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ITALY – WITH THE CREATIVITY OF BALICH WONDER STUDIO AND GIÒ FORMA, ESSELUNGA OPENED CASA ESSELUNGA AT CASTLE SFORZESCO
An immersive installation in the Courtyard of Arms, spread over two floors, told the Olympic and Paralympic sports value universe and its connection to the brand through an interactive path.
Casa Esselunga was inaugurated inside the courtyard of Milan’s Castello Sforzesco. The space remained open throughout the Games period, until March 15, every day from 10 to 19, and was fully visitable.
Casa Esselunga was a two-floor immersive installation, created with Balich Wonder Studio and Giò Forma, which offered an interactive, emotional, and educational path dedicated to the Olympic and Paralympic value universe and its bond with the brand. It was a journey through more than ten stages where sports, nutrition, and entertainment intertwined to recount not only great achievements but also what made them possible every day.
The Casa Esselunga experience took shape from the outside, with the ‘Mirrored Surface’ that clad the installation and welcomed the public, becoming a metaphor for inclusion. The path opened with ‘The Great Ascent,’ a symbol of the commitment at the base of every endeavor: along the outer wall, a sequence of motivational aphorisms accompanied those climbing, inviting visitors to challenge themselves, step by step, just as happens in every athlete’s life on the path to their goals.
Inside Casa Esselunga, the itinerary unfolded in immersive environments: in the first room, the ‘Prechamber,’ an emotional video introduced the experience of which the public became the protagonist. The path continued with the ‘Wonderful Circuit,’ a kinetic machine that depicted excellence as a continuous process, achievable only if fueled by values of innovation, belonging, integrity, and passion, as well as people’s participation. Among the circuit’s “tracks,” holographic projections of winter disciplines emerged, amplifying public engagement.
Through ‘The Great Descent,’ visitors accessed the lower floor: not just a staircase but a tribute to the value of people, welcomed by the crowd’s energy as true athletes. The path continued with curiosities about Olympic and Paralympic disciplines along the ‘Numerabilia’ wall, the ‘Sports Locker’—which made the online grocery locker interactive—and ‘S for Story,’ a multimedia timeline that recounted, in parallel, the most significant moments of Italian sports at the Olympics and the key milestones in Esselunga’s history.
The journey concluded with ‘The Alphabet of Passions,’ a wall of illuminated baskets that brought symbols and icons to life, and ‘The Super Training,’ an immersive game inspired by curling that invited the public to hit the track for healthy competition. Outside Casa Esselunga, a mascot accompanied and entertained visitors. Casa Esselunga was also a space for meetings and sharing, with an area called “Studio Esse” dedicated to talks and cultural, sports, and educational events, included in an event schedule.
“We are a Milanese company. Milano-Cortina says it all,” Selva stated. “Being at Castello Sforzesco was no coincidence: it was support for the city.”
Esselunga’s presence at Milano Cortina thus became a great sounding board for the brand’s values: closeness to the territory, support for sports, attention to nutrition and prevention.
This commitment extended to the docu-series produced in partnership with Sky—already aired—and support for the Esselunga Team, made up of 14 athletes.
“The retailer is a means to sell,” Selva concluded. “We are a food company. And through food, we wanted to educate, tell, and spread values.”