"The Meeting Place" of the past and the future by Lamborghini
The meeting of the two eternities, the past and the future... is precisely the present moment.
"The Meeting Place” campaign was part of the photography and art project, “With Italy, for Italy”, launched by Lamborghini after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The initiative involved 20 photographers, who were supposed to capture the art, the history and the sceneries of one of Italy’s twenty regions, together with different supercar models from the Lamborghini range. Subsequently, the project was extended to the Asia-Pacific territory, and Lamborghini India contacted artist Vimal Chedran to design “The Meeting Place” campaign.
The main idea was to create an artwork inspired by the design of the unique Huracan EVO and relate it with the culture of a region. The concept of contrast when the past comes up close to the future - is what made this campaign a success - contrasting a futuristic object such as a Lamborghini sport car with a village untouched by urbanisation, with the folklore and culture of the region. Instead of having only photographs, the artist decided to shoot a short film so that he could clearly explain the story behind the concept.
As Vimal said: “We chose Kerala because the port in the region had trade relations with several countries, including Italy.”
“People of the village were in awe of the vehicle when it was brought from Bengaluru. The colour, the sound, the shape, the design…everything made them curious,” says Sharan Velayudhan, the cinematographer.
With the fast-emerging innovation that is surrounding us everywhere, we are used to the modern and fresh campaigns. “The Meeting Place” deviates from that and that is exactly what makes the campaign unique and unconventional.
Set against the culture and folklore of the region, the film was shot in Pattambi. The characters in the film resemble the art forms of the region - there is Poothan and Thira, a ritualistic art form from South Malabar region and Darika, a demon, and Kali, characters from Mudiyettu, a form of ritual dance that plays out the battle between them. Regarding the connection of the concept of art with Italy, Vimal explained: “We chose Kerala for the project because Muziris Port in the state has had trade relations with several countries, including Italy.”
Public's reaction was mostly positive to the campaign, especially considering the number of likes and dislikes under the director's youtube profile:
Moreover, when looking for specific "negative" keywords associated to the campaign (such as ''scandal'' or ''cultural appropriation'') - no results were found, hence the campaign did not cause any negative reaction.
We can surely say that the campaign was well received by the local and global public. The fact that both campaign photographer and cinematographer are originally from India lead to no cultural appropriation as they knew how to handle the video direction, taking into account meticulously every detail of the video.
The successful creation of a veil of exceptionality, extraordinariness around the Lamborghini Huracán EVO is the learning outcome of the film. In fact, being able to represent the luxurious car through such an artistic concept, allows the object to become a prominent element in the rough Indian landscape painted by Vimal. The deviation becomes a characteristic element, which makes the portrayed object (i.e., the car) "detached" from everything else, representing something distinctive for the spectator watching the movie.
In fact, Lamborghini's futurism stands out in an environment that is depicted with a more bygone and old-fashioned twist. The success reason is therefore characterized by this strong contrast between these two worlds that come together. Vimal Chandaran was able to represent the element he wanted, putting it next to its "opposite" in a single film, as if he wanted to put two totally different colors next to each other. He was able to depict the value of Lamborghini's futurism in a clearer and more direct way, getting the message across to the viewer.
Sources:
M, A. (2021, January 19). Lamborghini’s promotional campaign showcases a slice of Kerala and its culture. The Hindu. https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/lamborghinis-promotional-campaign-showcases-a-slice-of-kerala-culture/article33609786.ece
Pandey, N. (2021, January 21). Driving through rustic landscape, Lamborghini's promotional campaign shows Kerala and its culture. Ewoke TV | India's ubercool news platform. Retrieved November 7, 2021, from https://ewoke.tv/news/driving-through-rustic-landscape-lamborghinis-promotional-campaign-shows-kerala-and-its-culture/.
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