Ferruccio de Bortoli, Stefano Domenicali, Paolo Mieli, Renzo Piano, Ferruccio Resta and Annamaria Testa have helped relive the best moments in Pirelli's history together with the company's Executive Vice President and CEO, Marco Tronchetti Provera, and Alberto Pirelli, who represents the bond with the family of the founder. The event, hosted by Ilaria d'Amico, reviewed the brand's journey over three centuries: the international context, the factories, the relationship with culture and artists, creativity in communication, presence in the sport in general and motorsport in particular, and the constant search for innovation and cutting-edge technology.
“Today we wanted to travel together throughout the history of Pirelli but with our sights set on the future. Anticipating change is what our company has been doing for the last 150 years, thanks to the strength of its entrepreneurial culture and the ability to be the protagonist of the present. These details have allowed us to reach this milestone with a consolidated brand throughout the world. We thought it was important to share this story with our city, our country and all the international groups and communities with whom they work every day. Thanks to the 30,000 employees who build Pirelli's history day by day”, said Marco Tronchetti Provera, Executive Vice President and CEO of Pirelli.
Commemorative logo and international countdown
The 150th anniversary logo, revealed last November during the launch of the 2022 Calendar, which is signed by Bryan Adams, has recently appeared at the Monte Carlo Rally as decoration of the car that opened the track during the event's shakedown. It has also played a leading role in the competition suits of the participants in the Ski World Cup event in Cortina, and in the San Siro stadium for the match between Inter Milan and Venice. These kinds of celebrations will continue throughout 2022 across all Pirelli sponsorship deals.
The event at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan has been preceded by an international countdown that began on January 24 in Rio de Janeiro. The following days were extended with the projection of the logo and different congratulatory messages at the CITI Tower in Shanghai, and through 3D animation at the Nasdaq Tower in Times Square, in New York, and at the Palazzo Venezia in Milan. In these last locations, a wheel has been shown thrown down a slope and stopping just before leaving the screen, signing the famous Pirelli message that "power without control is useless". The video concludes with the 150th anniversary logo and various congratulatory messages.
A history of industry, sport and innovation in the piccolo theater
The history
On the stage of the Milanese Piccolo Teatro, and on a set built with five huge screens, four actors have stopped in the history of Pirelli. Images, videos, photographs from the past and the present combined with the voices of the actors, who have revived some passages of the company together with Ferruccio de Bortoli, Paolo Mieli, Alberto Pirelli and Marco Tronchetti Provera. Dialogues centered on the figure of Leopoldo Pirelli and his father Alberto, also on the memories of his grandson, and his contribution to the modernization and industrialization of the company - speaking both of the successes and the inevitable difficulties he has faced in the way
A journey, that of Pirelli, started on January 28, 1872 by Giovanni Battista Pirelli, who when he was just 23 years old opted for an absolutely new material: rubber. In the beginning, the company produced consumers for telegraph and electrical cables that linked the most distant points of the newly born Italy. The company grew rapidly throughout the world and also began to produce everyday objects (from shower caps to toys or raincoats), and of course, tires for transport cars and bicycles in order to respond to the first expressions of mobility. . Focused from its inception on innovation, the company offers products that have become, over time, symbols of progress throughout the country. Pirelli's modern skyscraper (the Pirellone) became a Milan icon as the company's headquarters in the 1960s, later moved to the northern part of the city to the Bicocca area. On this arduous path of progress, the brand has had to face numerous obstacles: the failed mergers in the 1990s with Dunlop and Continental, or the plan to integrate networks and content in telecommunications, pursued in the early 2000s through Telecom Italia and ditched by outside interference. Overcome crises restarting the company from the heart of its business, tires. the failed mergers in the 1990s with Dunlop and Continental, or the plan to integrate networks and content in telecommunications, pursued in the early 2000s through Telecom Italia and settled by external interference. Overcome crises restarting the company from the heart of its business, tires. the failed mergers in the 1990s with Dunlop and Continental, or the plan to integrate networks and content in telecommunications, pursued in the early 2000s through Telecom Italia and settled by external interference. Overcome crises restarting the company from the heart of its business, tires.
international vocation
Pirelli has always been international. And this sense is what prolongs history. Born in Milan, the brand soon became international, to the point of being considered English in the United Kingdom, Brazilian in Brazil or American in the United States. An evident vocation from the beginning in the travels of the founder and his sons, Alberto and Piero. Its identity highlights its multinational character with solid Italian roots and relationships with the leading players in the industry, without losing attention to constant training and well-being. These have been some of the topics discussed by Ferruccio de Bortolo, Marco Tronchetti Provera and Paolo Mieli.
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The factories
Piccolo Teatro's stage journey has continued to explore the company's industrial tradition. Through its factories, Pirelli has taken root in many countries, operating today in 12 nations. They are places that welcome workers who dedicate themselves with passion and vocation to industry 4.0 with the help of simulators, artificial intelligence or robots, such as the MIRS, invented by Pirelli herself. In summary, 18 efficient plants that follow the model of Settimo Torinese, the latter whose design and construction was led by the famous architect Renzo Piano, present on the stage of the Piccolo Teatro, from which he explained how he managed to combine functionality with beauty, competitiveness and sustainability.
Culture, communication and image
Throughout its history, Pirelli has established a fluid dialogue with artists and intellectuals in order not to lose sight of society, its evolution and its customs. This way of acting is still valid through innovative languages and instruments, such as the "Rivista Pirelli", the Pirelli Calendar, the HangarBicocca artistic center and the exhibitions and publications of the Pirelli Foundation, not to mention Pirelli Design products, World magazine or the editions of the Annual Report, enriched with the contributions of artists and writers. The list that has been reviewed at the Piccolo Teatro is large and begins with the iconic Pirelli logo, designed in New York at the beginning of the 20th century, and which shows an elongated P as if it were made of rubber. A company that experiments with new languages, producing tires and interviewing, at the same time, an Umberto Eco. That dialogues with writers, philosophers and poets: today from Carrère to Kureishi, in the past from Elio Vittorini to Eugenio Montale and Salvatore Quasimodo. That welcomes Luchino Visconti and John Cage and puts Carl Lewis on high-heeled shoes, accompanying his image with the unforgettable “Power is nothing without control” (power without control is useless). Business innovation and communication, the ability to renew without neglecting memory and the dialogue between industry and contemporary art, sports, photography and music. Annamaria Testa, Ferruccio de Bortoli, Paolo Mieli and Marco Tronchetti Provera have brought these issues to the table from the perspective of different worlds that converge on the idea that when you are involved in the industry with passion, in a certain way culture is also produced . an Umberto Eco. Who dialogues with writers, philosophers and poets: today from Carrère to Kureishi, in the past from Elio Vittorini to Eugenio Montale and Salvatore Quasimodo. That welcomes Luchino Visconti and John Cage and puts Carl Lewis on high-heeled shoes, accompanying his image with the unforgettable “Power is nothing without control” (power without control is useless). Business innovation and communication, the ability to renew without neglecting memory and the dialogue between industry and contemporary art, sports, photography and music. Annamaria Testa, Ferruccio de Bortoli, Paolo Mieli and Marco Tronchetti Provera have brought these issues to the table from the perspective of different worlds that converge on the idea that when you are involved in the industry with passion, in a certain way culture is also produced . an Umberto Eco. Who dialogues with writers, philosophers and poets: today from Carrère to Kureishi, in the past from Elio Vittorini to Eugenio Montale and Salvatore Quasimodo. That welcomes Luchino Visconti and John Cage and puts Carl Lewis on high-heeled shoes, accompanying his image with the unforgettable “Power is nothing without control” (power without control is useless). Business innovation and communication, the ability to renew without neglecting memory and the dialogue between industry and contemporary art, sports, photography and music. Annamaria Testa, Ferruccio de Bortoli, Paolo Mieli and Marco Tronchetti Provera have brought these issues to the table from the perspective of different worlds that converge on the idea that when you are involved in the industry with passion, in a certain way culture is also produced . philosophers and poets: today from Carrère to Kureishi, in the past from Elio Vittorini to Eugenio Montale and Salvatore Quasimodo. That welcomes Luchino Visconti and John Cage and puts Carl Lewis on high-heeled shoes, accompanying his image with the unforgettable “Power is nothing without control” (power without control is useless). Business innovation and communication, the ability to renew without neglecting memory and the dialogue between industry and contemporary art, sports, photography and music. Annamaria Testa, Ferruccio de Bortoli, Paolo Mieli and Marco Tronchetti Provera have brought these issues to the table from the perspective of different worlds that converge on the idea that when you are involved in the industry with passion, in a certain way culture is also produced . philosophers and poets: today from Carrère to Kureishi, in the past from Elio Vittorini to Eugenio Montale and Salvatore Quasimodo. That welcomes Luchino Visconti and John Cage and puts Carl Lewis on high-heeled shoes, accompanying his image with the unforgettable “Power is nothing without control” (power without control is useless). Business innovation and communication, the ability to renew without neglecting memory and the dialogue between industry and contemporary art, sports, photography and music. Annamaria Testa, Ferruccio de Bortoli, Paolo Mieli and Marco Tronchetti Provera have brought these issues to the table from the perspective of different worlds that converge on the idea that when you are involved in the industry with passion, in a certain way culture is also produced . in the past from Elio Vittorini to Eugenio Montale and Salvatore Quasimodo. That welcomes Luchino Visconti and John Cage and puts Carl Lewis on high-heeled shoes, accompanying his image with the unforgettable “Power is nothing without control” (power without control is useless). Business innovation and communication, the ability to renew without neglecting memory and the dialogue between industry and contemporary art, sports, photography and music. Annamaria Testa, Ferruccio de Bortoli, Paolo Mieli and Marco Tronchetti Provera have brought these issues to the table from the perspective of different worlds that converge on the idea that when you are involved in the industry with passion, in a certain way culture is also produced . in the past from Elio Vittorini to Eugenio Montale and Salvatore Quasimodo. That welcomes Luchino Visconti and John Cage and puts Carl Lewis on high-heeled shoes, accompanying his image with the unforgettable “Power is nothing without control” (power without control is useless). Business innovation and communication, the ability to renew without neglecting memory and the dialogue between industry and contemporary art, sports, photography and music. Annamaria Testa, Ferruccio de Bortoli, Paolo Mieli and Marco Tronchetti Provera have brought these issues to the table from the perspective of different worlds that converge on the idea that when you are involved in the industry with passion, in a certain way culture is also produced . accompanying his image with the unforgettable "Power is nothing without control" (the power without control is useless). Business innovation and communication, the ability to renew without neglecting memory and the dialogue between industry and contemporary art, sports, photography and music. Annamaria Testa, Ferruccio de Bortoli, Paolo Mieli and Marco Tronchetti Provera have brought these issues to the table from the perspective of different worlds that converge on the idea that when you are involved in the industry with passion, in a certain way culture is also produced . accompanying his image with the unforgettable "Power is nothing without control" (the power without control is useless). Business innovation and communication, the ability to renew without neglecting memory and the dialogue between industry and contemporary art, sports, photography and music. Annamaria Testa, Ferruccio de Bortoli, Paolo Mieli and Marco Tronchetti Provera have brought these issues to the table from the perspective of different worlds that converge on the idea that when you are involved in the industry with passion, in a certain way culture is also produced .
Motorsport and passion for sport
The engine is the passion that makes hearts beat at Pirelli. A sector in which technology is essential, as Alberto Pirelli, a rally enthusiast, has recounted, a sport in which the company has had a presence since the 1970s. Today, Pirelli participates in more than 350 motorsports events around the world. A legacy that began to be cemented in the Beijing-Paris of 1907 when Prince Scipione Borghese, at the wheel of an Itala equipped with Pirelli tires, reached 17,000 kilometers with a 20-day advantage over the best of his pursuers. A resounding success that transformed mobility into innovation and spectacle, and competitions in open-air laboratories. The talk about the best car competitions has gathered Stefano Domenicali, who currently leads Formula 1, on the stage on the eve of an important change for the category: the introduction of 18-inch tires. But for Pirelli, sport is not limited to motorsport, it also encompasses football, cycling, winter sports and sailing, the latter thanks to Luna Rossa.
Innovation, research, product
History shows a company with its sights permanently set on the future. “Look inside to understand”, to discover new solutions as Mr. Emanueli used to say, signer of many of the 6,700 patents registered by Pirelli in 150 years. A lesson that is still interpreted by the more than 2,000 people in the research and development department, which is of paramount importance to the company. His collaborations with leading universities (more than 50) are also essential, as Ferruccio Resta explained when he spoke about the relationship of reciprocal inspiration that connects Pirelli and the Milan Polytechnic.
Today, the "heirs of Emanueli" manage the acceleration of innovation, as is the case with electric vehicles, in which Pirelli already has a presence thanks to its Elect branding, a set of specific technological solutions aimed to manage the weight, acceleration and consumption of this class of cars. But there is more, such as connected products, in the case of Cyber Tyre, tires with sensors that provided real-time information to the driver. Constant innovation on the road and beyond. Because technologies progress and virtualization speeds up research and development processes. Creating a new cover in the digital world through virtual alter egos helps ensure safe, high-performance and sustainable products, thanks to increasingly renewable materials. And in the center, as always, natural rubber. The same material used by Pirelli to produce the first FSC-certified tire, which accredits a 100% sustainable supply chain.
A guarantee for the environment, as is the case, for example, with Pirelli's participation in the Birdlife project that seeks to preserve biodiversity in Indonesia. Thanks to its involvement at a social, environmental and economic level, the plunga firm is at the forefront of the main international sustainability indices.
New campaign that reinterprets the "Power is nothing without control"
The new advertising campaign that airs today in prime time on Italian TV and will have its replica in the press, digital media and social networks to celebrate 150 years of Pirelli offers a new interpretation of the famous slogan: "Power without control does not it's no use." In this case, the public is invited to reflect, through a visionary and metaphorical story, on two complementary and antagonistic concepts. Technology and social networks have given enormous power to people, but at any moment they can lose control and unleash chaos. Now more than ever, it should be noted that power needs control, and not only on the road, but also in life. Shot in Barcelona under the direction of Manson –a team of directors made up of Gerardo del Hierro, Pau López and Tomás Peña–,
Specific website with "3D rooms" to discover the world of Pirelli
The digital story of the 150th anniversary is explained on an innovative website – www.pirelli.com/150years – that allows you to travel inside the Pirelli world by visiting a series of virtual rooms: “Product and Research and Development”, “Sustainability”, “ Sport”, “Art and Culture”. All of them allow immersion, in a 3D environment, to discover the products of yesterday and today, the company's sustainable commitment, its involvement in sports competitions or its artistic and cultural initiatives, starting with the Pirelli Calendar.
Special issue of "World" magazine
The 150th birthday will also be associated with a special issue of "World", the company's official magazine which, since 1994, has collected the heritage of the "Rivista Pirelli" published between 1948 and 1972. The publication proposes 26 words, one for each letter of the alphabet, chosen for their meaning, their strength and their ability to describe Pirelli. And all of them are developed by the collaborations of illustrators, authors, novelists and essayists in a very original way.
Graphic novel to explain the history of Pirelli
To trace its history, Pirelli has updated its graphic novel, a kind of corporate profile 4.0 created from different styles and techniques that range from illustration to graphic design in motion. The video, in a short version of about nine minutes, reviews Pirelli's legacy from its founding in 1872 to the present, going through the most significant moments.
The project has been created using material from the Pirelli Foundation archives and following the historical reconstruction of Professor Carlo Bellavite Pellegrini in his Pirelli work. Innovazione e passione, published by Il Mulino and which has been republished.
Three commemorative coins and a stamp
The Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Mint have presented a new collection of stamps, integrated into the “Eccellenze Italiane” series, and a series of three celebration coins in gold and silver dedicated to the Pirelli Group. In addition, as of January 28, 2022, an extra stamp dedicated to the brand has been added within the thematic series: "Excellences in the economy and the productive system".
Other initiatives in 2022
The celebration of 150 years of Pirelli started today in Milan, but will spread to many other countries around the world through sporting sponsorships, such as the one that links the brand with Formula 1, institutional appointments, cultural events and product launches exclusive.
Among the most important projects is the publication, edited by the Pirelli Foundation, of the book “Thinking Ahead. Pirelli: 150 Years of Industry, Innovation and Culture”, scheduled for spring. Published by Marsilio in Italian and English, the work brings together institutional collaborations and great international authors and protagonists from the worlds of art and culture. The editorial project is presented on the web platform pirellibuildsthefuture.org, linked from the 150th anniversary site and which lasts a chronology that reconstructs the main events of the company from 1872 to the present, including virtual tours and a section dedicated to the new the Foundation: “When History Builds the Future”. An exhibition will also be held to repair the 150 years of Pirelli through documents, technical drawings of the first tires or their virtualization, which highlight important achievements in engineering and R&D. Images, objects, multimedia installations, video or photographic works that reinterpret the world of rubber, from the raw material to the finished product. History, innovation and culture, always with an eye on the future.