To mark the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year, Bottega Veneta presented a takeover on part of the Great Wall of China. For the celebratory activation, which was on display from January 6 to 12, the Italian luxury house covered a large, sloped part of the landmark with its name and logo. The changing digital screen also featured a message that translates to "Happy New Year” in English. The monumental installation, which was in classic Bottega Veneta green and tangerine, a symbol of luck in Mandarin, added a pop of festive colour to the surrounding landscape.
As well as the festive idea, Bottega Veneta, which is now under the helm of Creative Director Matthieu Blazy, has pledged to donate. It will be supporting the renovation and maintenance of the wall’s Shanhai Pass, a major pass historically known as the the "First Pass Under Heaven." Helping to care for the starting point of the easternmost end of the Great Wall will ensure the ancient construction stays undamaged so more generations can enjoy discovering it. The gesture is something that appeases those who were against decorating the millennium-old cultural site, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World as well as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Bottega Veneta is also running a Chinese New Year campaign for the holiday that falls on February 1. For the Year of the Tiger, it is fittingly adding a subtle tiger pattern to its “Cassette” crossbody bag, which features the house’s famous woven intrecciato leather. In addition, the capsule collection sees the Kering-owned brand swapping its signature green for the same tangerine shade used on the Great Wall installation.
Indeed, a roster of high-end brands, including Gucci, Moschino, Etro and Balenciaga, are commemorating the holiday by releasing tiger-themed capsule collections. Prada, meanwhile, is paying homage to the big cat by releasing a charitable campaign entitled "Action in the Year of the Tiger," dedicated to the protecting them.
The installation is the latest example of how Bottega Veneta is doing things differently. The brand, which deactivated its Instagram, Facebook, Weibo and Twitter accounts last year, has been taking an experimental approach to marketing. Late last year, decision-makers placed ads on rooftops, which were only visible by plane, near Los Angeles’s LAX airport and decided to include some branding at the bottom of a pool in Australia.
