Italy's UNESCO bid for cuisine gets another embarrassingly bad logo

On August 4, 2023, at the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, the official logo supporting Italy's bid to have its cuisine recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage was unveiled. The logo, created by students of the Scuola della medaglia dell'Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato, depicts a chef's hand tossing a mixed fry of Italian ingredients alongside historical figures, monuments, and symbols—rigatoni, mushrooms, lemons, oranges, tomatoes, Mole Antonelliana, Colosseums, Giuseppe Verdi, and Leaning Towers of Pisa. The design is accompanied by the slogan "Io amo la cucina italiana" with the letter "o" replaced by tricolor hearts. The logo was presented by Minister of Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano, Pompeii Archaeological Park director Gabriel Zuchtriegel, and Istituto Poligrafico CEO Francesco Soro. The bid is promoted by Accademia Italiana della Cucina, Fondazione Casa Artusi, and the magazine La cucina italiana. Sangiuliano stated the effort aims to gain international recognition for Italian cuisine, linking it to the nation's cultural heritage and economic development. Critics argue the logo is a clichéd illustration that ignores contemporary Italy and fails to respect professional graphic design, echoing previous controversies over government branding like the "Open to Meraviglia" campaign and the new Ministry of Education logo.