Client project property of MAC Group
Location Florence
Typology of the project and activity Automotive - Coordination and Production - Organizing Office and Press Office - Partnership & Co-marketing - Territorial Marketing - Integrated Communications - Relationship Marketing
Objectives
- To produce a public relations event involving collectors from all over the world (gathered to display and spotlight their own collector's items), Opinion Leaders from the high-end world, Designers, and Celebrities
- To create one of the world's most prestigious and definitive automobile exhibitions gathering both classic and modern car enthusiasts through The Unique Cars International Concours, an ambitious competition dedicated to unique cars: one-off models, rare specimen remaining from extremely limited production runs, prototypes, concept and show cars, cars famous for having belonged to important figures or winners of international races, and cars from especially limited series (fewer than 20 units built or remaining)
- To establish an exhibition event with unique or rare objects from limited productions or that feature unique qualities defining them as pieces of history
- To develop, by consequence, a project that is broader than a simple event with a continuous presence throughout the year that would create a register of the unique objects and an exclusive community of their collectors, 'the uniques Club'
- To transform the event not only into an opportunity for gathering, but also into a tool for business and strategic communications, thanks to parallel events created ad hoc beforehand, after the exhibition, and throughout the year, increasing opportunities of B2B meetings and public relations
- To feature and promote the distinct artistic and cultural heritage of the location identified each year for the event's staging
Strategic guidelines
MAC Group has committed itself to defining the preset goals in a single format, replicable throughout the world and destined to become a fixed engagement over the years, comprehending a competition, exhibition, and social gathering: a showcase of cars and objects from the past and present, hailing from all over the world and sharing the common denominators of uniqueness, exclusivity, exceptionality, rarity, andsingularity.
The agency's strategy aimed at producing an exclusive event for a high target audience, creating a distinctive, select atmosphere for a closed number of attendees and participants who share a passion for 'beauty.'
The concept that was developed purposefully called for an absence of automotive companies as event sponsors, a decision made in order to allow the companies to play equal roles as actors and not as stars.
MAC Group chose to stage the event in the evocative setting of Florence, making the city an integral component and not simply the event's backdrop. Thanks to the support and sponsorship of the City of Florence, beyond the spectacular scenery of the Gherardesca Palace, Convent, and Garden (today the Four Seasons Hotel of Florence), the agency planned exclusive visits and dinners in key, symbolic buildings of the city, like Palazzo Vecchio, Villa La Petraia, and Palazzo Tornabuoni.
Action
MAC Group devised a strategic plan for the event's organization and production; it coordinated the event's three days, directly managing every creative, operational, logistical, welcoming, and administrative phase.
Beginning on September 24th and lasting through the 27th, the areas of the Gherardesca Palace, Convent, and Garden (today the Four Seasons Hotel of Florence, which was exclusively reserved for 'uniques special ones'), welcomed collectors and their cars registered for the event.
Three full days in which to enjoy the evocative sight of the Gherardesca Garden 'dressed' with over 100 unique cars coming from 12 different countries.
Cars were featured in the park and 'unique pieces' in the halls of the palace. Thanks to the participation of top-tier collectors and distinctive brands from the high-end, luxury world, the event boasted works of art, objects of high craftsmanship, and cars indoors, the combined total value of which was over 100 million Euro. MAC Group gathered a select pool of sponsors suited to the target audience and willing to contribute their excellence to the event. Van Cleef and Arpels presented its jewellery, Meissen its porcelain, and Stefano Ricci put forth his own creations, while works of art from a private collection were also on display within the event: among the others, works by Canova, Guido Reni, and Tintoretto stood out for their beauty. Contemporary art was also provided for, represented by Christina Oiticica who painted several of her works live during several moments of the event. Oiticica is famous for her technique of Land Art. The artist paints many of her canvases in the open air, to then bury them in different settings - in riverbeds, in woods, in forests - and let them rest and sediment for long periods, at times for years. Afterwards, she unearths her art, observes the results of their interaction with nature, and retouches them to obtain an almost joint work, created together with nature. On the occasion of 'uniques special ones,' the work she created was buried in the Gherardesca Garden. Christina Oiticica also expressed her art on a 'canvas of tiles' offered by Ceramica Cleopatra Group.
The heart of the event was The Unique Cars International Concours, which involved a select group of cars chosen by an international selection committee. With 'uniques special ones,' MAC Group wished first and foremost to achieve excellence, identifying a Panel of Judges that would assuredly impart authority to the event; for this reason, the panel was composed of prominent figures in the fields of Design, Art, Automobiles, Culture, and the Media. To name just a few: Adolfo Orsi, expert in the automotive industry and grandson of the same-named entrepreneur who in 1937 purchased Maserati; Tom Tjaarda, the well-known American designer who has designed many models for Pininfarina; and also Ian Cameron, Chief Designer for Rolls Royce. The car that won favour with this expert Judges Panel, earning the title of Best of Show was the 1967 Ferrari 330 GTC Speciale Pininfarina belonging to world-famous collector Brandon Wang.
The welcome cocktail for 'uniques special ones' was held in the Stefano Ricci boutique and was only open to participants, to whom an exclusive guided visit through the elegant spaces of Palazzo Tornabuoni was also offered. Dinner on Saturday took place, instead, in the evocative setting of the Sala dei Cinquecento in Palazzo Vecchio, the use of which was specially granted by the City of Florence for the Gala dinner.
Social engagements of a high level were enjoyed within the Four Seasons Hotel of Florence during the day and in some of the most exclusive and symbolic locations of Florence at night.
The Best of Show was revealed at the end of the 'uniques special ones' closing Gala dinner in Villa La Petraia; the enchanting Medici residence served as the setting for an evocative, elegant play of lights that broke the suspense of attendees when it unveiled the winner of the first staging of 'uniques special ones.'
MAC Group also identified the perfect accompaniment for the event's closing in the voice of Wendy Lewis, a US singer with a background in Soul who is famous for the elegance of her melodies; she has shared the stage with historic artists, like Herbie Hancock, and has collaborated in Italy with Mario Biondi, Ivana Spagna, and Irene Grandi.
To best feature the automobile companies, coachbuilders, and sponsors of the event, a series of solutions were developed in order to make 'uniques special ones' the perfect tool for creating parallel Public Relations events geared toward top clients. In this context, a Mercedes-Benz project was created that, besides exhibiting cars, offered the possibility to a select audience of trying out some models on the road with test-drives organized throughout the duration of the event.
An entire themed area was dedicated to Castagna Milano, an automotive atelier with 160 years of history, including a special display of 6 unique models created on FIAT 500 frames this year.
Furthermore, MAC Group recognized the opportunity of offering a select number of participants the possibility of attending a conference on 'uniques passion in challenging markets:' among the speakers were experts of the level of Daniele Antonucci, Economist for Morgan Stanley, and Max Girardo from the auction house RM Auctions.
The numbers
- 110 cars exhibited
- 1000 attendees, including the selected participants, guests, and audience members
- Almost 60 international collectors
- 40 private planes used by participants to reach Florence
- 12 countries represented
- A total value of 100 million Euro on display, between works of art, objects of high craftsmanship, and exhibited cars
- 42 automotive brands involved
- 53 national and international press representatives
- 20 national and international television stations in attendance
