Giorgio Chiellini Stars in the Visit Livorno Campaign Created by Zaki for Fondazione LEM

There are cities that tell their story through a postcard. And then there is Livorno — which, to be remembered, needs only one thing: to be Livorno. Authentic, rough-edged and welcoming at the same time. Ironic, direct and full of life. From this insight comes the new tourism promotion campaign Visit Livorno, promoted by Fondazione LEM, featuring a standout protagonist: Giorgio Chiellini.

The creative gimmick of the commercial stems from a physical detail — almost instinctive: a firm, energetic grip, that recognizable gesture reflecting Chiellini’s signature intensity and presence. A gesture that has become iconic in the collective imagination, here reinterpreted with a shift in perspective: no longer just competitiveness, but a narrative sign.

Through direction and editing, the gesture becomes a recurring thread running across the scenes — a grip, a contact, a decisive movement that returns and evolves, as if it were the grammar of the story itself.

For this campaign, Zaki handled the creative concept, copywriting and script development, building a narrative structure capable of merging two levels: the champion and the story of the city. A destination storytelling project — a short story designed to endure — speaking both to those who already love Livorno and to those who have yet to discover it.

The objective was clear: to find a contemporary, accessible and recognizable language that does not “polish” Livorno, but enhances it for what it truly is. Because today, tourism increasingly chooses places with character, not just beauty. And Livorno certainly has character.

Bringing the narrative to life visually was Gianluca Prosperi, who translated the concept into images capable of conveying rhythm, atmosphere and authenticity. A delicate task: when telling the story of Livorno, you must strike the right balance between energy and poetry, between irony and sincerity. And you must do so without taking anything away from the city — rather, by letting it speak for itself.

The commercial is part of the broader territorial promotion strategy of Visit Livorno, with a distribution plan designed to reach diverse audiences and expand the destination’s appeal. It is a national campaign that starts with a well-known face but goes beyond it: it uses popularity as a gateway, then guides viewers into a vision of a contemporary, vibrant and authentic city.

For us at Zaki, this was a special project because it brings together what we do every day — strategy, copywriting, creative production — with something we deeply believe in: the power of stories to transform a place into an experience, and an experience into a desire to travel.