Its
Steve's favouirte drink... so what is the history of Campari?
Before the Campari International reached over 33 million
bottles in annual sales, Campari family made significant
steps in aperitif culture, inventing the historical marketing
strategy with its ruby red coloured herbal spirit.
Gaspare Campari was born in 1828 in the small town of
Castelnuovo, the province of Lombardy, before Italy was
unified. Gaspare was a master drink maker (or an apprentice
maitre licoriste) at the Bass Bar in Turin by the age
14. Turin was the major commercial centre for aperitif
products. His recipe contained more than 60 natural ingredients
including herbs, spices, barks and fruit peels. The company
still keeps the complete recipe confidential today.
During the 1840s, Gaspare sold his product throughout
Italy. In 1860, Gaspare founded the Gruppo Campari in
Milan. Meanwhile France and Italy became rivals to one
another in aperitif production and consumption. Aperitif
makers began incorporating the labels with the names of
cities like Italy, Turin and Milan as they distributed
the products from city to city.
In 1862 he remarried and settled in Milan, the home of
his second wife. He ran a cafe in front of Milan's historic
cathedral, the Duomo. He also opened up Cafe Campari nearby.
Davide Campari, (in a picture) Gaspare's youngest son
worked at the Cafe Campari for 33 years, serving the elite
of Turin society including King Vittorio Emmanuel and
his prime minister, Cavour.
In 1932 together with his father, Davide created Campari
Soda, pre-mixed cocktail in a cone-shaped bottle designed
by the Italian futurist designer, Fortunato Depero.
Campari Historical Posters
Davide contributed his marketing ideas, which later set
the industry's standard of advertising and marketing.
He allowed the rival bar owners in the area to buy the
Campari products to sell it at their bars under the condition
that the buyers display the 'Campari Bitters' sign at
their location.
He also engaged with commissioning artists to create
poster advertisement, allowing designers' artistic sense
with three basic criteria: Artists must clearly display
the brand name; use uncomplicated colour; and the brand
should be incorporated naturally in the picture.
Among the most memorable posters are Cappiello's 'Folletto'
(1921), displaying a dancing clown in an orange peel spiral
holding a Campari bottle high above his head.
In the early 1900s, Davide met an opera singer, Lina
Cavalieri. Shortly after they met each other, Lina was
moving to Nice to perform in a summer show. To follow
Lina, Davide decided to enter the export market and it
was when Campari Group started the international distribution.
This story remains as the 'love story' of the history
of Campari Family.
Davide died in 1936. His sense of salesmanship and innovative
marketing strategies brought Campari a worldwide success.
In Italy, Campari is usually served in a frozen glass
without ice with adding soda in order to release the bitter
sweet flavours. In the United States, Campari is often
used for cocktails and served with ice.
