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A meticulously crafted plan, crowned with success and achieving coverage beyond all expectations across leading international media, combined with enormous online visibility made possible by an original social media narrative.
After a six-month stint as the main icon of Expo Dubai (see photo below), the reproduction of Michelangelo's masterpiece became the inspiration for research and innovation projects aimed at protecting artistic heritage affected by wars and natural disasters worldwide. What follows is the story of…
THE DAVID TWIN
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A communication best practice!
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This is the story of a communication journey that spanned over two years, beginning in the summer of 2020 with the first contacts to ensure high-profile media coverage throughout the various phases of the project: the most accurate reproduction of Michelangelo's masterpiece ever made. The David Twin became the iconic symbol of the event in the United Arab Emirates during the heart of Expo, serving as its most notable ambassador with an impressive campaign featuring mega billboards and displays in airports, metro stations, and along motorways.
1.
The Announcement
The unprecedented project was announced on October 1, 2020, at the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, where the original David is housed. The event, attended by a select group of senior reporters from Italian state television RAI, the nation’s leading daily Corriere della Sera, and the New York Times, took place amidst the restrictions of the ongoing pandemic, inside a museum that would soon close to visitors due to Covid. This circumstance, however, made the digital acquisition of the David much easier..
2.
The Digital David in Global Media
In the days following the announcement (see video), dozens of newspapers worldwide—from Repubblica to the New York Times to La Vanguardia—featured it as a front-page story. News agencies, TV channels, and radio stations across five continents also dedicated significant coverage to the David Twin, including the Associated Press, CBS, RIA Novosti, and the BBC.
3.
On the Front Page of the New York Times…
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…And on those of Repubblica, La Vanguardia, and the Wall Street Journal
(Articles can be viewed by clicking on the images below)
5.
The Unveiling Live at the Italian Pavilion
The unveiling of the David reproduction at the construction site of the Italian Pavilion at Expo, at the end of April 2021—five months before the start of the Universal Exposition—was a major media event. It was broadcast live on RAI1 and attended by Italian and UAE government members, as well as covered by journalists and photographers from around the world
6.
A Testimonial of Italian Cultural Heritage: the CNN Report, Seen on All Emirates Flights
The first of many major "commercials" for Italy's cultural heritage, made possible by the David Twin communication project, aired and went online in May 2021 when CNN described the reproduction of Michelangelo's masterpiece as a winning card for Italy and its tourism industry, which had been affected by the decline in tourist flows during the pandemic. The report, showcasing the main stages of the project up to its installation at Expo, remained available for a year as part of the in-flight content on all Emirates flights.
7.
An icon of Italy in Dubai and for Dubai…
The project's storytelling in international media continued throughout the summer of 2021. A few weeks before Expo began, visibility peaked again: the US weekly Time included Dubai among the 'World's Greatest Places 2021' (surprisingly, no Italian city made the list), citing the David reproduction at the Italian Pavilion as one of three main reasons.
Once the Exhibition started, an exclusive Reuters report broke the news of a project for a center dedicated to restoring and reproducing works of art damaged in conflict zones—a project inspired by the David Twin experience. This was followed by further reports from the BBC, Gulf News, and The National, as well as hundreds of stories on social media posted by both micro and top influencers visiting the Italian Pavilion.
...and Leading the Rebirth of Italy’s Art Cities after the Pandemic
The CNN headline alone highlighted the extraordinary impact of this global promotion project for Italy’s artistic heritage.
8.
Italy’s Beauty and Innovation on Display Worldwide Thanks to the BBC
The story continued with a special report by ‘Click’, the renowned TV show on technology and innovation (see below, starting at 00:11:20).
9.
The “Digital David” on Social Media
The extensive visibility of the Digital and Twin David in traditional media sparked a virtuous communication cycle that extended to digital channels, with hundreds—and then thousands—of textual, photographic, and video posts by influencers and visitors (both physical and virtual) on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, and especially Instagram. The link below provides an overview.
10.
A Portrait of the David-Twin project
Massimo Sestini, one of Europe’s top photo-reporters and a World Press Photo award winner, discusses in this video his personal experience covering, on an exclusive basis, the most significant steps of the David reproduction—from the early stages of digitalization to the Twin’s arrival in Dubai.
11.
The Reproduction Now Inspires Technological Research for Artistic Heritage
An Italian lawmaker successfully proposed and secured approval for an additional measure in the nation’s 2022 budget law (see details here) to ensure a legacy for Italy’s participation in Expo Dubai: three projects funded by the state, including one inspired by the David reproduction.
12.
Memory and future
In the photographic book celebrating Italy's participation in Expo Dubai, which I edited for Mondadori, an entire chapter is dedicated to the David Twin and to the over 1.6 million visitors—both famous and unknown—who admired it as they passed through the Pavilion. Below are two excerpts from the introductory text I wrote.
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