As part of my role as Head of Creative & Storytelling at Eataly’s corporate New York office, I was responsible for devising seasonal campaigns that could be used at each of the company’s locations across North America.
Much of my work at Eataly was tailored to the nuances of each U.S. market, but since these campaigns had to function on a national level the subjects focused on classic Italian staples in accordance with the time of year. The backdrops, staging, lighting and photography also changed to reflect the colors and atmosphere of each season.
The umbrella tagline “That’s Food Love” captured the pillars of the Eataly brand: quality, authenticity, humor, and also a careful attention to storytelling. With the help of my talented creative team I wrote copy, managed photoshoots, and oversaw the production of store signage (a fraction of which is presented below). This was truly a 360 campaign, extending beyond Eataly’s physical spaces to its email marketing, social media, and almost all other customer-facing communications.
This project was not without its challenges: each photoshoots was carried out over two or three days at Eataly’s seventh-floor office on East 23rd Street. There were five campaigns a year (four seasons plus the holidays), and by the time one was completed it was time to begin work on the next. Fortunately, the essence of the idea was flexible, and as we navigated through the pandemic we managed to successfully adapt the tone of the campaign to the country’s shifting mood.
Summer
Fall
Holidays
Winter
Spring
Special thanks to Rachel Goodman, Billie Winter, Madeleine Reidy, Grace Henderson, Tracey Bachman, Emily Hirsch and Erick Steinberg.