This advertising hoax was submitted by Andrea Natella, Rome, Italy, 24th September 2007:
In only two months, Petal Veil has captured the attention of the press and the interest of millions of Italian Internet users as the guru of well-being and self-care. The truth is Petal Veil is a custom-made personality, and through his “Minimal Beauty” philosophy he has connected to thousands of Lines customers.
He has presented himself to the Italian public as an international star and the guru of well-being. He has met thousands of girls across Italy. His videos ended up on the front page of major Italian web sites and countless newspapers dedicated him hundreds of articles. Petal Veil is really a masquerade created by Lines (the Italian name for P&G’s line of feminine hygiene products known as Always®).
The campaign designed and coordinated by K-Events was developed in a nine-step tour across Italy. Travelling on a 12m motor home, Petal Veil, portrayed by a professional actor, offered to more than two hundred girls a beauty treatment inspired by the Minimal Beauty philosophy especially created for his character. Furthermore, he gave them the opportunity to take part in the selection of the protagonist for a film based on the female self-care and well-being values that are at the core of his philosophy.
Petal Veil’s name comes from the English translation of Petalo Blu and Lines Velo. He represents a new communication frontier, an unusual instrument of dialogue with consumers that Lines wanted to include as part of the Careworld project for increased understanding of its customers’ needs. Having a firm commitment to addressing those requirements, Petal Veil will continue to exist even after the revelation of his real identity.
As stated by the Lines marketing team that worked on the project (Stefania Marinangeli, Michele Noce, Mariarosaria Palomba and Carlo Danza): “Petal Veil is the archetype that Lines wanted to create in order to better listen to and understand its consumers’ needs and expectations, enabling us to offer them important values that nowadays have disappeared: wellness that is achieved through the care of minimal details and simple daily behaviours, rather than the search of a perfect body.”
Petal Veil in fact is not only a face associated with a brand but a holistic testimonial of a new generation, a character with an independent soul and a free vision of life who’s able to portray the philosophy of the product without being its prisoner: A man with a story, with his own life and his own thoughts, with projects able to evolve thanks to the interaction with his public and to the usage of innovative web and viral communication techniques.
The campaign was designed and coordinated by K-events, with a team guided by Andrea Natella as Creative Head Guerrilla, Francesca Marchi as Project Leader and Fabrizio Audagnotto as Executive Producer. Lycos Italia e Magic Tv have been partners in the operation.