milla Jovovich, Penelope Cruz, Uma Thurman, and Eva Green.
On starring in the 2016 Campari Calendar, Kate Hudson comments, “I was honoured to be invited to shoot the 2016 Campari Calendar. This year’s theme plays off the upcoming election, which is the perfect metaphor for the many Campari flavour choices. I loved working with Michelangelo to create two distinctive characters embodying bitter and sweet.”
Shooting the 17th edition of the globally renowned Campari Calendar is Michelangelo Di Battista, whose career as an international fashion photographer first began 20 years ago, upon his graduation from the prestigious School of Visual Arts in New York. Michelangelo’s dedication and passion towards his craft most recently led to a major solo exhibition at the world-renowned Camera Work Gallery in Berlin, showcasing portraits of iconic women in collaboration with artist Tina Berning. His distinctive style of photography sees him capture a mysteriously alluring radiance from his subjects – a style evident in this year’s Campari Calendar.
On his involvement in the 2016 Campari Calendar, Michelangelo Di Battista adds, “Campari is a worldwide brand that has always had a very strong sense of aesthetic and well-defined style, which is exactly what I pride myself on. Each image had to stand alone as well as work as a collection. The theme has so many strands and I really wanted to make sure that each strand came through in my work. Working with Kate was fantastic, her enthusiasm and her ability to switch between the two personalities allowed me to create images that I hope are fresh, inspiring and imaginative. I think our strong desire to deliver perfection or as close to it as possible, was the perfect partnership.”
Bob Kunze-Concewitz, Chief Executive Officer of Gruppo Campari comments, “This year’s Campari Calendar, The BitterSweet Campaign, inspired by the iconography and mechanism of an election, is all about showing that there are always two sides to every story, person or product, as is the case for Campari. Celebrating and personifying the flavour complexity of Campari and building on the bittersweet trend makes this year’s calendar unique. Each month embodies the different profiles Campari embodies, alongside Kate Hudson’s incredible talent and ability to switch from approachable, welcoming and sensual to audacious and seductive. Michelangelo’s beautiful photography and strong styling brings to life all of the different elements with ease and elegance. With all this in mind, we’re very much looking forward to unveiling it later in the year.”
DRINKS ENTHUSIAST 