Lavazza is one of the most important coffee producers in the world. As the leader in Italy with a retail market share of 46,7% (in value, Nielsen data), it also operates in more than 80 countries. To increase brand awareness abroad and promote its premium positioning, it was decided to produce an art-house photographic calendar, now in its 17th edition.

The features of the Calendar are the same as those of the Lavazza brand: excellent quality, aspirational, glamour, irony, sensuality and Italianess. From a stylistic point of view, the Calendar has experienced different cycles; from fashion photography to reportage and fine art.

In order to describe what Italianness is, we called on a genius able to mix icons of the past with those of the present and able to express all that "being Italian" means.Starting off from the very symbol of Italian style, the Lavazza espresso, the Lavazza 2009 calendar features Italy's greatest excellence: history, art, fashion, cinema, cooking...

The photographer Annie Leibovitz has created seven images, seven portraits, representations of a surreal voyage in a sophisticated Italy. Deep-rooted in Italian but also the international perception to illustrate behaviour and lifestyle which is unique the world over.

As a PR tool the Lavazza Calendar has enjoyed noteworthy success, which has increased exponentially over the years. In fact, the Calendar has featured in more than 1,800 articles all over the world, all of them extremely positive and authoritative, making it one of the most talked about and recognised. There is also growing interest in the trade and among photography professionals, for whom the new edition of the calendar is a long-awaited event – which only confirms its success.