POETRY, EMOTIONS, THE PAST AND DESIRE FOR THE FUTURE
Men and women who were able to overcome difficult periods in their lives with courage, dignity and creativity. The "Angels of Our Time" campaign embodies the real soul and values of the Piero Guidi company. The project goes beyond any marketing strategy. "Angels of Our Time" combines the brand with famous people who have something in common: men and women who were able to overcome difficult periods in their lives with courage, dignity and creativity. People who, many times, have introduced an element of change in the world. Giacomo Guidi is the Artistic Director of the Piero Guidi Company and also the author of all the campaign photos. The project started in the mid 90s with black and white photos of movie director Michelangelo Antonioni and his wife Enrica. The movie director had suffered a stroke and could not speak. «At first -says Giacomo Guidi- I had thought of just making a portrait of one of the great masters of cinema. Then I saw Antonioni's eyes light up as soon as Enrica came closer. At that point I decided for a photo of the two of them, showing their mutual support during his illness. The picture sent a strong message: Michelangelo and Enrica Antonioni were two angels that represented our emotions». "Angels of Our Time" continued with a portrait of artist Mario Schifano in his study with his son Marco, and then actress Maria Schneider, an angel both cursed and sweet, for years trapped in her "Last Tango in Paris" movie character. Schneider, who recently passed away, was photographed in Paris. A black and white portrait: a pale face, dark hair and piercing eyes. «Absolutely angelic», remembers Giacomo Guidi. Following were other extraordinary people: Muhammad Alì and his wife Lonnie, Martin Luther King's daughters photographed in their home in Atlanta; actress Stefania Rocca, androgynous, strong and charming; the French actress Deni Verissimo, another cursed angel sent away from home at the age of 17, first a pornstar then professionally reborn thanks to movie director Luc Bresson; and actress Lavinia Longhi. Recently among the "Angels of Our Time" we've had movie director Wim Wenders of «Wings of Desire», photographed with his wife Donata. «I wanted a campaign with a strong personality» ,says Giacomo Guidi. «Some high impact photos that were poetic at the same time. The entire project is dedicated to all those who, in small or great things, believe in changing the world and sometimes succeed». If you asked Giacomo Guidi about how he has been able to convince so many famous people to be involved with the "Angels of Our Time" campaign, he would answer without hesitation: «Everyone of them understood our desire to get to the heart of people».
