In 2006, Paris Hilton launched a drink. It was called Rich Prosecco, came in different fruity flavours and was marketed as ‘prosecco in a can’. In Italy it was considered an abomination and sparked fury among winemakers for tarnishing the reputation of their authentic sparkling white wine. I remember because I went to talk to some Prosecco producers and made a report about it. Much to their relief, she was soon forced to change her drink’s name.
Today, nearly two decades on, proper prosecco in bottles, made with grapes grown in the Veneto region of north eastern Italy, has never been so popular; nor has the celebrity attraction to branding alcoholic beverages. While George Clooney went for tequila and Beyoncé for whisky, Kylie Minogue’s Prosecco Rosé has become a smash hit in the UK. And now country music star, Dolly Parton’s just launched her own brand there too.
So I decided to see what Italians think about the international celebrity branding trend when the product they’re endorsing is one that’s so quintessentially home-grown…
Broadcast on Inside Europe 19 September 2024
Link to full episode – Inside Europe 19 September 2024