For many, dreaming with open eyes is considered a waste of time – a sign of weakness. For others, however, it is pure energy, motivation to do better and better. There are those who think that dreaming is a luxury reserved exclusively for children, while adults must keep their feet firmly on the ground. When you are young, you can afford to have your head in the clouds and spend your time sticking stickers, drawing and coloring. But not when you get older. Yet, there were those, whose stickers made them become an unprecedented international business. And there are those who have transformed art and design into the cornerstones of an established design company. International exponents of successful Italian entrepreneurship, Panini and Tecnografica have much more in common than you can imagine.
To begin with, the research of image quality. Panini stickers were born from an intuition of Giuseppe Panini, who together with his brother Benito ran a newsstand in the center of Modena. In 1960, Panini bought an unsold lot of stickers of Italian footballers from the Nannina publishing house in Milan, packed them and put them up for sale as surprise envelopes: this intuition immediately had a commercial response with 3 million packs sold. The following year the Panini brothers did everything from home, creating their own collection of stickers from scratch named “Calciatori 1961-62” with particular attention to the quality of the images. The success was certified by the 15 million packets sold, followed by 29 million the year after: the Panini “football players” myth was born. That same attention to the image guided Paolo Lamberti between the 80s and 90s. A man with a highly creative nature and inclined to art, after a brief experience as a freehand designer in a ceramic studio, Paolo immediately understood the fundamental importance of the quality of the images linked to coverings. At the young age of 24, he therefore decided to start his own company to achieve the fusion of first-rate technological equipment and manual skill. That is how Tecnografica‘s adventure in the world of coverings begun in 1992.
Another characteristic which unites Panini and Tecnografica is the unstoppable drive towards technological innovations and products. A well-known example is Fifimatic, the automatic bagging machine invented by Umberto Panini, which collected and packed the stickers inside boxes. Meanwhile, keeping up with the continuous evolution of technology in the graphic design field in the transition of the digital age, Tecnografica selected the most avant-garde solutions available. The acquisition of high-resolution images and high-definition digital printing further enhanced the craftsmanship of the company.
Panini and Tecnografica agree that the concept of product customization is the key to success. To keep up with changing times and the market. Panini has been able to adapt its products to ever-changing interests of the public, involving partners operating in the most diverse sectors such as toys, food & beverage, snacks, clothing, catering, fuels, communication and more. Similarily, graphics created by Tecnografica’s artists and designers are fully customizable to accommodate any needs within each individual project offering extreme flexibility.
Last but not least, both Emilian companies have always created and transmitted emotions. The stickers have evoked a child’s “Got Got Need” through joyful nostalgia from the past; whilst the coverings recall memories through graphic designs and creative exaltation of the present.
Panini turns 60 this year, Tecnografica 30 next year. Apparently distant by birth and context, the two companies actually fully share the constant commitment and brilliant ideas that have always distinguished the Emilia region and more in general, Italy.
Panini and Tecnografica dream open-eyed, together. Starting 14th of June 2021.
