Ermenegildo Zegna's new campaign for the Spring/Summer 2017 season, entitled "Defining Moments" marks a new strategy for the house.
Hollywood legend Robert De Niro stars opposite young actor McCaul Lombardi in a series of images shot against the Los Angeles backdrop. Alongside the print campaigns, the label has also commissioned the director Francesco Carrozzini to shoot a series of short films recording the actors discussing their "defining moments."
In the shorts, the star of Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas discusses working with Marlon Brando, his early mentors, his doubts about TV work, his passion for New York, and what makes him take on a role.
According to artistic director Alessandro Sartori, the campaign reveals the first phase in a switch to focusing on the idea of human conversation instead of branded monologuing, that is, simply focusing solely on product.
He added, "As well as the hands that make it, part of the story of Zegna is defined by the people who wear it — people around the world from different generations and with different experience. So we are starting from this idea."
CEO Gildo Zegna comments, "The market, the consumers, and the demands of both are constantly changing, and for a company to remain competitive, it needs to offer products that meet customer expectations. Alessandro's entry into Zegna as artistic director of the brand has undoubtedly brought new energy and new ideas."
The 'Defining Moments' campaign... is the beginning of a new path for Zegna that is consistent with our history and our DNA, and at the same time has a clear vision of the future."