The 2016 Campari Calendar is officially out and while it’s still only given out to a select number of folks, they always release the final images for everyone to drool over. Starring actress Kate Hudson and the brand’s famed bittersweet red aperitif, the politically-driven 17th edition is (fittingly) called The Bittersweet Campaign, which is a play on the drink’s opposing flavor profiles.
For Hudson, the calendar meant a lot more than a simple modeling job; it was about telling a real story. “It was a fabulous campaign that challenged me to bring out two different sides of myself to ensure that the pictures told the story in a creative and beautiful way—and that is exactly what we’ve achieved,” she says, adding that personally, she tends to represent the sweeter side of life. “However my taste buds definitely love bitter!”
With a theme crafted by Leo Burnett Milan and shot by photographer Michelangelo di Battista, the campaign features tons of fantastic sets and even better outfits designed by the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Versace, Halston, Brian Atwood and Christian Louboutin. “As a photographer, this project has given me the opportunity to use my unique sense of aesthetic and well-defined style to reflect the Campari brand seamlessly. It was crucial that each image could stand alone yet also work as part of a collection,” explains di Battista.
For the first time, Campari is asking consumers to get in on the bitter vs. sweet debate by using the hashtags #goBitter and #goSweet. They even put together a website for it where you can keep an eye on which team is winning, take fun tests to figure out where you stand and of course, vote for your pick.
“Though a play on flavor profile, this year’s theme asks people to take a stand for what they believe in, which to me is a very powerful message. The 2016 Calendar is a testament to how Campari stays true to itself as a brand and proves there will always be a place for the classic nature of Campari within today’s contemporary world,” says Hudson.
