Song of Bacchus

Paolo Polegato, CEO of Astoria Wines, an Italian company which produces Prosecco (as well as other wines), bought pages of newspapers and magazines to advertise his anti-racist message: “The violence of words and facts is no longer tolerable”. “We have to pay attention to our words and conduct, and not solicit hatred and anger”, he says. However, Polegato’s challenge of advertising goes beyond his own cosmopolitan values, as it was also dictated by the need to safeguard the image of Astoria Wines worldwide: “Abroad, Italy is perceived as a country which is quickly descending into racism, and this certainly damages the business of our company that exports at least 40 per cent of its production”. Photo: Democratica.