B&B Italia's 60 Years of Visionary Advertising Campaigns

B&B Italia marks its 60th anniversary with a retrospective that highlights its advertising as a vital aspect of design. In 1966, founder Piero Ambrogio Busnelli engaged graphic designer Enrico Trabacchi, initiating a collaboration that significantly influenced the brand’s visual presentation for ten years. Trabacchi created iconic pieces such as the 1969 poster for Afra and Tobia Scarpa's Bonanza armchair and the futuristic design of Gaetano Pesce's UP armchairs. In 1972, Oliviero Toscani's striking image featuring model Donna Jordan on Mario Bellini's Le Bambole sofa was unveiled. From 1976 to 1995, the Swiss agency STZ produced surreal advertising, including early TV spots. Subsequent campaigns featured RSCG's work in 1989 and Saatchi & Saatchi's 2007 promotion for Patricia Urquiola's Tufty-Time sofa, with Piero Gandini advocating for a creative and subversive style.